Page 5 of Reaping Havoc (Royal Bastards MC Tonopah, NV #21)

“ O ne more story. That’s it,” I conceded, sitting in the rocking chair between Gavin and Gage’s beds. They slept in big boy beds now, and it was much easier to read to them when I could settle on a comfortable seat instead of the floor or toddler beds where I worried we’d break the frame.

Gavin pouted.

Gage blinked. “Mama, puh-lease.”

“Just one more.” I remained firm despite those adorable faces hungry for more adventure.

Somewhere on page fifteen of How I Became a Pirate , the boys fell asleep.

I covered them both with their matching blankets and left the room, closing the door with a soft click so I wouldn’t wake them as I cleaned up the house.

I planned to finish off the mess in the kitchen, followed by the clutter in the living room.

It wasn’t as easy as it used to be with my pregnancy in the ninth month. I had only weeks left until we met the little girl growing inside my womb, and I couldn’t wait until the moment when I held her in my arms.

Rael loved being a father to the twins, but I had a feeling he’d be ecstatic with a daughter.

Not to mention overprotective, too. Okay, probably obsessive, crazy, and hovering.

But he’d love her more than any man I’d ever known.

Rael never did anything half-assed. He was all in, one of the most endearing and my favorite characteristics of my possessive biker.

I picked up a discarded pillow and fluffed it, placing it on the living room couch when I heard a slight noise outside. A creak of floorboards on the front porch. Odd.

Rael was at the clubhouse because Grim had called church. He’d been a bit apprehensive about leaving me today, and I wondered if he was feeling anxious about the baby. My doctor assured us that everything was fine and that our little girl was healthy. He needed to relax.

My head lifted as I faced the large set of windows, expecting to find empty patio furniture and the swing. Plants. Maybe a discarded coffee mug from Rael. But my heart nearly stuttered when I saw someone there.

I wasn’t alone.

A man stood on the other side of the glass, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite place.

His eyes were so dark they appeared black in the early afternoon shadows.

The freakiest part? He wore the same skeletal, black and white, Day of the Dead themed makeup Rael wore most days since we met.

This wasn’t Rael.

I swallowed hard, my gaze shifting slightly as I glanced at the front door and noticed the lock. Shit!

In this neighborhood, consisting of so many members of the Graven Bastards MC, Rael’s biker club, I never thought to flip the lock after he left. He never bothered with it either, too distracted by his brother and their water balloon battle. No one ever messed with us. They wouldn’t dare.

Until now.

My attention focused on the stranger as a dark laugh tumbled from his mouth, etched with macabre teeth over black painted lips. Oh. My. God.

I didn’t hesitate to react. As quickly as possible, I ran to the door. Just as I saw the knob begin to turn, I flipped the lock. My chest heaved as I heard it rattle, no longer able to open.

But this wasn’t the only door on the first floor of our house.

As that knowledge sank in, I dashed away from the front entrance and through the living room, entering the kitchen. I checked the lock that led out to the garage. No worries there.

It was the sliding glass doors leading out to the deck that worried me.

The boys had played outside earlier, digging trenches for their army men and plastic animals, using spoons from my new flatware set.

I couldn’t care less if they damaged any utensils, far too concerned with the devilish grin facing me as the stranger began slowly ascending the deck stairs.

We both could see the door slightly ajar. I never noticed as I made lunch, focusing on the kids and our routine. What a costly mistake!

Terror seized me with such a fierce grip that I trembled, knowing I would never make it to the door before this stranger did. My babies were asleep in a room twenty feet from where I stood. Their safety trumped my own.

No one would enter my house uninvited.

I sprinted toward the door as he stopped just three steps from the glass. My hand shook as I shoved it closed and flipped the lock in place. He could have come inside. If this stranger wanted, he could have shoved his way in, knocked me backward, and done whatever he wanted.

My hand pressed against my stomach and the innocent life growing inside. Sucking air into my lungs, I gulped loudly as I reached into the pocket of my maternity top and yanked out my phone. I needed Rael. Now.

The line rang twice before I heard his voice. “My kitten. You need anything?”

“Rael.” My voice sounded strange to my ears. Flat. Lifeless. Frightened.

“Are you okay?” An edge of worry tinged his deep, gritty timbre.

“No.”

I could hear the moment he realized danger lurked too close for comfort. There was a subtle shift I picked up on only because I knew him so well. A slight intake of breath. The beginning rumble of a growl.

My biker wasn’t schizophrenic, but he did have three distinct personas, and they all shared space inside his body. The Reaper. My biker. His Berserker.

I always knew which part of him would speak to me because they were all unique. The Reaper called me one endearment, his beloved. Rael referred to me as his kitten or hellcat. But the Berserker? Lifeblood.

“My lifeblood. Talk to me.”

I hadn’t heard from him in months. That part of Rael stayed buried because he was dangerous, cutthroat, vengeful, and sadistic.

Anyone who dared to harm me would feel his wrath and experience his brutality.

Never once did he raise his voice at me, but I’d seen firsthand what he could do, and I knew he surfaced now because he could hear the terror in my voice.

