Page 2 of Reaping Havoc (Royal Bastards MC Tonopah, NV #21)

“ W hy the hell did we let them knock us up in the summer?” Cameron asked, fanning herself with a flat piece of cardboard as we sat on my front porch.

To be fair, it was unbearably hot. “We don’t have to stay out here. I have air conditioning,” I teased her, picking up the remote to switch the fan facing us to the highest setting.

“Nylah, that’s like blowing a furnace in my face. Ugh.” She rested against the cushions on my wicker furniture, propping her feet up.

We both had swollen ankles lately.

“More iced tea?” I suggested, already lowering my legs to help out my sister-in-law. Of course, she was the closest female companion I had other than my sister Mimi.

I heard a car door slam and glanced toward the street. “You’re just in time,” I hollered as I placed my feet back on a pillow, thrilled I wouldn’t have to walk around with fat ankles all day.

Mimi snorted as she walked up the porch steps. “Why the hell are you both suffering in this heat?”

I gestured to Cameron with my hand. “It’s her fault.”

“We need fresh air. It’s not a good idea to stay locked inside all day without circulation,” she defended, giving me adequate side-eye in case I missed the bit of attitude she let slip out.

It wasn’t malicious or even snarky. If anything, it made me giggle. Our hormones were all over the place, and it cracked us both up.

Again, this was Rael and Chrome’s fault, in competition to see who could get their ol’ lady pregnant first. It ended up happening a week apart, and here we were, swollen bellies matching thick ankles during a September heat wave.

“I’ll get you both refills,” my sister offered, topping off our glasses with iced tea. “Need anything else?”

“Chips and guacamole,” Cameron answered, which wasn’t a surprise. “And cookie dough ice cream.”

Mimi shook her head with a smile. “I brought goodies with me.” She held up the giant insulated bag she had placed on the porch when she joined us.

We both had consistent cravings during our pregnancies. It hadn’t changed since our second trimesters began.

“What about you?” Mimi asked with a smirk.

“You already know.”

“I do,” she laughed, digging into her bag to hand over Cameron’s ice cream first. Then she placed my bag of pretzels, a container of Dean’s French Onion Dip, and a small tub of rainbow sherbet.

Mimi even remembered to bring spoons and napkins, and added more ice to our glasses since it was quickly melting in the heat.

“You’re the best sister,” I praised her as I opened my pretzels and dip, enjoying my snack.

“You really are,” Cameron agreed as she moaned, slurping ice cream straight from her spoon. “I’m jealous.”

“But I spoil you too,” Mimi reminded her.

“True. I’m adopting you. Wait,” she laughed. “You’re both adopting me . I’m going to be an honorary sister.”

“Done,” Mimi announced.

“You already are to me,” I added.

All the ol’ ladies in the Tonopah Graven Bastards MC were close. We bonded over our bikers, but also because of their deadly secret. We’d all met the Reapers at one time or another. It had to happen to fully embrace the men of the Tonopah GBMC.

Some might think it strange or unbelievable that we’d accept a demonic being sharing the body of our men, but once you met a Reaper, you’d change your mind. They were loyal, fearless, protective, possessive, affectionate, and downright sinful. In bed? No match to any regular guy.

Once you had been with a Reaper, nothing else could ever compare.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like and didn’t want to ever consider it.

I loved Rael, his Reaper, and even his Berserker so completely that I couldn’t imagine a life without the trio.

Was it strange to have three separate entities inside one man’s powerful body? Sure. But I truly loved it.

And it was so unique. Only Rael shared more than the Reaper. None of the other members, even the president Grim, shared any other entity. What was it that made Rael so special? Hard to say. Too many to name. But he was born for this life, that much I knew.

“Oh, God. I have to pee,” Cameron exclaimed, rising to her feet. A bit unsteady, she laughed.

“Let me help,” Mimi offered, leading her into the house so she could empty her bladder.

We both went so often now that it was comical. Whenever our babies pressed on our bladders, that was it. We had to make a frantic dash to the bathroom. I had only a few weeks left, and Cameron’s due date was seven days later. Her and Chrome were expecting a little boy and their first child.

I set my snacks aside and leaned back, resting as the fan blew my hair out of my face. I wasn’t as hot after eating a little of the sherbet. It definitely helped.

My phone rang and I picked it up, noticing the ID as it came up Unknown Caller. That was strange. No one used that feature unless they intentionally wanted to hide their identity.

Since I was curious, I answered. “Hello?”

Silence.

I waited a few seconds before repeating my greeting. “Hello?”

Nothing. No dial tone either. I hung up.

I set my cell down and closed my eyes, enjoying the silence since the boys were napping.

If I were lucky, I’d have another hour before they woke up.

I loved my boys, but when they were awake, it was constant chaos until they went to bed.

At this late stage of pregnancy, I was easily fatigued.

Luckily, Rael handled most of it whenever he was home.

My phone began ringing a second time, and I sighed when I opened my eyes and noticed Unknown Caller a second time. “Hello?”

Silence... and then, heavy breathing. Like weird, raspy breaths that sounded a bit odd.

“Who is this?”

The heavy breathing stopped. Silence stretched for a few seconds before I ended the call.

“Weird,” I murmured as Mimi and Cameron returned to the porch.

