Cobra: Reapers MC Book 8 Page 4

  The bastard must’ve done his research on me, that’s for damn sure. I’ve never even publicly spoken about my mother, not on the air, social media or anything of the sort. As far as my viewers and fans know, I’m just a girl who grew up in Montana.

  Taking in a deep breath, I know the choice I have. Or rather, the only choice. Moving toward the island I pick the bottle of whiskey up and pour myself a heavy serving, set the bottle down and swallow every drop in my glass. I’d be stupid to think I don’t need any liquid courage for this.

  He follows my lead, unbuttons his black suit jacket and removes his tie. “I’m glad you’re a smart woman, Miss Ashers.” Leonardo purrs, staring at me like I’m a piece of fresh meat.

  “Enjoy this while it lasts, Leonardo. It’ll be the only time you get me.”

  He chuckles lowly, “I love feisty women. You keep talking to me like that and I may actually pursue you.”

  “I’m afraid you’re not my type.”

  He tosses his shirt on the back of my barstool and reveals his perfectly chiseled abs. His mocha skin is the lightest caramel color and even if I didn’t know everything about him I’d be able to see his mother’s Latin roots. If we were in different circumstances he might be my type, but now I’ll never know because I’m already appalled by him.

  One thing’s for certain, I’ll never respect this man even if he is my boss. The choice he’s made by putting me in this position is despicable. On the other hand, the fact I’m following through disgusts me. I feel like I don’t even know myself anymore. As much as I hate what I’m about to do, I know by refraining from giving Leonardo what he wants I’ll only be fucking myself over in the end.

  5

  The people who are meant to be in your life will always gravitate back towards you no matter how far they wander.

  ~ Unknown

  Izzy

  Travis came back home early this morning which only means whatever bar he went out to was a complete bust. I was able to see him come in our apartment and asked Leonardo to get out at a certain time so he wouldn’t see him leaving my bedroom. Well, as if I had the best luck on the planet Travis and Leonardo walked into the kitchen at the same fucking time.

  I essentially shoved Leonardo out the door and locked the deadbolt behind him, then had to explain why Travis shouldn’t be clapping his hands in excitement or be happy for me. The thing is I told him how Leonardo said I either sleep with him or he’d shred up the contract I signed. Instead of looking shocked and angry for me, Travis thought I made up this elaborate lie. Which I didn’t. I’d never create a false scenario like that to make myself look better. For goodness sake, we’re living in a woman’s world these days. There should be no slut shaming or any of that going on.

  Travis rolled his eyes and told me it was wrong for me to make it up, and it really made me feel inadequate. More than that, I felt the type of pain other women feel. Women who had been through identical scenarios to mine when they told a loved one the truth. I never would’ve guessed Travis would be the one to not believe me, but so many things have shocked me in life. After all, what’s one more?

  Anyways, Travis left the apartment quicker than he typically does. But I didn’t miss how he huffed that I was unbelievable as he went out the door. For the morning hours I sat in front of my island drinking endless cups of coffee, processing what I’d done. Around noon I finally had the courage to pull my phone from my purse and check my messages.

  My eyes immediately fall on a message from Leonardo, and then I see a notification from Facebook about a friend request from Raven Grey. Reading that name gives me an odd sense of déjà vu. Hell, years have passed since I’ve seen her. But how do I even know this is my best friend from high school? I tap on the notification and it takes me to the app. Within a few seconds her picture loads and I can immediately tell she’s in a relationship since her profile photo is with a handsome man.

  There are two options here. I could just accept it and message her, or I can scroll her page for a bit and see what she’s been up to the last few years. So, I scan through the photos she has available to the public. She maybe has five or six, so I accept her friend request and continue to see how her life has been. From the looks of it, things have gone pretty well for her. That’s when I notice her current city says Las Vegas. Elation swarms through me as I message her.

  You’re in Vegas?! We need to meet up sometime!

