Reaper E-Book

Bianca Lee Ward

• Herausgeber: Bianca Lee
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

I let her go once because she wasn’t mine. This time, I’ll die before I give her up…
I want her.
That smile… those curves.
But Ava doesn’t belong to me.
Then she arrives in my clubhouse, seeking refuge. My gut churns at the sight of the bruises on her face, the fear in her eyes.
Before I was the president of the War Brothers Motorcycle Club, I was a sniper in the military who hunted down evil men like her husband. Now I avoid relationships because the wounds I have are more than skin deep.
But Ava’s different, and when I find her in the wrong bedroom—my bedroom—one night, what happens next changes everything.
I let her go once because she was married, but I won’t make the same mistake twice.
I’ll die before I let her dangerous husband, the jealous women in our club, or the enemy our club didn’t see coming lay a finger on her.
Because this time around, Ava is mine.

Leseprobe

REAPER

WAR BROTHERS MC

BIANCA LEE WARD

CONTENTS

Also by Bianca Lee Ward

Prologue – She’s not mine

1. Clipped Wings

2. Broken Inside

3. New World

4. In His Arms

5. Fighting for Air

6. Building Relationships

7. Challenging Times

8. Stay with Me

9. Triggered

10. Shenanigans

11. I Need Him

12. King Reaper

13. The Perfect Storm

14. I’d Die for You

15. MC Family

Sneak Peek at Bomber

Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

This book contains adult themes and is not suitable for persons under the age of 18.

For information regarding possible triggers, please see www.biancaleeward.com or contact [email protected].

First published in 2023 by Bianca Lee

Reaper

Copyright © Bianca Lee Ward 2023

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved.

Copyright Notice: No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

Cover Designer: Emily at www.quirkycirce.com.au

Cover Photo: Deposit Photos ID 125513166

ALSO BY BIANCA LEE WARD

BOMBER

War Brothers MC

I won’t lose her again.

But our family secrets could tear us apart…

It’s been ten years since I was forced to let Zara go. I joined the military and fought hard to forget her, but since I returned home to become our club’s Sergeant at Arms, I’ve always watched from afar to make sure she’s safe.

Now Zara is back in Crown Village on the anniversary of a traumatic event that changed her family forever. And I can’t stay away.

I can see the longing for me in her eyes, yet she hesitates to get too close. She’s scared to trust me again, and I don’t blame her.

When new information linked to her family tragedy comes to light, I’m determined to help solve the mystery and find the answers she needs because the War Brothers MC protects our own.

But digging up the past means revealing secrets that someone wants to remain dead and buried. And when they’re uncovered, they have the power to destroy our bond forever…

Grab a copy of Bomber now!

VIPER

War Brothers MC

I've got one month to convince her to be my wife...

Until I laid eyes on Sophie, I never planned on marriage. All that changed after our hot night together in Vegas.

Now she regrets our impulsive Vegas wedding and is demanding a divorce. But I'm not signing the papers. Hell no! I'll give up every single one of my womanizing ways for a woman like her.

Sophie thinks I'm only infatuated by her looks, except I see how everyone underestimates her. I'm not intimidated by her wealth, her modeling career, and the trail of broken hearts. What we have is different.

I've lived my whole life unable to feel anything thanks to my rough childhood, but for Sophie, I'll risk everything. Her rich father or the jealous women in my club aren't going to stand in my way.

If she wants a divorce, she'll have to spend one month with me at the War Brothers clubhouse. Sleeping in my bed.

Then we'll see if she still refuses to say I do...

Grab your copy of Viper now.

