Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy by Jamie Begley (reading e books .txt) 📕

“I believe you.” Loyal to a fault, Ginny reassured her sister.

“You would,” Sex Piston rejoined. “Reaper’s got the same problem. Not being able to satisfy your man must run in the family.”

“Count yourself lucky. If I wasn’t knocked up, I would kick your ass. I satisfy Dalton so much that he has to drink a gallon of juice to keep up with me.”

Sex Piston folded her arms over her chest. “I rest my case.”

“Remember who brought you the pizza …,” Ginny reminded her sister when Trudy started to get up. “And you really shouldn’t be committing acts of aggression when you’re pregnant.”

None of the women seemed to agree with her. Instead, they discussed when and where to have Trudy’s baby shower.

“We can have it at the church,” Ginny suggested.

“Fuck nah, that won’t be any fun,” Sex Piston put in her two cents.

Trudy made her feelings known. “Same reason I don’t want to have it here. Dalton will throw out anything good to eat.”

Killyama hit the table, laughing. “Be careful he don’t throw you out.”

Trudy gave her a killing glare.

Ginny gave her the last few M&M’s, thinking that was what she was mad at.

“Next time, don’t mention sex in front of these bitches.”

“Sorry,” Ginny apologized, pulling the candy back, but Trudy snatched it before she could.

“I haven’t heard any shots in a while. You think it’s cool for Fat Louise to go out and get the pot stickers?” Tilting the candy in her hand, Trudy and the rest of the women focused on Fat Louise.

“I’ll go get the pot stickers.” Feeling sorry for Fat Louise, Ginny went to where Train was standing at the door and gave him a smile.

“Is it okay to go out?”

“The pot stickers?”

“There are two pregnant women in there,” Ginny pleaded. “Don’t ask me to go back in there without them.”

“Who else is pregnant? Killyama didn’t mention Fat Louise or Sex Piston expecting.” Train gave her a smile, and Ginny immediately understood why Killyama had fallen in love with him. “You’re pregnant?”

“No.” Confused as to why Train didn’t say his wife’s name, she said it for him. “Killy is.”

Train’s face drained of color. “It’s clear, wait here and I’ll take you.” Instead of opening the door, he hurried to the dining room.

Confused at his strange behavior, Ginny assumed she’d misheard him and went outside without waiting for him, not wanting to keep Trudy waiting. Ginny walked to Sex Piston’s car, seeing Viper, Dalton, and Knox talking at the side of the house. There were two coroner vans parked in the middle of the streets, and two men were placing a sheet on a body, and another two men were wheeling another sheet-covered body.

Opening the back door with her attention on the sheet-covered bodies being wheeled to the coroner’s van, Ginny started to reach inside Sex Piston’s back seat, only to find her hand caught and twisted behind her back as the man hiding in the back seat climbed out and jerked her to him as he raised his gun to her head.

Shocked at finding herself in the precarious situation, Ginny didn’t emit a sound, terrified the man holding her would start shooting at the four men within a few feet of them.

“Give me the fucking keys.”

The whisper in her ear had Ginny centering her focus on him.

“I don’t have them.”

A rush of wind had the tendrils of her hair stirring. She stared at Gavin as he pivoted on his heel, sighting her beside the car.

Viper, Dalton, and Knox turned at Gavin’s sudden movement, registering what was going on and edged to different sides of the car, coming toward her.

“Don’t fucking move, or I’ll blow her fucking brains out!” the gunman behind her shouted, seeing what they were trying to do.

“Dude, let her go, and you can get in the car and leave. None of us will stop you.” Gavin raised his hands in the air as he squatted, placing his guns on the grass. “You can drive out of here, or you can be carried out on a stretcher if you hurt her.”

“Make them drop their guns and let the others go, and I’ll think about it.”

Ginny felt the gunman gaining confidence as he pressed the gun harder to her temple. “Careful,” Ginny warned. “You don’t want to hurt your only way out of here.”

“Bitch, shut the fuck up.”

Ginny cringed when the gunman pressed his cheek against hers.

“Hurry the fuck up. I don’t have all fucking day. Make them—”

A sudden explosion had Ginny screaming, thinking the gunman had shot her since the sound was so close to her.

Falling backward with her arm still twisted behind her back, her eyes wildly went to Gavin, wanting to see him one more time before she died. The excruciating pain in her arm had her releasing another scream as she found herself laying on top of the gunman who had pulled her down with him.

“I’ve got you, Ginny. Stop screaming.”

Ginny felt herself being lifted into Gavin’s arms before he placed her on the hood of the car. She took shuddering breaths, moving her chest away from Gavin’s.

Sitting on the car, Ginny reached for her arm, nearly blacking out from the pain. “My arm …”

“Train!” Gavin bellowed.

“Move, Reaper. Let me see her.”

Gavin moved to the side as he gently placed his hands under hers as she cupped her arm.

Greer slid in to take Gavin’s spot, reaching out to touch her.

“No. Don’t touch me!” Ginny turned more toward Gavin, blocking Greer from touching her. His haggard features had her shaking her head at him. “I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt.”

“Then why were you yelling your head off?” Greer pointed out.

“Because I thought I was dead. What happened?” Ginny looked at the group of men who had gathered around her.

“I shot the motherfucker,” Greer said complacently. “I was sitting in the Escalade behind him. Blew the windshield out of my new vehicle. Guess I’ll be taking one of the others.”

“I’m confiscating those vehicles for the sheriff’s office.” Knox’s face went bloodred