Page 20
NINETEEN
DRAKE
This is not good. Why the fuck am I nervous? It doesn’t make sense and yet I’m guessing it has everything to do with the guilt I’m nurturing inside like a bomb about to go off.
I see them waiting for me and swallow hard because they really don’t need to know what happened with Imogen for all our sakes.
I’ve been summoned to a disused house set halfway up the mountain around thirty minutes drive from Rockwell. As I pull into the yard, I note the two Harleys gleaming in the moonlit sky and the two huge leather clad bodies sitting on the steps of the crumbling veranda.
My headlights dim as I come to a stop and as I cut the engine, the only sound is that of my frantically beating heart.
I am never nervous around these men, but now I have something to hide I’m terrified of slipping up. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already know and my time on this earth is a matter of minutes away.
As I head toward them, they stand and Ryder’s deep voice greets me. “Hey, Drake. It’s good to see you.”
“Ryder.” I offer him my hand and prepare myself for the usual painful experience of having mine crushed in his fist.
Flash glares at me, which causes my heart to still as he searches my expression with an anxious one of his own.
“Drake.” His handshake is less destructive and as the pleasantries fade, Ryder resumes his position on the step.
We won’t venture inside the house. Instead, we conduct our meeting out in the open, which is the usual procedure to watch out for intruders.
I’m aware the house will have been searched already, two other Reapers stationed inside and several more dotted around the perimeter, checking we are not interrupted.
Not that I saw them when I drove in. I would be disappointed if I had because these men are the best in their field and are Reapers for a reason.
We are all the best at what we do, which is why my guilt is driving a stake through my heart right now.
I let them down. I disobeyed a direct order, and I’m the fool who must now live with that.
We wait for Ryder to speak. The information that man knows astonishes me. It’s as if the world’s problems are run past him first and he commands an air of wisdom that impresses the fuck out of me.
“Christian Duprey has cut ties with Jenna Sloane.”
I say nothing as he shares the intelligence he is gathering daily.
“I’m guessing it’s because she exposed their operation in getting fired and has left a hole in his recruitment campaign.”
I sense Flash’s eyes on me and squirm a little inside. It’s as if my interest in his daughter is written in blood on my forehead and he will be an unforgiving slayer of my soul.
“Their relationship goes way back to high school, and she is a volatile problem, liable to cause him concern.”
“Do you believe she is in danger?” I reply thoughtfully and he nods, a faint smile ghosting his lips.
“From him, undoubtedly. She is a loose end that needs tying up before the entire operation unravels.”
“That does us a favor, right?”
“In a way, but she’s a known operative we now have eyes on. If we lose her, we are unaware of her replacement, which could be a huge problem.”
“Is there anyone in Rockwell who has raised your suspicion? Could there be another recruitment officer already in place?” Flash asks, a deep frown on his usual jovial face.
“Not that I’m aware of.” I shrug. “The only person I know who is connected to that society is Jesse Anderson. He is currently undergoing initiation.”
Flash grinds his fist into the wooden step that shatters under it.
“Imogen’s fucking boyfriend.”
The anguish on his face is a bitter pill to swallow and yet we are aware that was the reason I was drafted in the first place. I must choose my words if I’m going to survive this encounter and temper my words carefully.
“Imogen is aware of the situation.”
Ryder nods and Flash breathes a sigh of relief. It was under Ryder’s instruction that I brought her in and this meeting is to educate them on how that went.
“Imogen wants to help, more Jesse than anything, because she is worried about him.”
Flash sighs. “She was always too caring for her own good. Unless she has caught actual feelings for the creep. Then I seek permission to take him out myself.”
Flash’s statement isn’t surprising because God forbid any future daughter of mine was in danger. I doubt I would be so accepting of the situation.
Ryder adds, “Imogen’s safety is the priority here. All of their safety.”
The fact we are here at all is largely because of Cassie.
When Ryder heard his daughter was involved with Frankie Majerio, I thought her days at Rockwell were numbered.
Nothing gets past Ryder and knowing his daughter is involved with the son of a fucking mafia dynasty can’t have been easy, and I suppose Cassie has her mom and Jack to thank for his acceptance of the situation.