PLAYLIST

Nobody’s Home — Avril Lavigne

Hurt The Same — Nowhere Left

Debonaire — Dope

Warrior — Demi Lovato

Scars — I Prevail

Face Down — The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Control — Zoe Wees

Glad You Came — The Wanted

Make Them Mine — Meyo

Dangerous Woman — Ariana Grande

Dark Horse — Our Last Night

Middle Of The Night — Loveless

Wonderwall — Oasis

Silence — Marshmellow, Khalid

I Want You To Know — Zedd, Selena Gomez

Look What You Made Me Do — Our Last Night

Here With Me — Dido

I Wanna Die — Nessa Barrett

Jump Around — House Of Pain

You Should See Me In A Crown — Billie Eilish

Bury Me With My Guns — Bobaflex

#1 Crush — Garbage

Finally — Amba Shepherd & Mikkas

Don’t Stay — Linkin Park

Zombie — The Cranberries

Triggered — SkyDxddy

You Should Be Sad — Halsey

Final Warning — Skylar Grey

Your Guardian Angel — The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

DEDICATION

Dear Dad,

I had to include rottweilers in at least one of my books because I know how much you loved them. Give Conan, Jady, Titan, Dara, Facey, and Ike a pat for me.

I love you always and forever.

Until we meet again x

PROLOGUE – SHE’S NOT MINE

Reaper

I want her.

Those curves. That smile. I’ve never been so attracted to a woman. I take a swig of my beer and watch as she talks to her sister, Elena. We are at Elena and Axle’s wedding. The men mentioned Elena had a sister, but I have never seen her before today, and I know I won’t be forgetting her anytime soon. She leans in, picks up her champagne, and takes a few sips. When she places it on the table, the strap of her dress falls from her shoulder, and all I want to do is taste her.

I readjust myself in my seat.

Viper elbows me. “You like her?” He gives Elena’s sister a pointed look.

Bomber leans in from the other side of me, listening to our conversation.

“I do.” I want her badly.

“Her name’s Ava,” says Viper.

I raise a brow, and he grins smugly.

“What?” he says with his hands up. “She’s fucking hot, so of course I asked Axle about her.”

My jaw clenches. The possessiveness shooting through me surprises me. I don’t even know her. I glance at Bomber, and the side of his lip twitches like he’s smothering a smirk. The observant bastard misses nothing.

“She’s married,” Viper chimes in. “Not that it means anything these days.”

I lift my hand to my chin. “I wonder how committed.”

“Axle didn’t say, but he warned me to stay away. He said—and I quote—‘I want to have sex with my wife tonight, and I don’t want anyone fucking that up for me. So Ava’s off limits.’” Viper’s voice mocks Axle’s.

Ava is still deep in conversation with Elena; then they laugh. The music is too loud, so I can’t hear them, but it makes me curious as to what her laugh sounds like.

“Is her husband here?” I ask Viper.

He laughs. “It’s the guy sitting next to Elena’s mom at the table next to the bride and groom.”

I peer at Elena’s parents and see a man gulping half of his bottle of beer next to them. His eyes are on Ava.

“She’s with the drunk?” I ask, shocked, remembering the man stumbling to the bar earlier.

“Yep. I couldn’t believe it either. She’s way too good for him.”

I stare at the man who has what I want. He’s average looking, nothing special.

“I saw him earlier, but I thought he was a family member.”

I haven’t seen him touch or kiss Ava or show any affection that would suggest they’re married. If she was mine, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off her. I’d want the world to know.

“Viper,” Candy calls from the dance floor. “Come and dance with me.”

His smile widens. “I’m coming.” He stands. “Well, fellas, it’s my time to shine.”

Chuckling, I shake my head.

He fixes his hair like he’s a peacock parading its feathers. “What? I’ve got moves.”

“Yeah, okay, Justin Timberlake,” I taunt.

He walks to Candy, puts his arm across her back, and dips her backward, lifting a brow and grinning at us. She lets out a squeal and laughs.

Demon’s leaning back in his chair, looking at the dance floor. He doesn’t look like he’s watching people dancing; it’s like he sees through them, as if his mind is elsewhere. He taps on the table, and even with his tattoos, bruises and scabs on his knuckles from the other night stand out.

I lean toward him and raise my voice. “You don’t have to stay here.”

He slowly turns his head with a wicked smile and then stands. He lifts his chin. “I’ll see you back at the clubhouse later.”

