Gio (Steel Demons MC #6)

Chapter 12

Gio

I t was never hard for me to leave a woman’s bed, and I never left a woman in my bed, but it took all the strength I possessed to leave Harper and head to the clubhouse. I didn’t want to. Hell, I could’ve spent all damn day buried deep in her body, savoring her sweet pussy and making her scream my name.

But I had shit to do and so did she, because apparently, I had another month of Harper in town and—I hoped—in my bed. But more importantly, since she wasn’t going back to California today, I needed to talk to the guys about what happened last night as well as what came next. Besides me. Already I couldn’t wait to get back to my house and to Harper because I wasn’t close to satisfied. Yet.

“Hiya, Gio.” Cindy stopped in front of me the moment I stepped inside the clubhouse and wrapped her arms around me. “Ready to pick up where we left off the other night? I’m sure we can find someplace private.”

Shit. I stopped and stared at the busty blonde. Had it really only been a few days since I had my dick buried in her throat? It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Not now. Business.”

She pushed her lips out in a pout. “Find me when you’re free. I need you baby.”

I stared at her again and shook my head. I wanted to tell her that I didn’t think so, that it likely wouldn’t happen again but I didn’t need the headache or the drama. “Gotta go.”

Half the guys were in the office with Slate, who noticed me first. “Well, well, if it isn’t Cinderella back from the ball.”

I flipped him off. “It was a gala, not a ball.”

Slate frowned. “What’s the difference?”

I shrugged. “How the fuck should I know?” I stepped inside the room and scanned each face. Diesel and Hawk were here, Maverick and Rocky were too, but there was no Rebel. “Something happened last night.”

And just like that all the chatter in the room stopped and all gazes swung to me. “What’s up,” Diesel asked.

I gave my brothers a rundown of last night after the gala. The bikers. The shooting. Everything except fucking Cole’s sister until my balls were empty and my cock ached to do it again. “Even if they haven’t realized exactly who I am, it won’t take them long to figure it out.”

“This problem should go away in a few hours, right?” Rocky stared at me with an unrecognizable expression.

“No. She’s gotten two more events over the next month. At least,” I added using her words that were either a warning or a simple explanation of her uncertain timeline. “And they’re at the Regency.”

“Fuck,” Diesel groaned.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “She’s at my place and I’ve talked to Cole.”

“Stick to her like glue,” Rocky instructed.

“I will.” Of course I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, with or without Cole. “What did we find anything at the hotel last night?”

“Yeah,” Slate began and launched into a detailed tech explanation that none of followed. “I was able to get into the casino footage, but I didn’t find anything, which means the deal didn’t go down last night or they did it someplace without cameras. Which if I were dealing in shady shit, would be my choice too.”

“Then what the fuck were the Blood Reapers doing at the Regency last night?” It was a rhetorical question, and the answer came to me immediately. “They were there for Harper. Fuck.” She was in more trouble than either of us realized. “Then I’m glad I took one of those fuckers down.”

An annoyed growl sounded behind me that could only belong to one grouchy asshole. “So you’re the reason the Blood Reapers are shitting bricks today.”

“Rebel, so nice of you to join us.” I flashed a shit-eating grin that earned me the middle finger.

“Asshole,” he muttered and shoulder checked me as he walked past and dropped down in the first chair he found. “I was keeping an eye on those Blood Reapers, and I couldn’t figure out what all the activity was about. Now it makes sense, you killed one of their men.”

“They were chasing us down the highway and kicking at the car. I did what I had to.”

“Yeah, and now we’re probably looking at war. Again.” Rebel scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Or not.” My mind raced with possibilities that didn’t involve another all-out war. “Did you see any guns, like more than usual?”

“No, but they weren’t carrying big ass crates of guns in and out of their clubhouse if that’s what you’re asking.” Rebel shook his head.

“They’re worried about this deal which means it’s a big deal for them, enough that they’d go after Harper for what she might have heard. We find those guns or who the guns were meant for, and we fill the need.”

“Get in the middle of some Blood Reapers business?” Rocky let out a low whistle and shook his head. “That’s a bold choice when they haven’t done anything but wreck a rental.”

“Maybe,” I conceded. “Or we stop the shit before it gets started.” But we needed to know more first.

“Slate, what did you find on their connection to the Regency?” Diesel was always all business when it came to the MC, which was why he was our president.

“Maverick and Hawk saw a few Reapers hanging around but the only person they were with the entire time was Carl Miller.”

“Yeah, smarmy guy going bald with a growing beer baby,” Hawk said with a smile and patted his belly. “What’s his deal anyway?”

“No deal,” Slate offered. “He is as boring as they come. Middle manager at the Regency for the past six years. He makes fifty grand a year, minimal debt that you’d expect in the form of a mortgage and car payments, a few credit cards. His mom is dead, and his dad lives on the East Coast with wife number three. Nothing important or interesting, other than his association with the Blood Reapers.”

That didn’t make sense. “No blood or familial ties to any of the Reapers?”

“None I can find,” Slate sighed heavily. “But I don’t have names on all of them. Yet.”

It wasn’t what I wanted to hear but that wasn’t Slate’s fault or anyone else’s. “So what do we do until then?”

“Keep Harper safe,” Rocky ordered. “Stick close and be the best damn fake boyfriend she’s ever had.”

Rebel laughed. “You really think that’s going to keep the Blood Reapers away from her?”

“Maybe not,” Diesel chimed in. “But when we make our next move, they’ll know exactly why.”

That was ominous as hell, and I liked it. “I’m in,” I shot back. “Whatever the plan is, count me in.” With club business out of the way, it was time to get back home to Harper.

I had plans for her that would last all afternoon and late into the night.