When they returned for the holidays, Ryder grilled Jack on Cassie’s movements at Rockwell.
Despite being a loyal friend to Cassie, Jack isn’t dumb enough not to voice his concerns with the president of our club.
He was right to and assured Ryder he was close enough to step in should Cassie be in any danger.
Ryder, so I’ve heard, erupted like a fucking volcano and only Ashton possesses the power to calm him the fuck down.
All credit must go to her for diffusing the situation and channeling Ryder’s mind in a different way to help his daughter.
If Cassie discovered his involvement in this shit, they are too alike for it to go down well.
So, Jack has been tasked with keeping Cassie safe and my involvement was to enlist the help of Imogen and search for any possible leads within the academy itself.
It backfired big time though and unbeknown to Cassie, she now has three guardian angels watching her back, none of who are aware of the others involvement.
Ryder is thoughtful and I ask him a burning question that has confounded me since I learned of the mission.
“Why don’t you take Christian Duprey out? You want to extinguish The Serpent Society. Surely the best way to do that is to cut the head off the snake.”
Ryder shakes his head. “First, you must locate the snake for that to be an option.”
“But you know where Christian operates from.”
I’m aware that Ryder has every pin in the map concerning that shit show and I still don’t understand why the Reapers haven’t moved in already.
Ryder exhales sharply. “If it was that easy, we wouldn’t be sitting here now. You see, Drake–”
He fixes me with his usual dark, enigmatic glare. “It has come to my attention that Christian Duprey is merely a figurehead. The real snake is so far underground, even I can’t flush him out.”
As I process this new information, I see his dilemma.
“Any ideas”’ Flash asks and Ryder shakes his head. “Not one, which is why I need more intelligence rather than risk defeat.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Flash is trying not to sound anxious, but it’s obvious he is fast losing his shit.
“We follow Jesse and Jenna Sloane. They are our only leads, and we allow them to do what comes naturally while protecting our own.”
“That’s your fucking plan!” Flash yells with frustration and I’ve got to hand it to him. He’s a braver man than me to raise his voice against Ryder King.
The air stills as he realizes his mistake and as Ryder fixes him with a hard glare, he holds up his hand.
“I’m sorry, prez. I trust you, of course I do, but Imogen is up close and personal with a fucking maniac and I’d rather just pull her from the situation along with Cassie and Jack.”
Ryder nods, understanding heavy in his eyes.
“And you think I don’t?” He huffs a frustrated sigh before saying wearily. “Ever heard the saying, keep your friends close but your enemies closer?”
“Of course.” Flash answers and I nod my affirmation.
Ryder sighs, “Ashton reminded me of that when I blew my shit when I found out in the first place. She told me to trust my daughter’s judgment and possibly the safest place for her is in the eye of the storm.
Frankie Majerio may be born into a fucking deranged dynasty, but they have a moral code I respect when it comes to their own.
Jack assures me that Frankie is protective of Cassie and that was enough to set my mind at ease. Imogen, however–”
He offers Flash a sympathetic smile. “She is nothing like Cassie. She’s soft, compassionate and doesn’t like to take risks. Her heart is spun from pure gold and many view her as a vulnerable option. But we know she is not. She has a skeleton of steel inside her that will serve her well.”
“But unlike Cassie, she is tight with a fucking deranged maniac.” Flash groans, and I’m surprised when Ryder shakes his head.
“Jack assures me that underneath it all, Jesse is a good guy who is just easily manipulated. He believes they can divert him away from Jenna Sloane and that may be true, but the lady herself may have other plans.”
“So, what are your plans, Ryder? Because the sooner this is over the sooner I’ll sleep at night.”
I detect frown lines on the face of a usually easy-going guy and my heart spears me from inside.
I’ve let him down and I should come clean but instead I fall silent as Ryder huffs, “The plan is to wait for Jenna Sloane to make her move with Jesse. Imogen is aware of the danger and has her guardian angel in place.”
He turns to me and a thoughtful gleam lights his eyes. “Keep her close and eyes on Jesse. If you haven’t already, tell her never to be alone with him without help a call away and to be on her guard in a crowd.”
