Page 35 of Talon

“Let me know when you want to go. I’ll ride with you.”

“Go with me tonight. We can infiltrate his ranch together.” Moonlight flashes off Reaper’s black eyes.

“I can’t leave Jessica here alone.”

“She wouldn’t be. Tucker’s here, and we’ve got five other prospects staying the night.”

“Yeah, but would you trust them with your …” It’s on the tip of my tongue to call her my woman, but that’s not true. No matter how much I want it to be, she’s nothing more than a woman I’m trying to protect.

“Nothing’s going to happen to her at the clubhouse,” Reaper counters, frustration seeping into his voice.“We need to do this. We need to find out what he’s up to. You know he’s not sitting back twiddling his thumbs. He’s planning something. I’d stake my life on it.”

“You’re that sure?”

“Yeah.”

I grit my teeth, torn between my loyalty to my brothers and my desire to keep Jessica safe. Reaper’s right. We can’t let Blackstone have the upper hand again. The idea of putting her at risk makes my heart race with anxiety, but if Blackstone’s planning something, then we need to stop him.

“Fine,” I relent, knowing deep down that Reaper won’t give up until I agree.“But we need to make sure the clubhouse is secure. Let’s wake up Tucker and some of the other prospects and set up a patrol pattern for tonight.”

“Deal,” Reaper agrees, relief washing over his face.

Back inside, we walk through the dimly lit house. The sound of our bootsteps echoes off the walls as we search for one of the prospects, Tucker. He’s proven himself to be both loyal and capable, making him the perfect choice for this assignment. I spot him lounging on a couch in the living room.

“Hey, Tucker,” I whisper, shaking him awake.

“What’s up?” He stands, instantly alert, and ready to spring into action. He’s going to make a good member of the club.

“I need you to round up three of our best prospects,” I instruct, getting straight to the point.“You’re in charge of security tonight. Make sure everyone patrols around the clubhouse. Reaper and I need to go do something. We’ll be back in a few hours. Call us if anything goes down.”

“Of course, brother.” Tucker nods.

“Good. Keep an eye on things, especially on Jessica.”

“Understood. I’m on it.” He disappears down the hallway, ready to carry out his assignment.

“We’ll make this quick,” Reaper says in a low tone.“Once you see how far I can get, you’ll be surprised.”

“Let’s just hope we can get in and out without any trouble.”

Reaper and I make our way to the garage. The smell of oil and gasoline fills my nostrils as we approach our motorcycles. They glisten under the fluorescent lights like sleek predators waiting to be unleashed. That’s exactly what we’ll be tonight, predators.

“Check your gear,” Reaper says.“We need to be ready for anything.”

“Yep.”

I reach into my cut and my fingers close around the cold metal of my gun. It’s a reassuring weight in my hand, though I hope I won’t have to use it tonight. After making sure it’s loaded, I slide it back into my cut. I throw my leg over my bike.

“Let’s ride,” I say, gripping the handlebars tightly.

Reaper nods. As we kick-start our engines, their roar echoes through the garage. I hope it doesn’t wake Jessica, but there’s not much I can do about it now. I trust Tucker. She’s in good hands. With any luck, she won’t realize I was gone for part of the night.

After driving past the bar, we pull out onto the highway. The wind whips past us as we speed toward Blackstone’s ranch. Fueled by a mixture of adrenaline and fear, I’m on high alert. Every time I think about this place, it makes me physically ill. I hate getting anywhere near it, but Reaper never overreacts to stuff. If he thinks there’s some merit to his premonition, then I believe him.

As we approach the sprawling property, Reaper pulls off onto the dirt road we use to spy on Blackstone’s ranch. Reaper signals for us to stop.

“There’s a blind spot near the southwest corner. We’ll sneak in from there.”

I nod, trusting Reaper’s knowledge of the guards’ schedules and patrol routes. We kill the engines and coast the last stretch, careful not to draw any attention. As we park our bikes, the night is dark and still. The moon slips behind an incoming storm, giving the clouds an eerie glow.

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