With a sharp nod, I watch as people step away from him, giving him room to move freely to the exit.

I make eye contact with Axle. He leaves a group and walks to us.

“Is Demon leaving already?” He looks at his watch. “It’s still early.”

“He looked bored, which is usually not good.”

He sighs. “Good point.”

“Is Ava really married?” I ask, hoping Viper got it wrong.

Axle’s eyes widen. “You too?” His shoulders drop. “Just give me one night of wild sex with my wife. I don’t want her in my ear saying that her sister had sex with a biker and got divorced over it.” His voice is whiney.

Even though it’s tempting, I respect Axle too much to do anything about it, but something claws inside of me. “You have my word.”

He blows out a gush of air. Elena appears at his side. He looks at her, smiles, and puts his arm around her waist. “You owe me a dance.”

She smiles back. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He grabs her hand and leads her to the dance floor.

I search for Ava but can’t find her. I sit upright in my chair, looking around. “She walked toward the restroom,” says Bomber, like he read my mind. We’ve been friends for a long time. We know each other well.

“Thanks,” I reply, my eyes turning to the hallway leading to the bathroom. I fidget in my chair, wanting to get up, but the discussion I had with Axle keeps me seated.

I may never see her again plays in my head. I’ve never felt a strong pull to a woman before, so I stop fighting myself and then stride toward the restrooms. I won’t have sex with her anyway. I’m just curious.

As I get closer, she walks out. Her eyes are on her dress as she tries to pull up its cleavage. Her dress covers most of her boobs, but with big perfect tits like that, I don’t know why she is bothering. She looks flawless the way it is.

She huffs when the dress won’t cover her further. When she lifts her eyes, they widen when she sees me staring at her, and it’s like someone has punched me in the gut.

“You’re beautiful.”

Freezing, Ava stares at me with wide eyes. She says nothing, but a blush creeps up her neck and to her face. She breaks eye contact as she picks at her dress. When she looks up at me, she smiles and her eyes glisten like she’s holding back tears. “Thank you.”

In my periphery, her husband approaches us with narrowed eyes, though swaying to the right. The warmth in my chest dissipates, and my body tenses and turns to stone. I glance at Ava, and when her eyes lock onto her husband, she gasps and steps away from me. Her breathing has picked up. Her shoulders have hunched over, and she looks scared.

I fucking hate it. Something isn’t right.

When he reaches us, I can smell the alcohol on him. He looks me up and down with his glassy eyes, and I don’t miss the tightness in his jaw.

His hand comes out to me. “Beau.”

I shake his hand, noticing his firm grip. “Reaper.”

He coughs. “Well, that’s certainly a name you’ve got there.”

I ignore him and look at Ava. She swallows thickly as her eyes keep darting between me and her husband.

“I’m ready to go, Ava. Your parents are leaving, too.”

My eyes widen. No “are you ready to leave?” It seems like an order.

“You can stay with your sister. There are spare rooms available,” I tell her.

He answers for her. “Ava’s tired.” Then he looks at her. “Aren’t you?”

“Ah, yes,” she replies and gives me a small smile. “But I appreciate the offer.”

Beau grabs her arm. She flinches. My hands clench at my side.

“Have a good night,” she says before they turn and leave.

It takes everything in me to stay still, to not rip her away from him. My gut churns.

Something isn’t right; she fears him.

I close my eyes briefly. “She’s not mine,” I say to myself. “She’s not mine.”

ONE

CLIPPED WINGS

One Year Later

Ava

His loud snoring fills the room. I watch him closely as I sit up, then drag the duvet off me. When I turn to the edge of the bed, it causes pain to shoot up my side, making my eyes squeeze shut. When my feet hit the floor, I slowly stand, but the bed creaks. It makes my stomach drop. My eyes flick to him, but he’s still asleep. I grab my phone from the nightstand. My feet pad on the floor as I tiptoe out of the room. My heartbeat is surging as I quietly pull the door shut.