“There’s someone here.”

“Who?”

“He’s looking at me through the sliding glass doors. Just... staring.”

“What the fuck?”

“Rael,” I choked, struggling to breathe and speak through the fear and worry that this man would do something to me or the boys before Rael arrived.

“I’m coming home, my lifeblood. I’m close.”

“He’s wearing the same face paint as you.”

Silence greeted me for a few seconds. “What do you mean?”

“It’s the same skeletal face. Black and white.”

In the distance, I could hear the low roar of a motorcycle engine. Wait—multiple engines.

“Can you hear my bike? I’m not far. Stay on the phone with me.”

“Okay.”

I took a few steps backwards as the man wearing the disguise moved forward until his warm breath heated the glass, leaving condensation behind. It puffed in slow succession, nearly fading completely before he exhaled, and another misty cloud appeared.

What the hell did this man want? Why did he choose me and my house?

“Nylah. I’m almost home.”

As the sound of engines grew closer, the stranger finally stepped back and jogged down the stairs, but not before turning around and grinning with that awful macabre smile that made me shiver.

“Nylah?” Rael’s voice held urgency as I finally replied.

“I think he’s leaving,” I informed him, feeling both relieved and disturbed. What was the point of this? To terrify me? Mission accomplished.

I was still facing the sliding glass doors and the empty backyard as Rael rushed inside the house, clutching my belly as worry for my babies consumed my thoughts.

“Beloved.”

Strong arms encircled me as I jolted, blinking as I looked up at the face of the Reaper. Well, the Reaper and the Berserker. They fought for control, wrestling with one another in urgent need.

“My lifeblood.”

“He almost entered the house.” My throat was suddenly dry, and I nearly choked on the words. “Gavin and Gage are napping.” I gently tapped my stomach. “I’m so close to our daughter’s birth.”

Rage contorted his features for a few seconds, but nothing about his fury scared me. I knew this man as intimately as I knew myself. “We’ll find him.”

“What if he comes back?”

That thought scared me more than I wanted to admit.

“I’ll be here.” He held me closer, cradling my head against his chest. His hold tightened around me like he could take the fear away and absorb it into himself. “I won’t be leaving you again, my lifeblood.”

“Please don’t. Not until it’s safe.”

“I swear it, Beloved.”

The Reaper and the Berserker were twice the protection. As long as Rael stayed with me and the boys, we’d be okay. But what if I went into labor? What if it wasn’t safe to leave the house?

The thought caused me to tremble, and Rael’s deep voice tried to soothe the worry and fear he sensed. “Shhh. I’ve got you. You’re safe and so are the boys.”

I lifted my head, trying not to spill tears. “I know.”

Grim joined us. He looked pissed. “Wraith, Bodie, and Chaos are chasing that fucker down. He won’t elude us for long.”

Not with all those Reapers. They were deadly hunters.

I knew this firsthand since I was kidnapped a few years ago, and Rael found me.

Well, his Reaper and his Berserker. I’d never seen anything as terrifying and powerful as those parts of my biker.

He spilled blood and burned buildings to the ground to locate me.

The kind of stuff that happened in romance novels and in movies, but I was lucky enough to have the real deal with my man. He was a lover, a fighter, and a ‘Touch Her and Die’ poster board for the perfect guy.

“Bones and Jigsaw are outside. They’ll be sticking around for the night,” Grim informed us. “Two members here. Always.”

Rael nodded. “Good.” He frowned. “Shit. What about Chrome and Cameron?”

“They’ll watch both places.”

“I don’t like it. Too many unknown variables, Pres. Two places where shit could go down. It makes better sense to move Cameron and Chrome in with us until this shit is sorted.”

“Then talk to Chrome. I’ll stay with Nylah.”

Listening to them speak, I realized this wasn’t going to be handled as quickly as I initially thought. “You don’t think they’ll catch the guy?”

I didn’t care who answered, but Grim spoke first. “It’s more complicated than that. We have to make sure there’s no one else involved, Nylah.”

“I understand.”

Rael kissed my forehead. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m just going next door to sort this with Chrome. Okay?”

I couldn’t be weak and not agree. As scared as I was, I knew Grim would protect me and the boys. There were at least four members nearby, which meant four deadly Reapers watching over us. “Okay.”

Rael’s lips pressed to mine, kissing me softly before he walked out, the door clicking shut behind him as he stepped onto the porch.

“Thank you, Grim.”

“Of course. Why don’t you put your feet up? I can get anything you need.”

It was kind of him to offer. He understood how uncomfortable pregnancy could be since his Trish had given him two babies.

“I’ll take you up on that.”

I thought I could relax, but it proved impossible.

My gaze kept sliding to the door, waiting for Rael to return. The truth was, I needed him, and I wouldn’t feel better until he came back and I could snuggle into his arms, feeling the protective embrace of his Reaper and the Berserker.

With a sigh, I leaned back, deciding it would help nothing if I remained anxious. Closing my eyes, I attempted to rest before the boys woke from their nap.

Maybe if I pretended this never happened, I could actually get some sleep.