OUTLAW KING(28)

His powerful tongue wrote messages that I could never read but my body felt from the depths of my core outward.

His eyes looked up at mine. I looked down at him.

I never loved a man like I loved King… even if he was hiding secrets from me.





21


(King) *THEN*

I THINK Slam and Knox were as nervous as me. I didn’t show it though. I stood next to the bar with a beer in my hand. I waited for the chapel door to open and then I’d get word from Uncle Jakey on what the vote was.

In or out.

Member or prospect.

To me, I had done more than enough for the Reap to deserve a leather cut, but that was me.

The door busted open a short bit later and Uncle Jakey came walking out. He closed the door behind him. Uncle Jakey looked like a damn monster with the way his hair and facial hair had gone wild. He was the epitome of the biker life.

He snapped his fingers and pointed to Knox and Slam.

“Strip him,” Uncle Jakey said.

My two best friends had to listen as told. They grabbed me and tore at my leather cut. I dropped my beer, the bottle shattering on the ground. The all black leather cut was torn off my body and thrown across the bar.

“Vote is in,” Uncle Jakey said.

“And?” I asked.

There was a slight pause and the chapel door opened again.

Out came Hammer, the current President of the Reap. He was Knox’s old man but that didn’t mean shit to any of us. He would do whatever it took to make sure the club survived. I swore that if it came down to it, he would kill his own son for the sake of the club.

Hammer looked right at me. I didn’t even see the leather cut in his hand until he slammed it against my chest.

“Don’t f*ck this up,” he said in a rough voice.

I took the leather cut and Hammer turned and walked away.

A second later Uncle Jakey slapped my face. “Don’t take this lightly, King. This is a symbol of loyalty and honor. I vouched for this vote, pushed hard for it. I know what you’ve done for the Reap. I know the future of the Reap lies in you, Slam, and Knoxville. Don’t f*ck this up, just like Hammer said. And don’t ever lie to me. Don’t ever hide shit from me or this club. You got that?”

“Of course,” I said. “I know what the Reap is about. You don’t have to worry about that, Uncle Jakey. I just want to wear the cut and do what’s right.”

“Then put that f*cking thing on,” Uncle Jakey said.

He walked away and I put my official leather cut on for the first time. Knox and Slam patted my back and ordered me another beer. Being patched in like that, having a chance to get to the table and throw my vote around was a big deal. So big that any woman in or around the clubhouse would be under my command. Shit, that ran through my mind, but only for a split second.

There was only one woman in my life. One woman I wanted to show my leather cut to. And that was Linds. I could protect her now for the rest of her life.

So I had my orders in line…

Never lie to the Reap and always protect Linds.





22


(King) *NOW*

I LIT up a smoke and sat with Knox and Uncle Jakey. I hated that the rest of the table was empty, but the last thing we needed was a full table of heated outlaws thinking they were going to be taken down for good. I heard the story of how Knox one night decided to put the Reap back together. How he took out the leather cuts and passed them around, all without proper approval. Such a bad ass move, but a move that fit Knox’s personality.

“This isn’t a joke that I’m out walking,” I said.

“It’s a goddamn legal miracle,” Knox said.

“No. That’s where you’re wrong. It’s orchestrated.”

“What the f*ck are you talking about?” Uncle Jakey asked. “You wanted this meeting and you got it. So spit it out.”

“Someone is watching the Reap,” I said.

“What?” Knox asked.

“Some guy pulled me out of prison,” I said. “He has all our files. Knows all our dirt. And he wants to come after the Reap. Hard. More than that, he wants you, Uncle Jakey.”

Uncle Jakey stiffened in his seat. “You negotiated a deal to get out?”

“What f*cking choice did I have?” I asked. “I had to get out. I had to see you all. I had to warn you…”

“You wanted to see that piece of ass of yours,” Uncle Jakey growled.

“This isn’t about that shit,” I said.

“Don’t lie,” Knox said.

“Fuck off,” I said. “You hear what I’m telling you both? I was minding my own goddamn business on the inside. This guy had been watching and collecting information to do this. To make this offer. He wants me out and he wants me to give him all I can about the Reap. I’m warning you guys right now.”

“So now what?” Knox asked. “You tell us this and you go back inside?”

“If he finds out I told you, he’ll put me right back inside. I’ll be first on the list to get injected, I’m sure. Fuck, I might not even make it back inside before I’m dead.”

Knox looked at Uncle Jakey.

“Who is it?” Uncle Jakey asked.

“Some guy named Anderson,” I said.