Page 4 of A Reaper's Secret

“Here you go,” she said. “Waffles, extrasyrup, bacon, and eggs. Just the way you like them.” She put hisplate down in front of him, along with the small pitcher of extrasyrup.

“Thanks. Do you want to sit with me awhile?”he asked.

Amy glanced around the café, and he saw her checking on eachand every single person, before sliding in opposite him. He nudgedhis coffee toward her. Not that she would admit to it, but shetended to take care of everyone else, and rarelyherself.

Martha had promised him she would keep aneye on her and make sure she ate. One of the days, several monthsago, there had been a lot of noise coming from the café. Martha hadbeen away, and Penelope had snuck off with a tourist, promising herthe world. Amy had been alone.

He knew Amy got to the café early in themorning to start up the food, and she’d not eaten anything. Workingin a hot kitchen, doing the job of three or four people, she had passed out, onlyno one had gone to check on her.

Daniel had heard the commotion, gone straight into the kitchen,and found her passed out with a small cut on her forehead. Ofcourse, the locals as well as the tourists had been concerned. He’dwanted Amy to go to the hospital, but he also knew she had a fearof them. So instead, he played waitress, Martha came in, and whenPenelope arrived, he made sure the women knew, when she was onshift, she stayed there, no questions asked.

No one would disobey him, they knew therewere consequences. That day, no one complained or left a badreview, as Amy apologized by giving them all free food for theday. She didn’t sufferthe loss, though, Daniel made sure of it.

“You do realize this coffee is for you toenjoy?” she asked.

He chuckled. “As it happens, I don’t mindsharing.”

He watched her as she picked it up and tooka sip. She wrinkled her nose. Where he loved cream and sugar, Amycouldn’t stand sugar. She didn’t mind the cream, but she was notone for the sweetness, even though he knew she loved a sweettreat.

“Do you think you’ll open up for the fair?”Amy asked.

The town mayor did this everyyear—it was like anode to wind down the tourists, and let them know summer was comingto an end. The fair was over a month away, but planning had alreadystarted. It wouldn’t be long before the rides started to appear intown, and everything would get set up. There would be a lot ofparties, including drunk teenagers. The last fair of the season wasnever his favorite, however, he did utilize the time and open hisbar early.

“Always, let’s face it, the wrath of themayor is priority enough to keep the bar open.”

Amy chuckled. “I don’t imagine for a secondthe mayor or anyone else could get you to do something you didn’twant to do.”

“True, very true, but then I can’t help butagree it’s a goodrevenue day.”

She took a deep breath. “That is sotrue.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing, just having amoment, thinking aboutmy parents and my grandparents. They loved this time of year, youknow. They loved meeting new people, and making … memories, Iguess.”

He couldn’t help watching her. Even though he was ten yearsolder than Amy, there was just something about her. Maybe it wasthe sweet smile that called to him, or the kindness always in hergreen eyes. Where some of the locals looked at him with judgment oreven curiosity, Amy didn’t. There was no agenda. Other women wantedto fuck him, play games with him, and with other single men. Hewasn’t interested in games.

Nigel, Martha’s husband, had told him if he played by the rules,he could have it all. That there was a special woman somewhere whowould not judge him, who would give him a smile, take care of him,and just be by his side through thick and thin.

Many people didn’t know—orthey did know but pretended not to—that he was a member of The Reapers. In fact, he saw atleast four other members of the group in the café. All four of themwere with family members, and in fact, Nigel, Martha’s husband,before he died, had been a member of The Reapers. He didn’t know ifAmy was aware, but her dad had also been a member.

Daniel had been a member since he was twentyyears old, and that was now twenty years ago.

Nigel had been the last leader, and beforehis death, he namedDaniel to take over. Their job was to take care of the town. Anyonewho joined The Reapers had to stay in town. The locals were theirpeople, and no one fucked with them and lived to tell the tale.Being a tourist town came with a lot of danger.

He knew the tale of bad times in LostCreek, where this had been a port open to drugs, guns, and a lot ofbad shit. Rumor andgossip surrounded what happened, but there was a final last straw.A young girl, whose identity remained a mystery, was raped by oneof these gangs. They took turns with her. It was the biggestmistake, as one of the men, her father, knew a group of locals whowere tired of looking the other way.

That night, they took their town back.

If the rumor was true, the town ran red with the blood oftheir enemies. No one knows the identity of anyone involved, sinceafter they took the town back, outsiders who didn’t like theirrevenue being taken tried to take control. All of them left or werekilled.

Don’t fuck with the locals of LostCreek. If you do,there’s a good chance you might just get lost.

He took a bite out of his waffle andswathed it through the maple syrup. Putting it into his mouth, heclosed his eyes and was once again in Heaven.

“Meeting new people is good. It’s good forbusiness, and if we see this as an advantage, then we’ll make it out alive.”

Amy laughed. “Spoken like a goodbusinessman.”

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