  The message is unread for a minute and I see her profile picture pop up on the right-hand corner, notifying me she’s viewed it. Three chat bubbles pop up and within a second I have a response.

  Yep, I sure am. That sounds great. You free today? I could meet you for lunch in about an hour.

  For some reason I mill over the idea of seeing Raven after years of not speaking. The truth of the fact is after college our friendship fell apart. We both had different visions of what we wanted in life, and . . . her vision didn’t include being hand in hand with me.

  Raven Grey was the first woman I ever loved. Sure, I screwed around here and there with a couple others. At the time I thought I had loved them, but through the years I came to realize what love was really like so then I went searching for it. That led me to Ashlynn and Lord . . . we all know how that ended.

  When we were kids I kissed her and we fooled around for a while. She’d never been with another chick before, didn’t know what she wanted. I had hoped and prayed she’d want me, but she came to the realization that being with a woman wasn’t for her. Not really, I don’t think. We both chatted in school and remained decent friends but life tore us apart like it does to everyone else.

  Screw it, I don’t have anything else to lose.

  Yeah. Want to meet at Soba

  The bubbles pop back up and she tells me sure, that she’ll see me soon.

  * * *

  I arrive at the restaurant early and approach the hostess, asking for a table near the back. If we could have privacy I think that would be the best considering we’ll want it to be quiet and to catch up on what we’ve been doing these last few years. The hostess escorts me to the back and tells me because of a call out she’ll also be our waitress, asking if I want a drink. Instantly I nod and ask her for a pitcher of sake with glasses.

  The next few minutes I go back and forth on what the hell to say to Raven. It’s been so long it feels odd seeing her again. The hostess comes up to me with a tray which has two glasses and a ceramic pitcher in the middle. She grabs it by the handle with a towel over her hand so she’s careful not to burn herself and pours me a glass. Before she turns to head to the front of the restaurant I’ve already taken a shot back for good courage.

  The hostess returns a few minutes later with menus, apologizing for not giving them to me at first. She’s only a week on the job and since this joint is owned by a small mom and pop shop she’s still trying to get the hang of things. I tell her it’s perfectly fine when I see who I think is Raven walking down the aisle, heading toward me.

  Her hair is a lot longer, spanning to her mid-back these days. A blue hue runs through her dark locks and from the looks of it she’s finally figured out how to pluck her eyebrows. Raven’s wearing a black tank top with a design on it, gray jeans and boots. Immediately I stand, ask the waitress to give us about ten minutes and wrap my arms around my dear old friend when she gets close enough. The girl scurries off and gives us some privacy. Meanwhile, I feel so relieved to have Raven here.

  “I saw you on the news a couple weeks back and thought I was goin’ crazy,” Raven laughs as she pulls away and takes a seat at the table.

  “No, that was me. I’ll admit, I was so shocked to see you’re now in Vegas. Blew my mind actually.”

  Raven nods, taking ahold of the sake cup in front of her and takes a sip. “Yeah, it wasn’t part of the plan until it was, if that makes sense.”

  She doesn’t realize it, but I totally understand. Life has a way of twisting everything we thought we were gonna do around. Nodding, I speak. “It was a lovely surp
rise. Truthfully, I don’t have too many friends down here and seeing your message made me so ecstatic. I can’t even express it.”

  “You don’t have many friends? Is that a joke? You were the most popular girl in high school.” Raven teases.

  “Yeah, well things change. So, what’ve you been up to all these years?”

  Over the course of four hours Raven and I rehash what we’ve gone through and share so much about our lives since we haven’t been in touch. From her stories I’ve been the one with the tame life. Honestly, I always thought she’d be the wild one after school . . . but instead shit went crazy. She earned her degree, had an abusive ex-boyfriend, worked at a bar, got shot in said bar, stayed at a biker club to keep her safe and ended up falling in love with one of the said bikers. A man who only met her once or twice before he drove hundreds of miles from Vegas to make sure she was safe. Hot damn, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t envious. I want something like that.

