Page 12 of Reaping Havoc (Royal Bastards MC Tonopah, NV #21)

“ Y ou stupid fucker,” Grim accused. “Just couldn’t resist punching a police officer.”

“He had it coming,” I growled, not the least bit sorry.

“And now you’re stuck in jail overnight instead of with your ol’ lady when she needs you.”

Pissed that he reminded me, I flipped him off.

Grim shrugged. “You’re an asshole, but you’re my brother. Flip me off again and I’ll make you pay for it.”

I sighed, sinking onto the cold, sterile bench in my cell.

Grim crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the plan?”

The plan? I was in fucking jail. There was no plan.

“Ah. So you’re feelin’ sorry for yourself and not gonna do shit now? Is that it?”

He was really pissing me off. I decided to change the subject.

“Who’s with my brother?”

Grim’s expression faltered. “No one. He won’t let anyone get close.”

Fuck!

“I really fucked up.” More than usual.

“Yeah. You did,” Grim agreed.

“I’ll make it right. I swear it,” I vowed.

He would hold me to it. Grim always did.

I ended up stuck in that goddamn cell for the next six hours. Grim left a few minutes after our conversation. He had Trish and the kids waiting for him at home.

I never fell asleep. Whenever I tried, my Reaper or my Berserker would lash into me, and I woke up agitated.

By the time I heard someone walking my way, I had a bad fucking attitude. When I saw the police officer I punched, I knew I wasn’t getting out of here anytime soon.

He approached and stared me down. “Your daughter was returned to the hospital a few hours ago.”

What? I jumped to my feet and rushed toward him. “You letting me out or what?”

“Maybe. Are you going to apologize?”

I snorted. “Sorry.”

He stuck a key into the cell but didn’t turn it yet. “I just want you to know I’m not pressing any charges.”

“You’re not?” I was shocked.

“I would have done the same thing if it were me.” He grinned. “Don’t fucking make me regret it.”

Ha! “I won’t.” No guarantees.

The door to my cell popped open, and I left it, nearly colliding with Grim. He looked tense.

Well, shit. What happened now?

I followed him outdoors to our bikes. Once I sat on my seat, I turned to find him still standing.

“We need to talk.”

“What is it? Pres, I just want to get to Nylah and my baby girl.”

“This is about them.”

I had to force down my Reaper’s urge to burst free. “Tell me.”

“Your little girl is safe. She’s unharmed. Hungry, but that’s getting handled right now.”

Okay. Good.

“And Nylah?”

He took a step toward me. “Gone.”

I tilted my head to the side like I hadn’t heard him right. “What do you mean?”

“She left the hospital.” He held up a hand when I started to reply. “On her own. Your baby was dropped off at the same time.”

I already knew what he was going to say. “They got to her.”

“That’s what I believe.”

“An exchange. Nylah for my daughter.” It was the only thing that made sense.

“There’s video of the drop off. Xenon is working on it. He’s almost cracked the ID on the woman who dropped off your daughter.”

“Is she Russian?”

Grim smiled, and there wasn’t any humor in it. “Yep.”

“I want to check on my daughter first.”

He nodded.

“Then I want to hunt this Russian since he’s in Vegas.”

Grim sat on his bike. “What are we waiting for? Let’s fucking move out.”

Right.

I led the way to the hospital, parking my bike in the front and not giving two shits if anyone complained about it. Rushing inside, I stopped at the triage to ask about Nylah and the baby.

“Your daughter is in the NICU.”

NICU? “Why?”

“She was malnourished and lost weight. You can go up and see her now if you like.”

“Of course, I do.” I nearly growled the words, but contained them. “What about my wife?”

“We collected her belongings and discharge papers. I just need you to sign for them.”

I didn’t read any of the shit on the page. I signed it, handed it over, and accepted the bag of Nylah’s things. My chest nearly caved in as I smelled her clothes and sweet scent, but I had to focus on my daughter.

The NICU was on the fourth floor, and Grim waited for me outside. I entered, washed my hands, and a nurse led me to my daughter. She was greedily sucking down a bottle.

“I want to feed her,” I announced as the nurse holding her nodded. As soon as she pulled the bottle from Gianna’s mouth, she wailed.

“Hey now, Daddy’s got you. None of that fussing.”

She stopped crying when she heard my voice. I picked her up, cradled her against my chest, and sat in the rocking chair, slowly pushing the artificial nipple into my baby’s mouth.

Gianna seemed less desperate and relaxed. Once she finished her bottle, I burped her, holding her close as my heart did a painful lurch. Nylah should be here, feeding her breastmilk instead of formula.

I looked up and caught several nurses watching me with what I could only describe as a look of awe. Ignoring them, I tucked my daughter close and kept rocking, nearly falling asleep.

But I couldn’t do that.

“When can I take my baby girl home?”

“I’d like to weigh her and see how she’s gaining,” one of them replied.

She had gained over eight ounces since they brought her in.

“I think she’s fine to come home.”

“I would normally like to keep her for observation, but your situation is unique. I hope you find your wife and she’s okay.”

Touched, I thanked her.

Twenty minutes later, I carried my little girl outside to a waiting SUV. Spook had driven it over as soon as I was released from jail. I sure didn’t tell the nurses about that shit.

I took Gianna to The Crossroads instead of home. I couldn’t arrive with a new baby sister and not her mama. The boys would never forgive me.

Trish met us as we entered the clubhouse, gushing over Gianna. “I’ll take care of her until Nylah is back.”

I set the carrier down on an empty table. “I appreciate you.” Leaning over the car seat, I kissed my little girl’s head. “Daddy loves you, Gianna.”

