Reeve (The Henchmen MC 11)

It didn't take a genius to guess mob.

Which was a mix of crazy and, well, kind of cool.

I mean, my idea of the mob was pretty much exclusive to Sopranos because Babcia had been obsessed with that one when it came out. And Oz. And Carnivale. She was a big HBO fan in her day. But if the real-life mob was anything like the fictional mob, yeah, cool and crazy.

"You have some interesting acquaintances, Mr. Harris," I observed, bringing my glass to my lips.

I couldn't remember the last time I had even tasted wine. I tended to be on my own, and no one wanted to drink alone. So a glass and a half later, even after a full meal, I was spinning.

"Bit of a lightweight, huh?" Reeve asked when we moved to stand, and I wobbled a bit and bumped into him.

"I don't really drink," I admitted, letting out my air on a bit of a dreamy sigh as his arm draped around my shoulders, and led me toward the door.

"How about we go to She's Bean Around and get you a nice cup of tea to help sober you up before we head back to your place?"

Back to my place where we were finally going to finish what we started in that glass room.

And I definitely wanted to be sober for that.

"Sounds like a good plan," I agreed as we got back in the truck.

Reeve needed to park down a side street thanks to the parking on the main street being taken up by Chaz's and coffeehouse patrons.

About an hour later, my head felt decidedly less spinny as we got up from the table so a waiting couple could have a seat, then made our way out front to find no one wanted to be out in the blistering cold, the streets all but completely abandoned, all the fun happening indoors.

"Well, well, well," a female voice called, making us both start a little, but think nothing of it as we kept walking, figuring someone must have been on their phone. "A Henchmen. Without his brothers around him. How perfect."

Reeve didn't just tense; he went ramrod straight.

His whole body turned, in doing so, somehow half pushing me behind him, mostly blocking me from whoever the woman was.

Me, I had no idea, but she was red-headed and lovely to look at if you didn't notice the coldness in her eyes.

She wasn't alone either. Two men flanked her sides.

"Rey," Reeve said in a voice so low that even I strained to hear him. "I need you to turn and run."

"I'm not leaving you if something..."

"Turn and haul ass down the street to the compound. Tell them that V is back. And tell them that she most likely took me."

"What? No," I hissed, feeling my stomach twist. I didn't have the faintest idea who V was, or what she did, but I knew Reeve was freaked. And if a man as steadfast as Reeve was freaked, this was very, very bad.

"Reach under the back of my jacket. Do it," he demanded when I hesitated, the firmness in his voice making me do what he demanded. And finding something I never wanted to put my hands on. A gun. "It's loaded. Take it and run."

"You need..." I started to object when a snap, clear and almost painful in the quiet night, seemed to indicate to V's men that they should move forward already.

"Take it and fucking run," he demanded, voice lethal.

And, well, what choice did I have?

I was no contest for these people who were clearly professionals. But his Henchmen brothers would be.

It was just right down the street.

I grabbed the gun.

And I did what he demanded.

I ran.

Sure there were footsteps gaining on me, I forced my legs to work like they almost never had before, doing so in ridiculous heels that I was sure would shatter my ankles if I fell, but not letting up, feeling the burn of cold air in my lungs as the compound came into view.

I wasn't even anywhere near the gates before I started screaming.

By the time I got to them, four men were rushing out.

Three of them I knew.

Cy. Sugar. Roan.

The other was a bit bloodied like he had just been in a fight, but was healing.

"Rey? What's the matter?" Cy asked, hands working the locks a little frantically as his buddies looked on with worried eyes.

I sucked in a painful breath and let the words fall out. "V is back. Reeve said that she is likely taking him."

After the first sentence, everyone got as stiff as Reeve had at seeing the woman, confirming what I thought I had known already.

Cy, the bloodied man, and Roan ran.

Sugar hung back long enough to hand me his phone as he reached for his own gun. "Find the number for Lo. Call it until she picks up. Tell her V is back and to get her ass to Summer right now. Do this while locking yourself in the glass room. Got it, babe?" he asked, impatient, wanting to run too.