Page 50 of The Biker’s Guilty Pleasur

“No!” Grace screamed.

Reaper turned around just as the shot was fired. The sound pierced the quiet. A single bullet.

He turned to the judge, still on the ground. Why was he howling in pain? Blood oozed from a hole in his leg. He held it with both hands, crying like a little bitch.

Grace walked over with the gun he kept in the glove box.

“He said you get to live,” Grace said, passing Reaper the gun, then bending over to take the judge’s weapon away.

He couldn’t have been prouder of her in that moment. But he felt dizzy. The adrenaline had been keeping him going, but he knew this was the final show. His vision was blurry, his legs giving out. He wobbled.

“Reaper!” Grace ran up to him, holding his large frame with her much smaller one.

He sat back down against the barn. “Check on her,” he said.

Grace was crying and not moving away. He didn’t want her to watch him die.

“Baby, look at me. I’m not going anywhere. Go check on her.”

He knew he was lying, even though he’d promised her otherwise.

Once she’d left to check on Phoebe, that asshole turned to him, still clutching his leg.

“She just shot a judge. Do you have any idea what happens now?” He chuckled through the pain.

Reaper had to get to Grace, to tell her to contact Lord. He didn’t want any of this heat coming down on her once he was gone. He struggled to his feet, walking away toward the car, but he couldn’t fucking make it.

Grace saw him and rushed over, helping lower him down to the grass.

“Where’s the bleeding?” she said. “You’re pale. You’re shaking.” Tears were tracing down her cheeks. “You’re so cold. Reaper, you can’t die on me!” She was sobbing like a baby, frantically trying to get his shirt off to find the wound.

He grabbed her wrist. “Stop, Grace.”

“No!” She dropped down on the grass beside him, holding onto him and crying against his shoulder.

“Knew you were trouble the second I saw you at the shelter,” he said, his voice growing weaker.

“Shut up,” she said, through her sobs.

“Bossy. There’s my girl.”

His eyes drifted closed. He could barely keep awake at this point.

“Please. I can’t do this without you, Reaper. Please don’t leave me. You’re all I have.”

“You’re strong, Grace. Look what you just did.”

She shook her head. “I love you, Reaper. I want to have a family with you. I want to have pie with you at the diner.” Grace was struggling to speak through her emotions. “You’re not allowed to die. Do you hear me?” She shook him when he nodded off.

“I’m still here, baby.”

Then he heard it. The most beautiful sound in the world. The engines rumbling toward them.

Next thing he heard as he drifted in and out was Brick’s voice. “Jesus Christ, brother.”

“Took you fuckers long enough.”

“Traffic.”