“Everything.” Reaper leaned forward, his voice low and intense. “Ace was good at computers, like Sypher. Ace took that knowledge and joined the military, where he honed his skills. He made rank fast.”
“Get to the fucking point.”
“The point is, Ace was too damn good at what he did because as soon as he found reference to something called Code Helix, he and his entire team were given their walking papers. That was around the same time Lucifer Hawk, the president of Disturbed MC, and the officers were court-martialed and relieved of duty. Luc was sent to prison for twelve years, and the rest were forced to resign. This brewing biker war is just a smokescreen. Something or someone bigger than theSocietyis out there, watching us and waiting. King thinks it may have something to do with a program that Devlin Scott and Jane Craven were running at the Trick Pony. Something to do with weaponizing kids.”
The words hit me like a freight train. I stared at Reaper, my mind struggling to process what he was saying. Code Helix. Court-martials. Weaponizing kids.
“Jesus fuck,” I groaned, shaking my head. “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
Reaper stood and walked over to stand next to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Look, Slaughter. I know this is a lot, but you are the most level-headed brother in the Tennessee Chapter. You look at everything from all sides before you act. Ineed your help to contain that clubhouse. Got love for Savage, but he lets his temper rule, and don’t even get me started on Bullseye. That fucker gets even a sniff of something fishy, he’s gonna go hunting.”
I looked up at my president, at the man who’d just watched me get the shit kicked out of me for breaking the Golden Rule. The man who’d let me keep my cut despite everything. The man who was now asking me to help him navigate a conspiracy that went far deeper than any of us had realized.
My ribs throbbed. My head pounded.
My entire body felt like it was on fire.
But Reaper was right. The Tennessee Chapter was volatile on a good day. If word got out about Ravage, about Ace, about Code Helix and weaponized kids, they would go to war without thinking twice.
And that would get them all killed.
I took a slow, careful breath, feeling the sharp stab of my broken ribs with every inhale. “What do you want me to do?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Slaughter
Reaper’s hand tightened on my shoulder, his grip firm but not painful. “First, you are actually marrying Hope. Not in front of a judge or priest, but in front of the club. A real ceremony, a real commitment. That lie you threw out gets legitimized before her brothers find out it was fiction.”
I stared at him, my mind struggling to process his words through the fog of pain and exhaustion. “Not sure if you realize this, Prez, but we are in Diamondback country. It’s not like Stella can whip up a Golden Wedding here in Oklahoma.”
Reaper glared at me, his jaw tightening. The look in his eyes told me he didn’t give a single fuck about logistics or geography or the complications of hosting a Golden Skulls’ ceremony on rival territory.
I quickly nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“You do that,” he grumbled, releasing my shoulder and stepping back. “And when you’re fucking ready to ride, I want you and your new bride back in Tennessee. Understood?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got enough shit on my plate without adding you to the fucking mix.”
I winced as I shifted on the bed, trying to find a position that didn’t make my ribs scream. “How bad is it, really?”
“Fucking bad,” Reaper said, pacing the small room like a caged animal. His boots thudded against the worn floorboards with each step. “Ravage went off the rails, and now I have the Brotherhood breathing down my neck. The Death Dogs aremoving closer to Nebraska. Luc is losing his shit ’cause Logic has gone radio silent. Kansas is dragging his feet regarding Pence. The Geek Squad is taking their fucking time with that fucking thumb drive, and Montana is actually starting to make sense, which scares the living fuck out of me. So yeah, shit’s gettin’ real fucking bad. So do me a solid and just do what I fucking say, okay?”
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of everything he’d just laid out. The Brotherhood. The Death Dogs. Code Helix. Ravage in danger. And now I was supposed to somehow pull off a legitimate club wedding while recovering from broken ribs and a concussion.
“I’ll talk to Hope and get everything taken care of.”
Reaper let out a loud sigh and nodded. “Good. I’m gonna get Digger and Sandman to ride out with you to the Owens Farm. And before you say shit, Ghost is under strict orders not to kill you.“
I raised an eyebrow despite the pain it caused. “What about Shadow?”
“Yeah, good luck with that one.” Reaper smirked, and I flipped him off as he headed for the door. “Won’t say I envy you, Slaughter, but if I were you, I’d sleep with one eye open in that house.”
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the throbbing pain radiating through every inch of my body.
Marry Hope.