“Fuck!”
Flash’s tortured groan doesn’t help the situation, and Ryder sighs.
“So, we will monitor Jenna Sloane’s movements and you do the same for Jesse.
They will lead us to Christian at some point and, if I’m guessing correctly, it’s only a matter of time before we learn the identity of the snake charmer himself.
Jenna is in danger and we must deal with that and Drake–”
Ryder’s eyes find mine and he growls, “Your mission is to keep Imogen safe and discover if anyone else is involved. A new teacher or an existing one perhaps because it’s doubtful that Christian would let a gold mine for recruits like Rockwell be without an officer installed.”
I nod and as he wraps the meeting up, he nods at Flash. “Join the others. I need a word with Drake.”
Flash nods and before he leaves, he thumps me on the back and whispers, “Take care of my little girl, Drake. I’m depending on you.”
He leaves me feeling like the biggest asshole who ever lived and as he disappears into the darkness, Ryder fixes me with a hard glare.
“Anything to tell me, soldier?”
Fuck and double fuck. Of course he knows.
He leans against the wooden strut, holding the veranda up and I stand before him like a naughty kid caught stealing apples from the farmer’s field.
“Imogen.”
I don’t know where to begin, and I sigh heavily. “I may have overstepped the boundary.”
It’s always best to come clean to Ryder. It’s not worth hiding the gruesome facts, especially as it’s obvious he already knows something went down.
He remains silent and I add, “How do you know?”
The fact I’ve admitted nothing is inconsequential. It’s as if we are speaking telepathically as he shrugs. “You were uncomfortable around Flash. You told me yourself by your actions.”
“Fuck.”
I run my fingers through my hair and he adds, “Flash is so eaten up with concern he never spotted the signals. So, I repeat my question, do you have anything to tell me, soldier?”
“I like her.” I jump on the edge of the blade because it’s the honorable thing to do, and he is almost sympathetic as he smiles briefly.
“Like?”
“Really like.”
He almost smiles.
“And Imogen? Does she really like you, too?”
“Yes.” I swallow my fear and face him with honesty.
“We have agreed it’s not going anywhere. We can’t act on it because?—”
I break off and he huffs, “Because?”
“Because of who we are. She is one of our own and we don’t shit on our doorstep.”
Ryder surprises me by laughing softly. “So, tell me soldier, because I’m interested in your thinking. Why do you consider yourself unworthy of being with one of our own?”
If anything, I’m shocked into silence and he casts a look into the darkness where Flash disappeared.
“I’ve always warned the bikers off women under our care.
You are aware of that. It’s the honorable thing to do.
However, that shit blows up in my face most of the time and I have learned that you can’t fight a person’s feelings, no matter how many threats are issued. ”
He peers at me with a frown.
“They have a habit of going there, anyway.”
I’m speechless as he lowers his voice. “Sometimes the best weapon to launch is the one with the most to lose. If you have developed feelings for Imogen, you are the best man to keep her safe.”
Ryder never fails to leave me speechless. His mind has always worked in mysterious ways, and it’s almost as if he has planned this.
I finally find my voice and deliver it with a sigh. “I’m not sure Flash would see it in the same way.”
“He only wants what’s best for Imogen and what is better than a Reaper?”
“You make a valid point.”
For the first time, I relax and as he slaps me hard on the shoulder, he growls. “You have one mission, soldier. Keep our girls safe, whatever that leads to. Just don’t take on something you can’t finish.”
His warning isn’t lost on me. If I’m serious abut Imogen, it’s until she is done with me. I must be honorable in my intentions and accept it if it doesn’t work out.
I nod, my gratitude shown in my relieved smile.
Ryder points to my car. “I’ll be in touch.”
As I turn and walk away, I hold back my grin. Fuck Ryder King, how the hell does he do that? It’s a skill I wish I had, but the most important thing is, I no longer need to hide from my feelings for Imogen and that is the greatest gift he could have given me tonight.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
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- Page 9
- Page 10
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- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20 (Reading here)
- Page 21
- Page 22
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- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
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- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53