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

“I hate driving a cage,” Viper groaned.

“Next time we take our bikes,” Sham said, as Chisel nodded. His throat was still healing from the knife that Snake used to slice his throat. He was lucky to be alive, and though he hadn’t spoken a word since, he didn’t let that stop him from living his life.

“Damn babe, you look fucking hot,” Viper purred, coming up beside me. “Are you sure Reaper’s it for you? Because if you want to change your mind…”

Grimm punched the obnoxious brother in the gut shutting him up immediately. “Damn it, Grimm, I was just joking! Viper said, coughing.

“Remi doesn’t look good. Is that what you're saying, Viper?” Mia challenged.

“Don’t you start Tyrant? You know damn well what I meant.”

“So, you do want to fuck my brother’s woman?”

“I didn’t say that!” Viper yelled, getting to his feet. “You are putting words in my mouth. Anyone ever tell you that you are mean?”

“I am not. I’m honest!”

Rolling my eyes, I looked at Grimm, Chisel, and Shamrock as Mia and Viper continued their tirade as we all walked into the kitchen. Placing my bag down on the counter, I motioned to Shamrock, telling him that I was going to go find Max. Sham nodded, smiling, watching the Mia-Viper show.

Leaving the kitchen, I had just entered the common room when I heard Max shout, “Incoming!”

Instantly loud pops started hitting the front of the clubhouse, breaking through the wood siding, shattering the glass windows as brothers ducked for cover. I didn’t understand what was going on. It was like one of those movies I watched with Ink, where everything slowed down. Bullets pierced and pinged all around me. Men were shouting something as they pulled guns out and started firing back.

I didn’t understand what was going on.

A loud explosion rocked the clubhouse, making me jump.  Turning, I saw Max running for me, right before tackling me to the floor, covering me with his body.

It was then I understood.

Someone was trying to kill us.

I didn’t know how long it lasted. It seemed like hours. Yet it was more like mere minutes, but the fact of the matter was it did happen. Someone was trying to kill us. Max looked down at me, fear emanating from his eyes. “Are you hurt?”

Shaking my head, I tried to form words, I couldn’t. He helped me to my feet as I surveyed the damage while Max took it upon himself to check my body himself. Before I could think, he grabbed me, hugging me to him. “God baby, you scared the fuck out of me. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon. When I saw you standing there. I lost it. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I’m fine Max,” I whispered, seeing the damage done to the clubhouse. “But the others?”

“I know. We’ll take a headcount.”

Max shouted, “Roll Call!” After a few minutes, every brother was accounted for, though a few of them had been hit, most were flesh wounds. Looking around the room, I counted heads myself, making sure everyone who was supposed to be here was, and they were, alive. It was then that I realized Mia wasn’t here. Moving away from Max, I looked around the room, searching for her. I spotted Ghost with his daughter, but no Mia. I spotted Viper tending to Shamrock, who had taken a bullet to his shoulder.

She wasn’t anywhere.

My heart started pounding. I last saw her in the kitchen. Turning, I was going to go check when I stopped dead in my tracks.

There she was with a gun to her temple. Blood covering her shirt.

In the arms of the devil.

He was here.

He came back for me.

“Momma,” I heard Becca squeal spotting her mother. All the men turned when they heard the little girl. The few seconds of calm vanished. Men all around me got slowly to their feet. Max stepped in front of me, shielding me from what was about to happen. I watched as Ghost handed his daughter off to his younger brother, Shadow. He quickly left, taking the toddler with him.

“Baby, it’s going to be okay,” Ghost said, reaching behind him for the gun he had at his back.

“I love you,” Mia whispered as tears fell freely down her cheeks. Her face pale from the blood loss. She was hurt and, from the looks of it, badly.

“I know, baby,” Ghost replied, moving closer.

“Give me Remi, or this bitch will die,” Darrin Reynolds said, looking directly at me.

“You are a dead man,” Max grinned. “You come into my home and expect to live. You’ve got balls, mother fucker.”

“It didn’t have to be this way, Reaper. We had a good thing going. All you had to do was toe the line, but you couldn’t. Your conscience got in the way. Now, everything is fucked up.”

“Not my problem.”

“People want me dead because of her,” Darrin said, pointing his gun in my direction. Give her to me.”

“Over my dead body,” Max said, reaching for his blades as Phantom and Player slowly came out of the hallway, each armed pointing their weapons at the bastard. Max lightly shook his head, warning them to back off, as Darrin put the gun back at Mia’s temple. She coughed, blood spilling out of her mouth. She was dying, and that mother fucker didn’t care. “You’re not leaving here alive. You know that, don’t you?”

“That may be true, but I won’t be going alone,” Darrin said cocking his gun. Mia coughed again, spewing more blood, her body shaking in fear. I wanted so much to take this from her. She didn’t know Darrin as I did. I could handle the pain. She couldn’t. She was innocent. I wasn’t. Reaching for Max’s gun at his back, I held it behind me and stepped out from behind Max and said, “Take me, Darrin. Let Mia go. She doesn’t know what you like. I do.”

Max stiffened but said nothing.

I knew he wouldn’t.

I needed him to trust me as I trusted him.