Reaper's Stand (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 4)(14)

“Jess, it’s time to go home,” I said, and suddenly I felt every minute of my thirty-eight years. The blond pulled on a shirt then brushed past her and out the door, practically growling in his frustration. Hayes stepped forward and slapped his back as they exchanged a look I couldn’t begin to read.

“I hate you!” Jess snarled.

“For f*ck’s sake,” Hayes said, his voice annoyed. “Get your ass out here, you little shit. I don’t have time for this and neither does London.”

“Screw you. I’m an adult. I can do whatever I want, and I want to stay here with Banks.”

The young man holding the door—presumably Banks—gave an incredulous snort. Hayes didn’t do anything, but somehow the air changed. Darkened. Jessica had made a very serious mistake and suddenly I felt scared for her. I reached over, catching his arm without thinking, my fingers curling into his warm skin as I whispered, “Please . . .”

Hayes glanced down at my hand, then caught my gaze, holding it captive.

“You owe me,” he said. “Because that little bitch doesn’t talk to me like that, you got it? Never again.”

He turned his attention back to Jess, whose face had started to reflect some concern. Maybe she was finally realizing this wasn’t a game?

“You get your ass out here and apologize to your cousin,” Hayes said, his voice so quiet and low I felt it all the way down my spine. “Then go downstairs and get in her car. You’re gonna drive home and you’re never coming out here again. You do, I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget—and don’t think for a second that smiling and flashing your tits will make a difference. I’ve seen it all before. We clear?”

Jessica nodded, eyes wide. She stepped out of the room, moving instinctively to stand behind me, as far from the Reapers’ president as she could get without making an obvious break for freedom.

“I’m ready to leave now, Loni,” she said quietly.

“Okay. Let’s get out of here.”

I turned to leave, but Hayes’s voice cut like the slash of a whip.

“Stop.”

We turned back slowly. His stare flayed me, stripping through my defenses, and I realized he was much, much angrier with Jessica than I’d realized. Somewhere down in the depths of my brainstem the monkey screamed in fear, absolutely convinced a predator was about to eat us.

“Banks will take her down,” he said. “You and I aren’t done.”

The boy stepped out of the room quickly, pulling on his Reapers vest before catching Jessica’s arm and dragging her down the hallway. If you’d seen them from a distance, you’d almost believe they were a young couple holding hands . . . In reality, he was more like a guard escorting a prisoner.

“Thank you very much for helping me,” I told Hayes once they were gone, forcing myself to breathe steadily. Show no fear. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I want you at my place on Monday at three,” he said.

“We can work you into my schedule,” I said slowly. “But I don’t have my calendar with me. Can I get in touch with you tomorrow, when I’m not so tired?”

Definitely the best idea. Maybe I’d even find a way out of this, because I knew darned well going to his house by myself wouldn’t be safe. Not after seeing him like this—if anything, the man was more dangerous than all the rumors combined. He smiled at me wolfishly.

“No, I’ll see you at three on Monday. Bolt will give you the address. That’ll cover our original deal, but have you forgotten you owe me more now?”

“Huh?” I asked blankly.

“I just gave your girl a damned big pass,” he said slowly, taking a step toward me. I backed up warily. “But someone has to pay for what she did.”

Hayes took another step forward, and I felt my back hit the wall. Not good. His face was cold, eyes full of ice. He towered over me, hands coming to rest on either side of my head.

“What exactly do you mean by pay?” I whispered.

“It’s my birthday,” he said slowly, his chest grazing the tips of my breasts. My nipples hardened without permission. “And instead of getting my dick sucked by a stripper, I just cock-blocked two of my brothers for you.”

I felt myself starting to panic.

“You did get . . .” I cleared my throat nervously. “You did have oral sex. I mean, if you want to be technical about it. You just didn’t finish.”