REAPER: GOLDEN SKULLS M.C. by Rebecca Joyce (elon musk reading list TXT) 📗

My brothers moved fast, leaving me to the death before my eyes. Ghost stayed like I knew he would. He always did.

“Come on, man. Come back to us. Remi needs you. She can’t see you like this. You’d scare the devil himself.”

“They touched her.”

“I know,” Ghost said softly. “But that doesn’t matter. She needs you. She needs your strength and understanding. This isn’t going to be easy for either of you. We are all going to help both of you get through this. I swear it.”

“How is she ever going to trust me. They were Golden Skulls.”

“You will tell her the truth. No more lies. Let her see the real you, Max. She is going to need it. As for all of this, just be honest with her. Tell her the truth. She will understand. If she loves you, she will accept it.”

“I can’t even accept it.”

“Find a way too, because when we find her, it’s not about you anymore. So, if you need to shout, scream, cry, beat the hell out of someone, do it now.”

“Reaper!” We both heard someone shout. Turning, I watched as Bullseye and Chaos both ran up to us then stopped dead in their tracks. “Uh, who pissed off Reaper?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ghost said. “Where the fuck were you two?”

“We found him,” Chaos said, gasping for breath. “Darrin Reynolds.”

“Where,” I asked, stepping closer to them.

“Saw him in the tree line. That’s why we broke off. We chased him down to the swamp, where he had a motorboat waiting. We hightailed it along the river, but we lost him. Saw a small Cessna plane fly over a few minutes later. Got the tail number. But Reaper, she’s alive. I saw her!”

“Remi?”

“No, Layla!” Bullseye shouted, grabbing my bloodied cut as tears ran down his face. “She’s alive!”

Looking to Chaos, who just nodded, I hugged Bullseye to me. “We will find her brother. I promise you. We will get her back.”

Bullseye silently wept, whispering, “She’s alive.”

“Wait,” Ghost said, scratching his head. “I thought you and Kitty? I mean, you married her.”

“Kitty and Layla were roommates in college. When Layla was taken, Kitty called me when she couldn’t get ahold of her brother. I didn’t know her brother was part of the Golden Skulls at the time. I was still in the Marines. I met Reaper a few weeks later when we were both hunting the same guy. Kitty was raped that night by the guys who took Layla. She swore me to secrecy. She didn’t know she was pregnant until weeks later. She hid it for as long as she could. By then, I was part of the Golden Skulls. Kitty knew the rules, and she knew what Savage would do to protect her. She didn’t want him leaving the club for her. So, to save my brother from making a big mistake and to protect Kitty, I married her so she could get all the medical help she needed, and that way she’d still be protected by the Skulls.”

“So, you and Kitty…”

“Are just friends.”

“Son of a bitch,” Ghost sighed. “Savage is really going to beat your ass when he finds out.”

“No, I won’t,” Savage said from behind them. Instead of a knockdown drag-out fight, I watched as Savage clasped Bullseye on his shoulder and said, “Thank you for protecting my sister when I couldn’t.”

“That’s beautiful,” Massacre said, grinning as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. “I missed you boys so much. But can we save the love and hugs for later? Savage and I checked the clubhouse. It’s empty. We still have one other house on the property, and the boys are refusing to get closer to it. The smell is something else, Reaper. It’s death.”

“Dear God,” Bullseye coughed, covering his nose as we all walked towards the old house deep in the muggy bayou. The thick heat was drenching as flies, mosquitos, and other insects I didn’t want to know about flew around us. Before us, the building was dilapidated, damn near falling apart as the earth started to reclaim the land. Moss and vines covered the east side, while the front was barely standing.

I knew going in there was going to be bad.

The smell was horrendous, but inside was going to be much worse.

“Masks on,” I said, fitting my mask over my face. I still hadn’t found Remi, and I feared she was somewhere in the house instead of the several outbuildings we’d already checked. The longer it was taking me to find her, the more anxious I was becoming.

“Reaper,” Chaos whispered. “I don’t know if I can go in there.”

I understood. I really did. No one should have to see what was before us, and I wasn’t going to make them. “Anyone not wanting to go in, stay out here, scout the area and secure it. Any fucker that looks healthy gets a shot to the head.”

Chaos nodded and turned away, along with Ink, Chisel, and Bayou.

The second we all stepped inside, we all knew that this operation was more than a rescue. It was about saving what humanity was left in this place. “Savage tell Healer and the local sheriff to call for reinforcements. They’re going to need help.”

“Holy fuck,” Ghost muttered. “How are we going to find her in this place?”

“Everyone, listen up!” I shouted. “I want everyone to pair up. Pick a room. Take the living to Healer. As for the dead, be respectful, gentle. They’ve been through enough. We will not disrespect them in death. Take their bodies to the side of the house for identification. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Take your time, but make sure every room is cleared. If anyone comes across Remi, call out immediately. But everyone alive gets their freedom today. Understood?”

Everyone nodded, paired off, and headed to a room.

Ghost and I took the furthest room to our left.

Opening the door, we walked into hell.

I’d seen some sick shit in