Thirty-Two
Reaper
This was the biggest fucking clusterfuck ever.
The only fucking good news was my bitch of a mother was dead.
I hope the Devil roasted her ass.
My nephew, brother, friend was in surgery fighting for his life while his wife lay brain dead, only to be kept breathing by machines. My Sergeant of Arms was not going to be of any use to me for the foreseeable future as he refused to leave his sister’s bedside. My sister-in-law, my Vault, was no more. Whatever she had left in that brain of hers, she took with her, and I would give anything to make this right again, to turn back time and do things differently.
I had no fucking clue what I was going to say to Dylan if he even made it out of surgery. Then there was their daughter, Hailey, my niece, who had already lost one parent tonight. There was no way I would tell that little girl that both of her parents were dead.
I refused to do it.
Something had to give.
I needed some good news.
Anything to hold onto.
“Reaper?”
Looking up, I saw Giovanni Valentinetti standing before me. I still couldn’t believe that the head of the Valentinetti Crime Family had ridden in at the last minute to save our asses.
“I reserved the nearest hotel for all the men. There will be fresh clothes and toiletries for all of them. My boys will drive them over there so they can shower and change. I’ve talked with the local sheriff, and they are willing to let your involvement at the compound slip under the radar for a small donation. I took care of that. The people who were there have all been sent to neighboring hospitals and are receiving treatment. Their families are being notified as we speak. What can I do for you?”
“Layla?”
“Perfectly safe and cared for,” Giovanni said, taking the seat next to me. It was an odd pairing. Me a biker sitting next to the head of a mafia family. Talk about oil and water. “I thought it best not to call her until we knew more about her brother.”
“I agree.”
“Layla is a wonderful woman. I am happy to help Dylan’s sister.”
“My sister too. Layla is also my sister, well, technically my niece, but she’s family. That’s all that matters.”
Gio smiled, cocking his head. “This I did not know.”
“Well, now you do. So, what’s it gonna cost me.”
“Like I said, Reaper, I want nothing for protecting your sister. However, for taking in Reginald and Dwayne, well, that’s another matter.”
“Fuck,” I moaned, hanging my head. “What did those fuckers do?”
“They asked me to protect them too.”
“Look, Gio, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. You kind of caught me at a bad time. Is there any way we can table this discussion for a later time?”
Gio looked at Reaper for a few seconds, then nodded. “As I said before, I am here to help. What is it you need to clear your plate, so we can have this discussion?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a time machine, would you,” Reaper grinned.
Gio chuckled. “No, but I do have resources at your disposal. Say the word, and I will ensure it happens.”
“Thank you.”
“Maxwell Doherty?”