“Remi, calm down. Reynolds may be many things, but a rapist, pedophile, and trafficker he is not. He’s one of the good guys. He’s married with three kids of his own. In fact, he runs the task force we’ve been helping for years now.”
“What?”
“Yeah, the Golden Skulls has been working with Reynolds for years trying to find those fuckers and bring them to justice.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t. Max would never align himself with a man like Reynolds. “Your wrong. He’s been lying to you. I swear it, Peter. He’s the man you’ve been looking for.”
Peter said nothing more as he got out of the car and opened the back door for me. I steeled myself for what was to come, knowing damn well, this was going to be the last time I ever had any freedom. Hell, if I survived the night, I would be shocked.
Getting out of the car, I looked up at the stary night and prayed to God that my death would be swift. I couldn’t take the pain anymore. I wouldn’t. I prayed that Max found happiness somewhere, with anyone and that he found a way to go on without me. God, I wanted to call him and tell him goodbye. I at least deserved that, I thought. After everything I’d been through, I should have been able to say goodbye to the one man I loved.
Instead, Peter took ahold of my arm and walked me towards the devil waiting by the plane. I never heard Snake behind me, but when I looked, he was there.
“Reynolds,” Peter greeted. “How are things going?”
“Better now,” the devil said, then added. “Hello Remi.”
“Asshole.”
“Now, darling, is that any way to greet your lover?”
“Fuck off, you evil piece of shit.”
Before Peter or Snake could comment on our dialogue, I watched as the devil himself pulled out a gun, shot Snake in the head, and then aimed his gun at Peter. “I wish you didn’t have to find out like this but thank you for bringing her back to me.”
Before Peter could do anything, the devil shot him dead. I stood in shock as I watched the man who stayed by my side and read me princess stories, colored with me, watched cartoons with me, who was a significant part of my life for a short time, fall to the ground lifeless.
I wanted to say so much, say anything to rail against the devil before me. Instead, I did nothing as he grabbed my arm forcefully and ushered me into the plane. When the doors closed, I knew I was never going to see Max again.
SEVENTEEN
REAPER
It had been six hours since Shamrock called Ghost and informed me that Chisel was in intensive care at Purgatory Memorial Hospital and that Remi was not at the cabin. As I looked down at the bodies of my former brothers, men I trusted implicitly. I couldn’t help but grin at their demise. I wish I could have been the ones to reap their souls, but I wasn’t. It wasn’t every day that karma exacted her justice so swiftly.
As far as I was concerned, the bodies could rot where they lay, but apparently, it would bring too much heat down on the club. A couple of the brothers were loading up the bodies to take them back to the compound as it was. Not for burial, but to burn. I wanted to watch their flesh melt from their bones and turn to ash.
Standing on the tarmac, I surveyed the area, not really looking at anything. My mind was other places. Mainly I thought of Remi. Where was she at? What was she enduring? I mostly prayed she found the will to survive until I could get to her. I could only imagine what she was going through. Part of me didn’t want to think about it, but I couldn’t stop myself.
I’d seen the files. I knew what these men were capable of. Some sick nasty shit that even churned my stomach. What tore at my soul was that for five years, I helped these sick fuckers. All along, I thought I was doing something right, making a difference. In the end, I was just as depraved as them. The low life’s, the degenerates, the immoral fucks of the world, all of them needed to be eradicated, wiped from the earth swiftly. That was what I planned on doing, and I would. Repentance would come later. Now was the time for blood and vengeance, and I was so ready to bathe in it.
“Reaper, the bodies are loaded.”
I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted so badly to leave them for the vultures, but I was outvoted. Apparently, I wasn’t thinking clearly. Of course, my brothers were right, but I was never going to tell them that. Nope, I stood there and let my fury boil.
She was with that fucker, in God knows how much pain, and I was standing on a tarmac looking at the fucking scenery. What kind of fucked up world was this? It should have been me. I would have gladly gone. She’d been through so much already, the thought of something more worried me. I knew Remi was strong, even if she didn’t believe it most of the time. My girl was made of iron, and there was nothing that would break her. She’d survived so much and came so far to fall back into this fucked up mess.
“Player called. He has a lead. We should head back to the compound and regroup.”
“She’s out there alone and afraid, Ghost. I promised her she would be safe with me.”
“And she will be, once we kill this mother fucker.”
“What about Mia? Any word?”
“Don’t you worry about Tyrant,” Ghost grinned? “I’ve got Massacre and Bayou looking. My money is on her.”
Nodding, I turned and headed for my bike, seeing all the other brothers waiting while Savage sat in the drivers’ seat of an idling truck. Getting on my bike, I started it, peeled out of the abandoned airport, and headed for home.