REAPER: GOLDEN SKULLS M.C. by Rebecca Joyce (best e book reader TXT) 📕

I needed to embrace my wild side…whatever that was.

“You know what, I think I will,” I said, putting the outfit in my cart. Grinning, I asked, “Now, what about the rest of me?”

For the rest of the day, Shamrock and Snake took me to every store in the mall. We shopped, talked, laughed, and had a blast. By the end of the day, I was when Snake asked, “What about your hair?”

Quickly touching my long curly blonde hair, I questioned him. “What about it?”

The sun was setting by the time we left the salon, and though it was getting late, I didn’t want to head back. I was having so much fun. Shamrock and Snake were hilarious, and though Deloris and Beulah had long since crashed, their owners kept the fun going.

Walking to the large SUV Reaper insisted we take, Shamrock was regaling me with his childhood back in Ireland. He and his mother came to America when he was twelve years old after his father was killed by a lory walking across the street. After his father’s funeral, his mother moved them to California for a fresh start, where she opened a bakery in San Francisco. He hated attending American schools but loved American music and muscle cars. Shamrock was about to tell me how he found the Golden Skulls when someone grabbed my arm, yanking me back towards a rigid body. A hand instantly covered my mouth.

Fear.

The all-familiar feeling flooded my system.

My heart raced as I struggled against him.

The man holding me was strong—his grip like iron. I couldn’t move, and his hand was constricting my airway, making it hard for me to breathe.

Another man came up beside him. He too, covered in tattoos with a shaved head, wearing a suit, looked out of place and dangerous.

“I wouldn’t do that little fella,” Shamrock growled, dropping the shopping bags he was carrying at his feet.

“Why they only send two. Why not four?” Snake asked, shutting the back hatch of the SUV after putting Deloris and Beulah in their travel cages. He then reached for something behind his back. “Six would have been a party, huh Sham?”

“Don’t do it,” the man in the suit grinned and pulled out two guns, one in each of his glove-covered hands, and spoke. “We just want the girl.”

He was Russian. His accent was thick, almost making it hard to understand what he was saying. They were going to take me. There was nothing Snake or Shamrock could do. These men had guns, and from the looks of them, they weren’t afraid to use them.

“Don’t give a fuck. She ain’t leavin’ with ya,” Shamrock said, leaning against the SUV as he pulled a wicked-looking knife from his back. “Gonna give ya one second to release her, or I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

The man in the suit replied, “Girls worth a lot of money. Just business.”

“I’d listen to my friend here,” Snake added. “Because what he doesn’t finish, I will.”

“See, there ya go,” Shamrock sighed. “That’s why Reaper won’t let us work together. Why’s everything gotta be more with ya’?”

“It’s not more. It’s just proficiency.”

“Big word their Snake,” Shamrock said, flipping his blade in his hands as if it were a toy. “Spell it?”

“You know I didn’t finish my learnin’ like you did, but I can read!”

“Yep, I know man. I buy you those Goosebumps books every year.”

“Good readin’ too,” Snake grinned, then looked at the man in the suit. “Well, ya just gonna stand there all day, or what?”

“The girl is coming with us.”

“Wrong answer?” Shamrock sighed, pushing off the SUV, and in a blink of an eye, the man holding tightly to me let go as something wet splashed across my face and chest. I stood stock-still, not moving an inch, as Snake moved so fast and quiet, the man in the suit didn’t have time to react before Snake had his blade at his throat.

EIGHT

REAPER

I pulled into the driveway of a sprawling ranch house nestled in the Napa Valley Grove. The home was stunning. It was large, boasting five bedrooms, a large chef’s kitchen, two family rooms, and a garden out back that reminded me of some botanical explosion. I could still remember the day my Pops brought my mom to this house and the squeal of excitement when he handed her the keys. The place held a lot of good memories for me, but most of them were terrible.

I hadn’t been back to the house since I took over as President after my pops died. I couldn’t. His presence was everywhere, and though it had been five years, I still missed him.

I didn’t have to walk far before my mother came running out of the house and into my arms.

She was a small woman and still beautiful.

“Hey mom.”

“Max,” she sighed, hugging me tightly. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“Mia.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, the Tyrant is coming home.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call her that. She is just high-spirited.”

“She’s a pain in the ass, Mom.”

“Well,” My mom grinned. “I remember a young boy who was just the same.”

“Still am.”

“Come inside. I made lunch.”

Following my mom into the house, I kept quiet as she prattled on about her garden and book club. I was happy that she was finding things to occupy her time since Pop’s died. She took his death hard and seeing a smile on her face made me feel better. Of course, knowing that my sister was due to grace her doorstep soon would have my mom crying and laughing at the same time.

“So how is Remi?” my mom asked as she handed me a heaping plate of chicken alfredo with garlic bread.

“How’d you hear?” I asked after taking a bite.

“Peter,” my mother grinned. “And before you go and say anything to him, don’t. He loved that little girl. We all did. She was there for you when we couldn’t be. I feel awful for what she’s been