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I whimpered at the macabre scene, realizing this guy could absolutely rival Ivan. How did I find myself associated with men like this? It started with my father and would certainly end with this guy.
My heart banged against my ribcage, begging me to run away, but I was frozen. Afraid of what I’d encounter without Reaper, or that he’d come after me.
“Mmmmmm… Oh yeah, you like that?” Reaper rumbled all seductively. The guy grunted. “Feels good to me. Tell me you like it.”
“Fuck you,” he growled.
Reaper dug his knee between the guy’s ass cheeks hard and barked at him. “Tell me how fucking much you love this, or I’ll assume you want to get fucked harder!”
“Fuck! Alright, I like it. I like it, man! Whatever you say!” He cried like a baby under Reaper’s grasp, wailing for his mother. “Just fucking end me, man. Kill me already!”
“Oh ho ho ho! I can’t do that, you see, because I watched these hands pull that woman’s head back by her hair and press this knife to her neck.” He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his teeth. Was he savoring the moment? “Thing is, I’m a jealous guy. And if anyone’s going to be making her scream, it’s me. You hear me? Only me!”
Going numb through my entire body, I yelped as Reaper bore down on the knife in the man’s wrist, and the hand popped free. “There.” He held it up, admiring his work.
My attacker—who seemed more and more like a victim, though I had to remember he’d almost killed me—screamed so loud I had to cover my ears. Reaper stuffed the side of the amputated hand in his mouth.
“Shhhhh, quiet now, baby. You’re a live one, aren’t you? How do you even still have the energy for that racket? Lie still and take it hard and deep like a good boy. One more time.”
The guy whimpered.
“Reaper,” I hissed. He peered over at me, eyes still glowing red but expression softening a little.
“Be with you in a minute. We’re having an emotional moment together.”
“Maybe you should skip to the ‘finishing him’ part, so we can get out of here.” After glancing in both directions, I stared back at him pointedly. If we stayed much longer, we’d be overwhelmed by challengers all at once.
He cocked his head, seeming to consider my opinion, and then gave a sharp nod. He snatched the guy by the hair and wrenched his headup exactly as he’d done to me. “You’re in luck. The lady agrees with you.” He brought the knife to his neck and turned back to me. “You wanna do it?”
Stomach roiling at the idea, I shook my head, closed my eyes and swiveled away. I was going to have to steel myself better through this, but I didn’t know how. Reaper’s voice slithered through the air, all serpentine-like, sending goosebumps all the way up and down my arms. “Say goodbye, asshole.”
With a gurgle and a thump, Reaper was back by my side, leading me down the hallway like that nightmare had never even happened.
I’m a jealous guy. And if anyone’s going to be making her scream, it’s me. You hear me? Only me.
I thought I’d been through so much shit that nothing could shock me anymore. But what I’d just watched my ally do made my blood run cold. Was I safe with him? Maybe, while he wanted me around.
But he’d just revealed out loud how much he wanted to hurt me, too. There was no telling how long our alliance would last.
Chapter Twenty-One: Shadows of Doubt
Tess
We traveled down corridorsand up a flight of stairs before Reaper opened a door, placing a finger to his lips so I’d keep quiet. As I stepped over the threshold, a chill ran down my spine.
The room, about the size of a large bedroom, was bathed in a soft illumination from trembling candles, creating an intimate, ever-shifting ambiance that filled the entire space. Towering bookshelves lined three of the walls, their dark wood gleaming dully in the low light.
He pointed at me, and I knew to stay put while he went around the room, checking behind every item and crevice.
In the center of the room stood a round table draped in deep purple velvet. Ornate, high-backed chairs surrounded it, theirupholstery worn and faded. The table’s surface was littered with various magical items; a tarnished silver bell, some tarot cards haphazardly strewn about the table and floor, and a broken crystal ball, cracked and splayed open.
As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I noticed strange symbols etched into the floorboards, forming a perfect circle around the table. The temperature seemed to drop the closer I got to the circle’s edge.
He returned and closed the door, locked it and motioned to the room. “Have a seat,” he said, as if we were old friends. Most of his insanity-act had melted away, and his eyes were back to normal color again, but which version was the real him? I couldn’t be sure.
Swallowing, I kept my eyes glued on him, not looking away for a second. It wasn’t his enticing bulk, nor his glistening skin, or the echo of that fierce expression remaining. It was distrust after what he’d said and done to that guy in the hallway.
Still, my belly clenched, and a warmth buzzed between my legs while I did my best to ignore it.