Using my phone as a light, I move to the closet in the spare room, then reach up and grab the old beanie. I open it up to pick out the cash I’ve been saving. I take my jeans and a loose shirt off the hanger and get changed. I put on a black coat and leave the hood up to cover my head.

I grab the backpack with shaky hands and sling it over my shoulder. In the kitchen, I grab my purse and place the money inside.

I peek back once more before I open the front door and step outside.

Fresh air meets my face, making me shiver, but I know it’s not just from the cold. I dart down the stairs, then run onto the road, even though every step brings me pain. I run as if someone is chasing me, and even though he’s in bed, asleep, it still feels like he’s here with me. I hope the fear leaves me, even if it means hiding away from him forever.

A few streets away, I reach an area surrounded by trees and bushes and pull my phone from my pocket and make a call, even though it fills me with shame.

When she answers, loud music and shuffling echoes in the background.

“Ava, is that you?”

My mouth goes dry. I’m so weak. I never used to be this person, and here I am, calling my younger sister for help.

“Ava?”

“Hey, Elena,” I say through sniffling.

“Who’s that calling?” a man asks.

“Shh . . . It’s my sister,” Elena says.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she asks, sounding worried.

For the first time, I say, “No. I’m not.”

“What happened?”

My stomach plummets. A car rolls by, so I hide behind a tree, paranoid it could be him. “I need to get out of here,” I whisper, my voice coarse.

There’s a brief silence before she speaks. “What’s he done?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just need somewhere to stay before I get back on my feet, that’s all.” I’ll quickly burn through that money I saved if I have to pay for accommodation.

“At one in the morning?”

I didn’t think this through. She would have a lot of questions. I’ve had no contact with her since the wedding, and before that we had been distant for years.

She answers, “You can stay here, if you’re okay with staying at a clubhouse because we haven’t brought our own place yet.”

My sister married a biker a year ago, and at any point, I would have said no way, but I will stay anywhere. “That’s fine. I promise I won’t stay long. It’s just until I can get a job.”

“Are you guys getting a divorce or something?”

Pausing, I close my eyes. “Something like that.”

She sighs. “I’m glad you’re getting out of that marriage. It felt like I lost you to him. You stopped calling.”

She pays more attention than I thought.

“I’ll catch a bus there. Can you tell me the address?”

“Don’t be stupid. You have to tell me something.”

I exhale through my mouth, knowing no makeup could hide the bruise on my face from yesterday afternoon.

“So am I meeting you at your house, or . . .?”

“No.”

“I’m coming.” I hear the male voice again.

I have met her husband only briefly, so I’m not sure how he will react.

“Where am I picking you up?”

I think he’ll check public transportation for me if he wakes up. “Do you remember the park near my house?” I don’t think he’ll look for me at the park. I can get there from here without going on the road.

“At this time of night? Are you insane?”

“Please . . .” My voice is strained.

Again, she sighs. “Promise me you’ll call if you see anything suspicious.”

“I will.”

“Okay, we will get there as soon as we can.”

Relief floods me, and I make my way to the trail that leads to the park. Without the lights from the street, it’s darker, so I turn on my phone’s flashlight. Luckily for me, the dirt track has been cleared because the kids use it to ride their bikes through here.

It’s eerily quiet as I walk through, and those intrusive thoughts flood my brain. I’m so pitiful that I’ve had to call my sister for help. I should have gotten out of the marriage sooner. I saw the red flags and talked to Mom about it, but she encouraged me to stay. I should have known better than to converse with her, but who else was I going to talk to? The only people Beau approved of were my parents.

My ankle rolls on unsteady ground, and I cry out in agony when I land hard. My hands burn from protecting my head and body from the fall. I sit up through a hissed breath and reach out for my phone, which slid under a small shrub. I wipe my hand on my coat to get rid of the dirt, and when I peer down, blood is trickling from the wound. I swap my phone to my bleeding hand to check the other, but it’s fine.

