Chapter eight
1289 Words
The next morning,Mia woke up feeling off.
A dull ache had settled in her belly, and her body felt heavier than usual. She shifted under the blanket, hoping it was nothing. Then the familiar warm stickiness hit her. Her period. Of all the times for it to arrive, it had to be now that she was trapped in a locked room inside a motorcycle club compound full of dangerous men.
She sat up quickly, her cheeks were already burning with embarrassment. Reaper was gone again, the couch was neatly made.
Thank God.
She slipped into the bathroom and confirmed her fears. No supplies. Of course there weren’t any. She hadn’t exactly packed for this nightmare.
Her hands shook as she cleaned up the best she could with what was available. The cramps were starting to bite harder, and a wave of dizziness hit her. She leaned against the sink, breathing through it. How was she supposed to handle this here? The thought of asking one of the men or even Raven made her want to disappear.
A knock sounded on the main door. “Mia? It’s Raven. You okay? You’ve been in there for a while.”
Mia opened the bathroom door, peeking out in embarrassment. “I… I need something. Personal. Girl stuff.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “My period started. I don’t have anything.”
Raven’s expression softened immediately. “Got it. I’ll handle it. Sit down. You look pale.”
Mia curled up on the edge of the bed,with her arms wrapped around her tummy. The cramps made her wince. She flinched hard when the door opened again a few minutes later and Reaper stormed in.
He stepped inside carrying a bag, his sharp eyes landing on her immediately. Mia shrank back on instinct, Even though he had never hurt her, the memory of that first night made her flinch at his sudden presence.
Reaper stopped a few feet away, reading her reaction. “Raven told me,” he said, voice low and careful. He held up the bag. “She grabbed what you need. Pads, painkillers, heating pad, chocolate. Everything.”
Mia stared at the bag, mortified. Her cheeks burned hotter. “You… you didn’t have to—”
“I take care of what’s mine,” he replied simply. There was no teasing in his voice this time, just genuine concern. He set the bag on the bed a respectful distance away and stepped back. “You’re hurting. I can see it.”
Mia grabbed the bag quickly and retreated to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Her hands trembled as she changed and took two painkillers. When she came out, Reaper was still there, standing near the doorway like he was afraid to crowd her.
“You flinched when I walked in,” he said quietly. “Still that scared of me?”
Mia nodded, unable to lie. She sat on the edge of the bed, arms hugging her stomach as another cramp hit. “I can’t help it. You took me. You… you killed people in front of me. And now I’m stuck here bleeding and embarrassed and”
She stopped talking because she felt like crying
Reaper’s jaw tightened. He didn’t move closer. “I’m not going to apologize for who I am. But I’m not a monster to you.” He nodded toward the bag. “There’s a heating pad in there. Use it. Raven’s bringing hot tea and food. You rest today. No baking if it hurts too much.”
Mia looked up at him, surprised by the gentleness in his tone. He was still terrifying but in this moment he was actually sort of calm and that made her even more confused.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Reaper’s dark eyes softened just a fraction. “Don’t thank me for basics, sugar. This is nothing.” A hint of that teasing edge returned. “Though I do like knowing I get to take care of you when you’re like this. ”
Mia flinched again at the possessive words, curling smaller on the bed. Reaper noticed and sighed.
“I’ll give you space,” he said. “But I’m checking on you later. Door stays locked. Raven’s right outside if you need her.”
He left quietly with the lock clicking behind him.
Mia let out a shaky breath and plugged in the heating pad, pressing it to her lower belly. The relief was immediate. She took the chocolate bar from the bag and nibbled on it, embarrassed tears stinging her eyes. This man had kidnapped her, yet he had thought to bring her chocolate and a heating pad. The contradiction made her head spin.
Raven returned soon after with tea and soup. She sat with Mia, keeping the conversation light. “Reaper cleared the whole day for you. No one’s bothering the kitchen. He even threatened a few loud mouths who were talking too much about the new girl.”
Mia hugged the heating pad closer. “Why is he like this with me?”
Raven shrugged. “Because you’re different. He sees something in you worth protecting. Worth keeping.” She smiled softly. “Try to rest. Your body needs it.”
The day passed in a haze of cramps and chocolate
Mia stayed in bed mostly, drifting in and out of uneasy sleep. Every time the door opened she flinched, expecting something bad. But it was always Raven with more tea or food, or once Tank dropping off extra blankets “on Prez’s orders.”
Late in the afternoon, Reaper returned. Mia tensed immediately, pulling the blanket higher like a shield. He carried a fresh bottle of water and more painkillers.
“How are the cramps?” he asked, staying near the door.
“Better,” she admitted, voice small. “The heating pad helps. And… the chocolate.”
Reaper’s lips twitched with the faintest hint of a smile. “Good.” He set the items down and didn’t approach. “You’re still scared I’m going to snap at any second.”
Mia nodded honestly, flinching when he shifted his weight. “I can’t turn it off. You’re… you.”
“I am,” he agreed darkly. “But right now, I’m the man making sure you have what you need. Even when it’s messy. Even when you hate me for it.” His voice dropped into that teasing register again. “One day you’ll realize I’d burn this whole city down before I let you suffer. Period or not.”
Mia’s face burned with fresh embarrassment, but she didn’t look away this time. The dark promise in his words both terrified and strangely comforted her. She was still flinching at his movements, still terrified of the violence she knew lived in him, but a tiny part of her felt cared for in a way she never had before.
“Thank you,” she whispered again.
Reaper watched her for a long moment, something intense and possessive burning in his eyes. “Rest, little baker. I’ll be back tonight. And Mia?”
She waited.
“Don’t fight the way I take care of you. It’s only going to get more intense from here.”
He left her with those words hanging in the air like a dark promise.
Mia curled up tighter under the blanket, the heating pad warm against her. Her body ached, her mind was exhausted, but the fear was now tangled with something warmer.
She was still terrified of Reaper Kane.
But for the first time, when the cramps eased and she drifted toward sleep, she didn’t flinch quite as hard at the thought of him returning later.
- Writer