  Raven wanted to know about my life too, so I confessed everything from Ashlynn to my interning days, to getting fired, my new cause and job. She asked if I had a new woman in my life and I laughed, telling her how I don’t plan on playing for that team anymore. At first I think she thought I was a little crazy. But after going into detail on why I’ve come to the decision I believe she understands. Women always joke about how they’re going to switch sides because men are dogs, but in my experience women are far worse.

  We end up leaving around five in the evening with the promise of seeing one another soon when Raven asks me to come over to her clubhouse next week and meet everyone. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about biker clubs but what the hell. It’s not like going could hurt anything. I accepted her invitation before heading back to my apartment.

  The worse part is I thought Travis would be back by now but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Oh well. All I should focus on right now is surviving my first week of work and making it to Saturday evening so I can meet these handsome bikers Raven promised me.

  6

  Better to have an enemy who slaps you in the face than a frriend who stabs you in the back

  ~ Kushandwizdom

  Cobra

  “What the hell are we doin’?” I call over to Damon, who rides beside me down the interstate. He called me, Boog and Dixon to go with him on a ride while the rest stayed back at the club.

  The bastard smirks, “We’re just evening the odds a bit, brother. You’ll see.”

  We head down the road for another five miles before Damon heads the charge and takes the next exit. The only odd thing about it is that none of us have ever been on this part of the highway before. We were in civilization and suddenly we’re in no man’s land. Although, this is the desert. The sun is just starting to set on the horizon and damn, if we were out for a joyride I’d just pull the fuck over and watch it set. I’ve been to many parts of the United States on the back of my bike but never have I been in beauty such as this.

  “Prez, how much longer we drivin’? I gotta take a leak!” Boog hollers from behind us.

  “Fuck, Boog. How old are you? Hold it like a real man. We’re gonna be comin’ up to our spot in a few minutes.” Damon responds with a chuckle.

  Damon was right when he said we’d be arriving to our destination soon. Within two minutes I could see a structure by itself off in the distance. I can’t tell what it is from this far out but as we get closer I see it’s some sort of shed. The roof is old. If I had to guess I’d say twenty or thirty years old with shingles missing. There’s one window on the side we’re coming up on, but it’s broken in numerous places. Ah, an abandoned location. We must be doin’ some business here tonight.

  “Keep your heads on, brothers!” Damon orders us, which is essentially telling us to keep our eyes alert and make sure we don’t do anything stupid. Like I said, some business is goin’ down. The lot of us pull in front of the shed, which I now believe is an old house. The years and weather that came along with it obviously did a number to this place. Hell, the wood siding is practically hanging on by a thread.

  I look the place up and down before cocking a brow, “We supposed to go in there?”

  “Yes,” Damon grumbles out, “There a problem?”

  “Nah, just looks like we won’t be able to shut the door without the entire thing caving in.” I admit.

  Damon heads for the door, opens it and waves his hand. “You three better get your asses in here quick.”

  Boog is the first to follow our Prez, while Dixon and I share a look that just says how much we don’t wanna be walkin’ into that old, most likely rat or snake infested hell hole. Walking into darkness Damon shuts the door behind us and claps his hands together causing a light to turn on.

  I don’t know what I thought I’d walk into, but it certainly wasn’t this. We’re in a small, maybe ten by ten square with a door in the center. It leads to something, giving me the impression whoever owns this place is a heavy hitter.

  Damon digs in his pocket and pulls out a key, unlocking the door and opening it. Just as I imagined a stairwell goes down and another light is at the bottom of the stairwell. “After you,” Damon says.

  The group of us head down the stairs and I see this is some sort of bunker type of thing. There are two hallways to the left and one massive room in the center. I see a metal frame with two bunk beds, some cabinets with a sink and a table sitting in the center of the room with a few chairs. “What is this place?” Dixon asks the question we were all thinkin’.

