Series: Straight to Hell MC Series by Sam Crescent
Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Cartwright was right, though. All they had was Bradshaw’s testimony, and there was a huge chance he’d lie to save his ass and the judge’s even if they kept him breathing.
“No one would believe you,” Cartright said, but the man had gone pale, and he slowly lowered his phone down.
No cops would be called. They were at a stalemate. Any move the judge made could end his career. There would be people begging for his blood, wanting to throw away the key for a long time. Cartright wouldn’t last in prison. He imagined that man had made a lot of enemies over the years. So, he sat down and looked over at him.
“I want my wife back,” Cartright said.
“Not going to happen.”
Cartright laughed and it was quite mocking in its tone, which pissed him off, but he stayed perfectly calm.
“You do realize this is not how negotiation works. First, you tell me what you want, and we come to a compromise. The same with me. I tell you what I want, and we compromise.”
“I didn’t come to compromise,” Reaper said.
Cartright looked pissed off. “Okay, if you didn’t come here to compromise, why did you come?”
The judge was getting angry, likely used to getting his own way.
Reaper smiled, and he knew he didn’t have the nicest of smiles. More often than not, a smile was not natural on him. He tended to have to force it, and it came across as a little psycho-killer. Not that he minded that reputation.
He stared at Cartright. “Because I can,” Reaper said, and then he got to his feet. His point had been made, and he walked toward the door.
“I’ll be watching you,” Reaper said, and he kept that smile on his face.
Cartright was now in checkmate without a way out. He must have figured Reaper wanted to come to make some kind of deal for the club. He didn’t. His aim for today was to piss Cartright off, and also prove to him that he didn’t hold all of the cards.
He walked across the street, and Chad stayed by the door, being the good little security guard.
Cartright was no longer in charge. Any move he made could end his career. Reaper held the cards, and he knew this had put a target on his back. Pocketing his cell phone, he straddled his bike, looked toward Cartright’s office, and gave him a thumbs-up.
Next, he drove away to do a quick pitstop at the shelter to see Gena. As he was there, he also tried to talk to Heidi, but it was like the woman had gone into some kind of trance, which wasn’t good. They needed her to snap out of it.
This is what her husband anticipated—for her to be so afraid she wouldn’t talk to the cops—and it pissed him off so fucking badly, but there was nothing he could do. After trying to talk to her and getting nowhere, he told Gena not to get any more volunteers, until all of this blew over, then he made his way back to the club.
No one was outside, and he parked his bike, taking a few moments to catch his breath, and looked up toward the clubhouse.
The judge could fuck this place up—Reaper was aware of the danger and the damage that could be caused. He had a feeling Cartright cared about his reputation. Every part of this had been some kind of charade. Cartright attempting to keep his name as far away from the people involved—from the rent on the hostel, to the coroner, and even now. There was nothing on Cartright’s wife letting him go.
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his cell phone. He didn’t play the video, but the woman on the ground looked petrified, and he saw that relief in her eyes at the sight of him. She didn’t want to be there, but now he needed to find out her identity, so he could have a talk with her. Some women, like Heidi, were broken down, but other women still had that fire to make the man pay. He knew all about it. His mother had been the same way. She’d been broken down, beaten by life, and it had killed him to see. He didn’t want to see another woman suffer the way his mother did.
****
Grace laughed. She couldn’t help it as Reaper’s hands went to her armpits, and they didn’t stay there but started to work all over her body.
“Please stop, I’m going to pee,” she said.
She didn’t know how they had gotten into this little tickle fight, only that she had completely lost, because Reaper was a master and overpowered her. If he didn’t stop soon, she feared she was going to embarrass herself.
“You promise to be good?” he asked.
Grace smiled up at him. “Of course, I’m going to be good.” She let out a giggle. “You’re the one that started this.”