REAPER'S KISS(10)

The punch knocked me back. I dropped my beer and the bottle shattered on the ground.

Sid grabbed my shirt and walked me back to a metal railing. Over that I would have dropped ten feet to concrete if he let me go.

But Sid didn’t.

He showed his teeth like a hungry animal.

“What the f*ck did you do?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“You don’t know?”

“Prez, let him talk,” Gage said.

Sid snapped his head back and growled. Then he looked at me again and gave me more space.

“You were sent to check it out,” Sid said.

“And there’s some shit going on,” I said. “The owner was about to get taken out. And his daughter…”

“Whoa,” Ryan said. “A daughter? How old? How hot?”

“Fuck off,” I said. “I didn’t get all of the dirt. I had to split. But it’s someone connected. Named Frank.”

“Ah, shit,” Sid said. “Uncle Frank.”

“Uncle?” Gunner asked.

“He’s a scumbag hustler. Gets people to do shit for him. Promises money. Fucks with their head to turn it into debt. Then he takes what he wants and splits. He’s a leech. A f*cking disease. I dealt with him in Reno one time. He’s weaseling his way around I guess.”

“Shit,” I said. “Well, he had Jake on his knees, bloody, begging for his life. I think the deal we broke up is on his shoulders now.”

“Good,” Sid spat. “Why is this my f*cking problem?”

“Should we take Frank out?” Gage asked.

“Not our war,” Sid said.

“Prez, this guy was going to murder someone in town,” I said. “And the shit he said about Jake’s daughter…”

“Ah, f*ck, you got a whiff of *,” Sid said.

“Hey,” I yelled. I stepped toward Sid, taking my life into my hands. “I’m telling you what I f*cking saw. You sent me out on a job and I did it. There’s no cameras. Shit is done out of the back of the store. It’s a f*cking shit hole and left that way on purpose. Jake has nothing to show for himself so he’s in deep for something.”

Sid put a hand to my shoulder. “Fair enough, Jace. You did what I said to do.”

“Will Frank retaliate?” Gage asked.

“No f*cking clue,” Sid said. “We can handle him. Anyone he’s working with knows better than to come into our town. Either way, we need to prepare ourselves. Play this smart.” Sid rubbed his jaw and looked at me. “Tell me about the daughter.”

“What about?” I asked, almost defensively. Enough so that Sid gave me a grin.

“She in on this?”

She has to be, Prez. A woman that beautiful at that shit hole store? She’s working…

“I don’t know,” I said. “She was terrified. That was for sure. She thought I was there to hurt her. The MC, I mean. So she was pretty confused about the entire thing. That was half the reason I went into the back room.”

“You didn’t kill Frank, right?” Sid asked.

“No. I just busted up his nose a little.”

“That’s been done a million times to him,” Sid said. “No worries. Okay, everyone break up here. Go find something to eat, drink, or f*ck. We’ll talk this thing out tomorrow.”

The group all split up but Sid stayed in place. I didn’t think I was going to get to skate away that easily.

“What is it, Prez?” I asked. “You don’t have to f*ck around with me. I know I f*cked up. What can I say? I saw that fear… if Frank took out Jake and did something to Ava… how would that help us?”

“It doesn’t help us either way,” Sid said. “Sticking your nose in other people’s shit only makes you smell like shit.”

“Then let me stink,” I said with a grin.

“Yeah, right. Jace, you put yourself in this and you’re going to stay in it. I want everything on Jake and his daughter.”

“I can make that happen.”

Sid offered his hand and we shook. He then started to walk away but stopped. He pointed at me one last time.

“Before I forget. If your little crush turns out to be heavily involved in anything that goes against this town and the MC, she’s going to disappear. I’m just being up front about that.”

“I know how this works, Prez.”

“Your eyes tell me otherwise, Jace. Fall between her legs, brother, not her arms.”

I nodded.

What the f*ck did Prez know?

I didn’t do the relationship thing.

Even if Ava was beautiful.

Even if I was already plotting my next move to see her again.





chapter ten


(ava)



NOW



I pulled my hair back and looked at myself in the mirror. I was tired and I felt beat up. Sleep came and went and morning came too soon. Dad’s coffee was expired and bitter. His milk had chunks in it so I had to drink the coffee black. I took two sips and called it quits. Dad woke up and rushed to the bathroom. In between getting ill he swore to me it was something he ate. His face was bruised and more puffy, all because of getting beat up.