Stripped Back (Reaper MC #1)

C H A P T E R S I X T E E N

INK

Walking into the office my eyes landed on Ryder raked his hands through his hair, he seemed pissed. Glitch sat to the side of the table showing him something on his laptop as the spoke in hushed tones.

I made my way around the table as the guys filed in sitting down talking amongst themselves.

"'Kay we got some more Intel. You won't gonna like it Ink" Ryder started placing his elbows onto the table leaning toward before dropping his hands from his hair and staring at me

"How much do you know about why Angel came back?"

Angel? What has this got to do with her?

"Her drunk of a mother died, what has this got to do with Angel?"

"Are you positive you can trust her?"

I bristled at him questioning her loyalty. " You better be fucking with me Prez. You know her history why the fuck are you questioning me. She ain't no snitch!" I snarled and Ryder tensed his jaw ticking.

"Enough!" He snapped slamming his hand on the table some of the guys flinched I still stared him down

Glitch then turned his laptop around to show a file of info about Karen, Angels mother.

"Why would Karen be getting payments from the Russians"

The fuck?

"I don't know"

"Seems awful suspicious that she died  and Angel comes back then a war breaks out" Axel mutter and my head snapped over to him.

"What the fuck are you trying to say??" I barked

"Bring Angel in here now!" Ryder bellowed to Ace, and the prospect scurried out returning a moment later with a worried looking Angel.

Her jeans hugging her hips with a sliver of skin shows from the gap to her t-shirt she had knotted and tucked in at the front.

"Everything okay?" She asked slowly walking up to stand beside my seat. I turned before pulling her into my lap and squeezing her hip reassuringly.

"When was the last time you spoke with your mother" Ryder said staring right at her.

"About 2 weeks before she died. She called for the first time in 4.5 years wanting money. I told her to shove it. The next thing I knew she was dead. Stroke. Why?" Angel rattled off confused but not threatened by his harsh attitude. Her fingertips grazed my scarred knuckles as she looked around the room at the guys all staring her down

"Why? What's wrong?" She questioned stiffening

"Why was she asking you for money if she was getting thousands of dollars transferred from the Russian mob."

"What?" Angel sat straight up "What are you talking about?"

"You truly have no idea?" Ryders eyebrows quirked.

"That woman may have birthed me Ryder but she was never a mother. She was a drunk, junkie who cared more about getting her next fix then feeding or even parenting her own daughter, Nila did that. Remember? I hadn't spoken to her for almost 5 years after I left until she called me 2 weeks ago. How dare you think I'm involved with her. The day she died I was relieved, how sick is that I was relieved my own mother died. I was glad would never ever have to see her again or have her near my daughter." Angel snapped standing up challenge him. Ryder took a deep breath before raising his hand up in surrender I rubbed the small of Angels back as she trembled slightly.