Cameron sat down and propped her feet, balancing a bowl of chips on her stomach. “What’s weird?”

“I just got the strangest phone call.”

“Oh? What about?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Mimi asked, sitting in the empty chair beside me.

“Nobody talked, and someone was breathing hard.”

“Ugh. Sounds like a prank call,” my sister observed.

Maybe. “Yeah. I guess so.” It felt off, though.

“I bet it’s nothing,” Cameron concluded. “Probably a bored teenager or you got on some stupid list.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” I decided not to answer it again if that unknown caller chose to be persistent.

He didn’t. No one other than Rael called or texted the remainder of the day. I brushed it off as nothing important and moved on. Everything was perfect in my life, and I wouldn’t waste my time on random phone calls that didn’t matter.

THE HOUSE WAS QUIET when I woke from my nap.

My eyes fluttered and finally opened as I sat up, pushing off the blanket that Rael must have draped over me while I slept.

Since having the boys, it always felt strange to wake up to a noiseless house.

If I didn’t know Rael was home and looking after our boys, I’d be spooked.

I padded my way to the bathroom first, stopping to relieve my poor bladder.

Rubbing my stomach as it rumbled, I headed into the kitchen next to grab a snack.

Once I had apples, peanut butter, pretzels, and a handful of cheddar cheese chunks, I took my apple juice and plate to the deck out back, where I could hear Gavin and Gage giggling.

Now, hearing my boys laugh was always a delight, but when it mixed with Rael’s sexy deep timbre, it either meant they were getting into trouble on their own or he was helping them.

To my surprise, I ended up wrong on both counts.

Rael stood in front of the boys, tying on their red Superman capes and ensuring their shoes were tied. Each twin held a plastic sword.

“Alright. We’re gonna practice sneaking,” he announced.

Sneaking? What for?

I didn’t like the sound of this at all.

No one noticed as I slipped outdoors and set my drink and food on the wooden table.

We bought the table and chairs last year, along with a pop-up tent that provided shelter, so we could sit out here with the boys while they played and not bake in the sun.

Although now that I thought about it, the pop-up tent was probably just for me.

“I wanna be a good sneaker,” Gavin declared.

“Me, too, Daddy,” Gage added.

“Then follow my directions. You gotta keep your feet slow and quiet. No running. You can’t be loud or people will hear you.”

“No singing?” Gavin asked.

“Nope.”

“What about growling like Reapers?” Gage wondered.

How cute.

“Well, you save that for when you catch your prey. Okay?”

Both the twins nodded.

They set off, following close behind Rael as they began wandering a pathway around the backyard, weaving around flowers, the rose bushes, and the shed. I sat down and began to eat, watching as the boys tried their best to be quiet.

“Gage. Your feets are loud.”

Gavin stuck out his tongue. “No, they’re not.”

Rael snickered. “You’re both doing a good job with your feet.”

Gage bumped into Gavin’s back, and he tumbled to the ground, instantly pissed. He jumped up and lunged for his brother when Rael threw an arm around his waist and lifted him high off the ground.

Gavin squealed. “Daddy! He knocked me down.”

“It was an accident,” Rael assured him.

“No, it wasn’t,” Gage confirmed as he stuck out his tongue at his brother.

An argument ensued.

Who knew kids at almost three years old could bicker?

“Boys,” Rael growled, using a little of the Reaper’s tone.

They stopped arguing. “Yes, Daddy?”

Per usual, they spoke in unison.

“This isn’t very good sneaking practice. How are we gonna catch Uncle Noah by surprise with the water balloons if we aren’t behaving?”

Ah. Now I knew why the boys were helping Rael sneak around the backyard. It was practice for the water balloon war with Chrome. I almost giggled. How silly.

Both boys stared at the ground as Rael placed Gage beside Gavin.

“How about we try this one more time?”

Two little heads bobbed yes.

To their credit, they did a fantastic job of following Rael around. When they bumped into him, he pretended not to notice. It was so adorable.

For the next half hour, they crept around the backyard and pretended to catch monsters. It wasn’t long before they lost interest and began to play something else. But what can you expect of such small children?

Rael caught my gaze and winked.

My sexy bastard biker sure knew how to make my heart flutter.

Funny, but it wasn’t roses, or chocolate, or material things that made me fall harder for him with every passing day.

It was the little things like playing with our boys and having endless patience.

Or covering me with a blanket while I took a nap.

Doing extra chores or kissing me goodnight every night, no matter how tired we were.

Rael might not show that softer side to the world, but I got to see it. I lived it every day. The way his gaze softened and then would fill with lust. How he always had to steal a kiss, even if I was reading to the boys or cooking a meal.

The best part? He never failed to tell me how much he loved me, as if each day could be the last we shared together, and he wouldn’t be able to handle it if I didn’t know every moment of the day how much he loved me.

He didn’t understand that the words weren’t needed. Not when I felt his love, saw it every hour of the day that he was home, or experienced it every night in bed when he showed me with actions and tenderness what I meant to him.

I was a lucky woman.

Blowing him a kiss, I smiled as he pretended to catch it. His hand tapped his heart, more proof of my value in his eyes. Every woman should be cherished like this in the daylight hours and then fucked until they orgasm at least twice until they fall asleep.

If not, they needed a sexy, inked, biker bad boy and their own Reaper.