When I pull my jeans up my calf, I see my ankle is swelling. The swelling is accompanied by a dull ache. My body is sore, but I’m not sure whether it’s from the fall or from yesterday. I grasp my bag, bring it to the front of me, and search through it until I find the water bottle. I twist the lid and tip a little on my bleeding hand. It stings, but the dirt and blood run off my hand and onto the ground.

When the bleeding stops, I twist the cap on the bottle and put it back in the bag, then leverage myself up with my other hand. I wipe my damp face with my arm, take a deep breath, and step to walk again. My ankle throbs, so I limp the rest of the way.

My phone vibrates in my hand, and I swipe a little more dirt off the screen before answering it. “Hello?”

“Where are you?” Elena asks.

“I’m nearly there.”

“What’s with the heavy breathing? Are you walking?”

“I’ll be there soon,” I reply and hang up. I turn off my phone, take the SIM card out, then snap the card in half and throw it away.

When I reach the clearing, I can see the silhouette of a person swinging on a swing. I have an inkling it’s my sister, and I hobble in her direction. The swing stops abruptly.

“Ava,” she calls out and runs toward me.

I close my eyes and brace for the impact. Her arms come around me, and she hugs me fiercely, taking all the air out of my lungs. Everything is painful, especially my ribs.

When she pulls back, she asks, “What’s going on?”

“Yeah. What is going on?” a deep voice asks. I jump. The familiar panic makes my stomach churn.

Elena touches my shoulder gently. I try not to flinch, but I can’t help it. Every part of me is on edge.

“It’s okay,” she says, her voice soft. “It’s only Jake.”

I nod, though my heart doesn’t slow.

We are in the shadows, so I can’t see her clearly. She grasps my sore hand, and I pull it from hers at once. “I fell over.”

“Um . . . okay. Well, let’s get you cleaned up?”

I follow the two, who are whispering to each other.

He unlocks a van, and as he opens the door, the inside light comes on. When he gets into it, I get a better glimpse of him. He looks the same as he did at their wedding, though his playful mood from that night is nowhere to be seen.

Elena gasps, one hand covering her mouth, and so many emotions cross her face. Sadness and anger, then sympathy. It burns me to see that in her eyes. This isn’t supposed to be how my life turned out. My shoulders drop. I’m so pathetic.

She wipes the corner of her eye with her hand, but she doesn’t speak. She stands rigid and stares at me.

Jake clears his throat. “C’mon, Elena, let’s get out of here.” When I turn to look at him, his eyes widen, then he looks at his wife and frowns.

“Get in,” he says to me, underscoring his words with a jerk of his head.

I avoid eye contact with Elena as I pull the backpack off, get into the back of the van, and slide the door shut.

Her soft cries follow the slam of the car door. His hand goes across to her thigh to comfort her. The guilt of making her cry fills me with regret. I hate seeing her sad because of me.

Once we’re driving, Jake’s eyes flick between the road and the rearview mirror.

“Do you have anything for her?” Elena asks through sniffling. “Like first aid or a clean towel or something.”

“Ah, yeah. There should be a metal box in the back there.”

“I’m good,” I say.

Elena turns to face me, with her eyes slightly narrowed. “You are far from good.” A tinge of frustration weaves into her tone.

“I . . . Thank you for picking me up. I promise I won’t stay for long. As soon as I get a job, I’ll be out of your hair.” Being a burden is my worst nightmare come true.

Her voice softens. “You can stay as long as you like.”

“Let me run it through Reaper first before you make promises for a long-term stay—” says Jake.

“I have money. Not much, but I’ve been saving. I’m happy to help clean and cook and whatever I can until I find a place of my own.”

“Since you’ve asked us to pick you up in the middle of the night. I’m going to presume your husband or ex-husband doesn’t know you’ve left. If we’re bringing you into the clubhouse, is he going to come looking for you? What should we expect to happen?”

Focusing on my bag, I fidget with the handle. “He doesn’t know I left or where I’m going, so there shouldn’t be any issues. He might search for me, but he won’t know that I’ll be with Elena.”

“Yeah . . . and what’s with the black eye and bruised cheek?” asks Jake.