“Already here, Prez,” the tall man walked in. “And who is this young lady?” Healer was a good man. The man stood at least six feet tall and muscular and was adorned with tattoos all over his body. He smiled all the time and was easy to talk to, or so I heard not that I ever did. Healer had been around the club his whole life. After graduating medical school, he returned to the club, stating that we’d keep him too busy with all the injuries we regularly got to have his own practice. So, my father built him a small clinic in the basement along with a sterile surgical room, if needed. Over the years, Healer started seeing civilians, outsiders who couldn’t afford medical care, and the club picked up the tab.
“Remi,” I said. “Her name is Remi.”
“Okay, Reaper, I know you’re worried, but I need you to step back and give me some room.”
“Don’t hurt her,” I growled, rounding on him.
Healer blanched and took a step back. “Prez, I would never hurt a woman. You know that. Someone hurt her, and I need to see how bad, so I can fix her. I could use your help. Are you okay with being able to do that after everything that happened earlier today? Because if you’re not, I will get someone to remove you.”
Ignoring his threat, I said, “Get to it, Healer. I don’t want her in pain.”
It didn’t take Healer long to examine her. He was meticulous, careful, and at times angry. When he was done, he covered her with a sheet, stood, and said, “I’ll need to x-ray her wrist and ribs, but I am fairly certain they are broken. As for cuts and bruises, some are old, but the majority are fresh. I don’t believe she has any internal bleeding, but without x-rays, I can’t be certain. I am going to have her moved to my clinic, so I can run those tests. She has scars all over her Reaper. Almost as if she’s been tortured her whole life. It will take me a few hours to run the blood work and see what’s in her system. Until then, I can’t give her anything for the pain. I need to monitor her for the next couple of days, and I can’t do that if she is in your room.”
“Get Smoke and Savage to help you with the gurney,” I whispered, still looking at the sleeping woman on my bed. Healer nodded and headed for the door. Before he opened it, he softly said, “She has been raped Reaper and recently. She fought whoever did this. She got her licks in. Find the bastard who did this to her and kill him…slowly.”
Hours passed as I sat next to Remi’s bed in Healer’s clinic. I stayed, never leaving her side as Healer ran every test he could, even taking more blood and cultures. Through it all, Remi never woke. Hellhound came down a few times, only to get angry all over again. I made him leave until he could control the urge to punch the wall again.
I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t help her. I didn’t know who to hunt, who to find, who to kill until she woke up and told me. I needed to kill something, someone badly. The demon inside me roared violently, wanting to avenge her. Instead of giving in to my baser instincts, I sat and waited until her little hand tightened on mine.
Looking up, I stared into her beautiful green eyes and smiled. “Hey Remi.”
“Hey Max,” her voice scratchy. Reaching for a cup of water on the table, I lifted the straw to her lips, and she took a sip. When she was done, I placed the cup back on the table.
“Remi, who did this to you?”
Remy shook her head, her eyes instantly watering. Reaching over, I petted her hair and said, “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to talk about it right now.”
“You got bigger,” she nodded, looking at me.
“So did you.”
“No. I’m still tiny, just a bit taller. I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“The demons found me Max. There were so many of them this time. I tried to fight them, but he wouldn’t let me go,” she cried. Sitting on the bed next to her, I pulled her into my arms and held her as she wept.
In an instant, I vowed to kill all her demons, regardless of who, what, or where they were. I would hunt them all over the world to kill those who threatened her. Never again would she live in fear.
Death was coming...the Reaper had been unleashed.
THREE
REAPER
Three days later…
I called Church an hour ago when Healer gave me the word that Remi would be moved to my room. I didn’t know how I would handle her in my space, but I figured since I hadn’t left her side since she arrived, she was better off with me at all times. As it was, I was chomping at the bit to get this meeting over with. I needed to see her and make sure she was comfortable.
I kept the meeting to officers only, not wanting the whole club to know Remi’s business. It was bad enough I had her upstairs in my room. Eventually, the tongues would wag, but I only wanted those I trusted most to know for now.
“So,” Smoke began. “As requested, I investigated Remi’s background. She was helpful with some names, dates, and such, so it did make it easier to track her over the years. She was born in San Diego, California, on May 7th, 2000, and adopted two weeks later by David and Kelly Halcomb.”
“Wait a minute,” I interrupted. “Remi was adopted? I thought she was from Nebraska?”
“She was raised there, but she was born in California. I am trying to track down her birth parents, but that’s going to take time. According to California’s Child Welfare System, she was given up for adoption, then moved to the Holy Angels Children’s Home until her adoption was approved. Her adoptive mother was an elementary school teacher, and her father was the Bank President for the First National Bank of Lincoln. They owned a house in town. No mortgage, no other kids. At the age of eight, Remi was kidnapped right out of her front yard. A month later, she was found when this chapter raided a building of a known human trafficker named‘The Collector.’He was not found in the raid. After her abduction, she was sent back home with her parents to Nebraska. Everything went quiet until she reached sixteen when her mother was killed in a head-on collision when her car hit a tree. According to the police report, no other vehicle was involved. They deemed it reckless driving and over the limit alcohol. After that, Remi’s dad sold the house and moved them to Louisiana, where he took a job at the 1st5thBank of Louisiana in New Orleans. I’ve already called our chapter down there, and they are going to pick up the trail on the father since they are closer. But this is where everything gets murky. After arriving in New Orleans, there are no records of Remi ever attending school. I’ve checked all the databases and nada. It’s as if she dropped out. There is no work history for her either. In fact, she doesn’t even have a driver’s license.”
“So, where the fuck has she been for the last four years, then?” Hellhound asked, getting angry. I couldn’t blame him. I was angry too, but I needed to have a clear head and develop a plan to best help her.