Taming Blade (Kings Reapers MC Book 5) by Nicola Jane (mini ebook reader TXT) 📕

had, and I say had, died the second he killed a man on our first date. That was my sign to walk away and I was an idiot to fall into bed with him despite knowing what he’s like.”

She hesitates for a second, gathering her words. “I know it’s extreme. Most people would run a mile if that happened. Murder, it’s huge.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You know, the chief of police and other people held in high authority, they hire the MC to help keep the streets clean. It’s not ethical and nobody speaks about it even though lots of people know about it.” She sighs. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. I guess I just want you to understand, because I didn’t when I first met Cree. I couldn’t get my head around it. But I love him and I have to accept this is who he is, it’s a part of him. He doesn’t kill innocent people or rape women. He helps keep those people off the streets. Blade does the same and he’s a good man, a clown.” She smiles affectionately. “He deserves a woman who understands him. And, if that isn’t you, well, I guess he’ll eventually move on. But if it is you, if you love him, you should fight for him. It’ll be worth it.”

The following day, I join everybody downstairs for breakfast. Sara is unusually quiet and I’m starting to worry that this goes beyond heartbreak. But it’s hard not to be quiet around these guys—the room is alive with chatter and kids running around. There’s a nice family atmosphere and it gets me thinking about Nan. Blade takes the seat next to me, filling his plate with eggs and bacon.

“You sleep okay?” he grunts, side-eyeing me.

“Is that your way of saying I look like shit?”

“It was a rough night. I thought it would keep you awake.”

He’s right, I hardly slept a wink and spent most of the night staring out of the window. “I’d really like to go and see Nan today. She acted fine when I called her, but I know how much that place meant to her.”

“Sunshine, it ain’t safe out there,” he mumbles, picking his bacon up with his fingers and biting it. “Alone,” he adds. “I’ll take you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s got a thing about bikers, and not in a good way,” I warn him.

“I’ll win her around,” he says, winking at me.

“You haven’t met her. She’s not the type to fall for male charm.”

“She’ll have to like me eventually if I’m gonna marry her granddaughter one day,” he says.

My eyes widen and then I laugh because he’s surely lost his mind. He drops some bacon back onto his plate and takes a mouthful of coffee before standing and grabbing my hand. “Let’s go.” I’m too stunned to argue as he leads me away.

BLADE

Tillie wasn’t kidding when she said her nan hated bikers. The second she opened her front door, she glared at me with eyes full of hatred. I sit in a flowery armchair that’s around two sizes too small for my large frame, sweating because the heating must be cranked up to full, and listening to Tillie explain to her nan that she agrees the shop needs to stay closed.

“Now we have that sorted,” says her nan, leaning forward towards the small coffee table, picking up a full teapot in her shaky hand. “Let’s get down to business.”

“Didn’t we just talk business?” asks Tillie, holding up a tiny teacup for her nan to fill with tea.

“You bring a six-and-a-half-foot man into my home and you think I want to talk about the shop?” she asks.

“He’s my friend, Nan.”

“He’s much more than a friend,” she scoffs. “Bikers stick to the woman they love like glue. It’s how I know your father never loved your mother.”

“Blade is my friend,” repeats Tillie with warning in her tone.

“Child, I am not nor will I ever be stupid. You know me better than to lie to my face.”

“I can tell you’re a wise woman,” I cut in and she scowls at me. “I ain’t trying to flatter you, I can see you’ll slap me clean if I even try,” I continue. “You’re right. I like Tillie a lot. I haven’t made things easy for her and she’s struggling to like me back right now, but I’m hoping if I stick to her long enough, she’ll learn to like me too.”

“We don’t have a good history with bikers,” she says.

I nod. “I know. I met Tillie’s dad. He was a Kings Reaper in our Manchester charter, but he wasn’t a good man, and as soon as my President knew what he was doing there, he kicked him from the club. I can see why you’re concerned for Tillie, but I’m not like him. I don’t condone anything he did, and he did a lot of bad stuff,” I say.

Her nan takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. “It’s a start,” she says, and I relax a little. “Go under the stairs and get the tool box out. I have a tonne of jobs I need doing and you’re the first man to walk in this house in a long time.” Tillie sniggers and I smile. I’m happy to do whatever she requires if she gives me approval to make Tillie mine.

TILLIE

It’s distracting having Blade fix the curtain rail in the living room when I’m trying to talk to Nan about the insurance on the shop. I keep catching his eye and it’s doing all kinds of dangerous things to my body. “I’ll claim what I can and put it into your bank account,” says Nan.

“I don’t want the money, Nan.”

“You’ll need money without a job,” she says, and I sigh. I hadn’t thought of what I’ll do for work. I have savings, but they were for my dream bar. “And besides, the money is no good to me.”

“We’ll need to use it