Whatever happened next, I would spill blood, unleash my Berserker, or do anything required to bring my Nylah home.

XENON POKED HIS HEAD into the bar. “Rael, you should see this.”

I walked into Xenon’s office, scanning the monitors. “Where?

“Here.” He pointed to his laptop.

“What the fuck am I looking at?”

“Gorbachev. I found him.”

I nearly hugged Xenon as he shoved me away. “Christ. There’s more.”

“Well, why do you always make me ask?”

Grim snorted. “Right? Fucker loves to build the anticipation.”

Xenon didn’t mind. We weren’t lying.

“He’s at the new club tonight. It’s opening on The Strip. I’ve got his image right here. A confirmation he’s planning to attend.”

“And Nylah?”

“Found her. Her image pinged on my software. The same club.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” I growled. “This is too fucking easy.”

Grim thumped me on the back of the head. “Nothing is ever easy with those fucking Russian traffickers.”

Okay. He had a point.

“We need to ride to Vegas, Pres. Now.”

Grim agreed. “We’ll take Hannibal, Wraith, Mammoth, Bones, and Exorcist.”

Hannibal. He would lose his shit when he found that Russian. I strode from Xenon’s office after thanking him and found Han in the bar. “Hey.”

He wasn’t talking to anyone, just staring at a wall. “What the fuck you want, Rael?”

“To tell you to come with me because we found Gorbachev and Nylah. I bet your kin is there too.”

He blinked. “Where?”

“Vegas,” Grim answered. “Get your shit. We’re heading to Sin City.”

Grim called the others, and we rode off the lot only ten minutes later. The new club, Brilliance, opened at eight, and we’d arrive during non-business hours, but that didn’t matter. We’d break down the goddamn doors with our Reapers. No one could hold us back.

Since the club was located on The Strip, we parked our bikes at one of the hotels, not wanting to tip off Gorbachev of our arrival. I wasn’t na?ve. He probably had eyes on us twenty-four seven. It wouldn’t surprise me if he opened a door and stood in it, daring us to confront him.

The joke was on Gorbachev and the last of the Russian traffickers in Nevada. They hadn’t faced our Reapers. Those cowards came at us blindly, behind our backs, and shoved the knife in before running away.

That wouldn’t happen anymore.

Grim stood beside me as we approached Brilliance. “This is it.”

I understood what he meant. Years of bullshit brought us to this moment. When we took him out, we eliminated the last of the leaders. “The last head on the hydra.”

“Exactly.”

“You lead, Rael.”

I walked around the building as my club brothers followed, finding a door that was probably used as a back entrance for staff. As I got closer, I sensed Nylah inside.

“Nylah.” I wanted to barge in and rip them all apart, but I wouldn’t risk her being harmed in the process.

“Take it slow. We don’t want any of these motherfuckers to escape.”

He took the words right out of my mouth.

I tried to be quiet as we entered the building, but it didn’t matter. Gorbachev knew we were coming. I think he anticipated our arrival and enjoyed the thought of taking us out the same as we did with him and his thugs.

I intended to wait and prolong his torment. I needed him to fucking suffer for what he did to my family.

Cameron. My brother. Me. Nylah. My daughter.

But when I saw him holding Nylah and his palm wrapped around her throat, I didn’t hesitate to move. Grim’s growl confirmed he was just as hungry for revenge as I was, and he wasn’t willing to wait either.

The Reapers converged on our prey.

Cries of horror echoed around me as the men in the room realized we weren’t entirely human. Gorbachev knew, and he still brought war to my doorstep.

I rushed him, arriving in front of him too fast for the fat Russian to shoot or hurt Nylah. I spared one glance at her face, and saw love, pride, and a smug confirmation that she never doubted I would find her.

Fuck. She was beautiful.

I circled Gorbachev’s throat with my hand and lifted him off the ground. The Berserker took control.

“You dared to come for my family.”

He stared at me with awe. “Finally. You came.”

Why wasn’t he afraid?

“You touched my woman.”

He smiled. “Yes.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You stole my child.”

He eagerly nodded, not fighting my hold. “Make me like you.”

Is that what this was about? This motherfucker thought I would spare his life, his fucking soul, and make him a Reaper.

How fucking ridiculous.

“No.”

He begged me.

“You will die, and when every soul in this room has been sent to Lucifer, your business in flesh and all your connections will fail. I’ll pursue every lead until none of them live. This. Ends. NOW!”

His eyes grew round and nearly popped out of his head as I began to squeeze, choking the life from his body. I wanted to pop him like a tick and let every tainted bit ooze from his evil soul.

I could have asked Ex or Han to torment him, but I was done. The Berserker had no patience left. He slowly began to tug on Gorbachev’s soul and took pleasure in the screams that followed. When his essence hung outside of his body and he stared down at me, I grinned.

He trembled, and I knew he felt fear with his last breaths.

Around me, my fellow Reapers took their souls, awaiting hell to open up and swallow them whole.

But... nothing happened.

As we slid our scythes through the souls and finished the reaping, they hung in the air.

Grim roared at Lucifer.

Then something began to change. I felt heat ignite inside me, and then it started to grow, building into an inferno that I couldn’t control.

When it nearly consumed me, I opened my mouth and flames shot through my lips.

They ignited the souls with hellfire and burned them without mercy.

The souls became ash that slowly faded until nothing remained.

Only the stench lingered in the air.

Lucifer’s laughter echoed inside the empty club. We all knew what that meant. The bastard had just fucked with us again.

But I couldn’t be angry. Not when I finally got revenge.

The trafficking ring was eliminated. We vanquished our enemy and reaped their fucking souls. Gorbachev was dead.

And with him, the last threat against us.