  “A contingency plan if shit were to ever go awry.” Damon responds, lookin’ around the joint. “With what recently went down in Montana I needed to make sure we were prepared for something like it. If something ever happened to the club we’d have this place.”

  “A perfectly concealed and hidden oasis,” Boog comments, walkin’ around. He opens up cabinets and looks through drawers.

  “Bet none of you thought it was much from the outside.” Damon tells us all.

  I nod, “You sure got that right.”

  “What are we doing here?” Man, Dixon is the guy with the questions tonight.

  “Waiting on some friends to arrive,” Damon says, but the second he finishes speaking we hear an engine running from up above. It appears our company is here.

  Awkward silence fills the room since Damon doesn’t give us anymore to go on than that. Honestly, it’s fuckin’ irritating me ‘cause we’re not mind readers. Heavy steps mixed with another set of lighter ones fill the silence and we see a man with a younger woman. Only, this woman looks nothing like the man she’s with. He’s definitely Latino where she looks like she came straight from Asia.

  Damon extends a hand out to the other man, “Eduardo, it’s a pleasure to finally meet.”

  “Likewise, Damon.” Eduardo takes ahold of his hand and shakes.

  “Is this the girl Onyx knows about?” Damon asks. I’ll make it a point to tell him how much I loathe when he doesn’t inform us about shit.

  “Yes, this is my goddaughter, Sakura Kobayashi.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Kobayashi. This here is Cobra, Boog and Dixon, some of my most trusted men. We are the only ones beside your godfather who will know your whereabouts.” Damon tells the woman, who I’m guessing is in her early twenties. Her hair is wavy and long, with a tone as dark as midnight. Her eyebrows are strict and defined, but her face is soft. All of her features except her eyes and lips are strong, but her face causes me to believe she’s a caring individual. Never have I said that shit about anyone, but for some reason I feel this way about her.

  This may be shitty of me, but I’m standin’ here wonderin’ how the fuck a Latino dude has a Japanese goddaughter.

  “Good. The fewer, the better. Now, what do you suggest we do about the thorn in our sides?” Eduardo asks, and the puzzle pieces finally slam together. This is Eduardo Diaz, the eldest brother from that damn gang Onyx was two-timing us with. Damn, I have so many questions right now. I want to know why Sakura is here and
what the hell Damon agreed to.

  Damon takes a step toward him, “I’m not a man who prefers violence. However, given what we already know there’s only one place for her— the ground. If either of us show mercy she’ll betray us at the most opportune moment.”

  “You’re right. The girl was sure to make me view you as an enemy, but I think our relationship will be quite the contrary, Damon. I see us as better allies, on the same side. What do you see?”

  Damon keeps his poker face on. “I’d say it’s a possibility. The only way for me to know for certain is for Onyx to no longer be a problem.”

  “Ah, I see. I’m trusting you with my beloved Sakura and you still have yet to trust me.” Eduardo states, snickering as his eyes dart between the group of us.

  “No offense. I’ve been burned far too many times by men who have promised much more.”

  “None taken. Believe me when I say I understand. Onyx is supposed to meet me this evening. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get out of there alive. Now, what will happen to her girls? Because if you don’t have a plan I have a proposition for you.”

  “Go on,” Damon tells Eduardo.

  “Sakura’s family has dealt with women like these. Allow my goddaughter to take the women once Onyx is out of the picture.”

  Damon scrunches his nose together and I take this as my moment to ask questions. “Why are we babysittin’ her ass anyway? Kobayashi isn’t just any name. That’s the name of the Yakuza.” I say loudly, so everyone in the room hears me loud and clear.

  Eduardo opens his mouth but shuts it immediately when Sakura holds up her hand, silencing him. “You’re not wrong, biker boy. Kobayashi is the name of the Yakuza, and so it is my name. The blood which flows through my veins is filled with honor and fear. Trust me when I say you don’t want to know why.” Well, damn. I like this chick already.