Page 39 of They Call Him Reaper

Inaya stares at me for a few more seconds, then nods. Holding her hand, I place the keys in her palm. “In case you need to leave without me.” I wrap her fingers around the set of keys while making sure she’s paying attention. “If things go wrong, don’t second guess it. I want you to leave me.”

She doesn’t say anything as I get dressed, but she doesn’t need to speak. The stubborn glint in her eyes tells me that she’d do the exact opposite of what I ask. I slip on some gloves and booties to cover my hands and shoes, then I begin walking backwards so she can get the hint. She does and hides like I told her.

I sneak back toward the house the same way I came. I remain in stealth mode because I cannot afford to mess up now. I was so worried about her that I didn’t confirm my kills like I normally would have. Pausing in the woods, I get very low when I hear a car in the distance. After a few minutes pass, it doesn’t get closer, nor do I see it near the cabin.

The darkness helps shield me, but I can tell I left a mess. I crouch when I get to the first guy I killed and dig through his pockets until I get to his phone. His thumb unlocks it, and I send the code to order a cleanup at this cabin. I take everyone's phones and identification for symmetry as I work my way back through the cabin. I double check for cameras or anything else that can identify me, then move to the dead men who guarded the room where Father held Inaya.

After I take their phones and IDs, I push the door open with my foot and step back in case there are any surprises waiting for me. The metallic scent of blood permeates the space, but I’m used to the scents of death and destruction, but a trail of blood going to the right is out of the ordinary. We didn’t make that trail. I don’t immediately follow the trail since it can be a set-up of some sort. Instead, I check the room I’m in, first going andtaking the phone and any other identification from the doctor, as I ignore the sinking feeling inside of me.

Instincts tell me I’m not in immediate danger, but I need to move faster. I go around the other side to where I left Father, only to find his blood but not his body. The trail makes sense now. Quickly, I move in the direction of the trail, finding a room I haven’t seen before behind what I thought was a wall. More blood and discarded medical supplies clutter the space. Cautiously, I move to the door on the other side, my muscles are tight, ready to fight Father if necessary.

The trail goes cold in an empty garage.

“Fuck,” I curse to myself as I run back in the opposite direction.

I say a prayer for the first time since I was a child that he didn’t get to Inaya again. He’s hurt badly, but he’s vengeful and she’s pregnant. I start to run at full speed once I’m outside, ignoring all the phones clinking against my body. With every step, I hold on to the fear of hearing a gunshot in the distance.

I’m panting hard when I get to the SUV. It doesn’t look disturbed, but I take caution anyway. Moving closer, I search the perimeter of the vehicle. Nothing. I check the undercarriage for trackers or bombs, then knock once it all passes my inspection.

“Inaya? It’s me, Dante.” I see her wet curls before her eyes, and I can’t help the smile that hits my face. “Come on, baby. Let’s go.”

The grin she gives me makes me happy and sad. Happy to see her again. But sad that I’ll need to tell her that we’ll still be hunted. He’d have to go deep to heal and if Father survives the night, I’ll have to square off with him, but I know I’ll never catch him this vulnerable again. If only that doctor stayed down a little longer. I wouldn’t have had to stop my attempt to slit his throat. I should have just stabbed him in the neck.

Keeping my mind on the mission, I stop at an incineration plant and break in while Inaya waits in the car. It doesn’t take me long to send the clothes, IDs, and phones up in flames. I’ll ditch this car in the next province, and we’ll leave Canada.

She sleeps quietly in the passenger seat as I drive in the night. I seem calm on the outside, but I’m raging on the inside. I was so close to ending his reign of terror, but I still haven’t broken the news about Father to Inaya. My mind races with all the possibilities and outcomes and for the first time since I’ve been a teenager, I have one thought in my head.

I can’t do this alone.

With another glance at Inaya, I know I’ve chosen to do the right thing.

The next morning, we board a plane to one of the places I didn’t think I’d need to visit again, but it’s the best shot I have. Inaya works the seat belt around her little belly as I make a phone call. The phone rings in my ear via Bluetooth as I wait for an answer.

“Hello?” Andrea Tesio answers.

He may have provided the information that put this whole thing into action, but I know that he and Theodore are the only people close to allies I have. The old part of me hesitates, but once Inaya smiles up at me again, I feel it’s necessary to speak.

“Form a team.”

I hang up, because that was the closest I could get to asking for help.

TWENTY-SIX

Inaya

Everything has beena blur since he found me. I’m still not sure how I feel about Father’s death. On one hand, there is still the daughter inside of me that knows a different side of the monster I met the day before, but I cannot unsee who he was before the end. I’d like to say the way he treated me was an extension to his hate for Dante, but I cannot justify anything he did to me. Even if he wanted me to have an abortion, he could have just tried to take me to a clinic. I still wouldn’t have gone through with it, but at least I could have still believed that he cared about me. Nothing about how he hit me and dragged me out of the room to hold me down, ready for that other man to mutilate my body matches the sweet yet distant man who funded raising me.

My whole life feels like a lie. I should have been hesitant to go with Dante since his initial goal was to kill me, but I know with Dante, he’s transparent with his intentions. He would not be sweet to me just to kill me. If that was his plan, I’d know. I, however, do remind myself not to rub my hand over my belly. He hasn’t mentioned the baby once. I’ve seen him looking at my belly more than once. I have no doubt that he knows I’mpregnant. I was wearing loose clothing to hide the little bump, but the clothes he gave me made it hard to hide.

A mansion surrounded by security gates comes into view with various men situated throughout the perimeter. Because of Father’s dealings, I now know that we’re not visiting the home of a regular rich person. No, this setup screams crime boss. The guy manning the gate doesn’t look happy to see Dante, but then again, his cold stare could just be his disposition. He calls someone on his cell, but I cannot hear the conversation. Eventually, he nods like the person on the other end can see him and opens the gate. Dante drives up to the house and parks in front of the doors.

A tall man in a soft gray suit opens the front door as Dante ushers me out of the car. Once my feet are safely on the ground, I pause and stare up at him. I can tell he is a dangerous man, but there is a touch of warmth in his startling blue eyes that isn’t present in Dante’s. The darkness of his eyebrows, light beard, and hair greatly contacts the paleness of his eyes. He has model good looks like Dante, and I’m confused at this new breed of killer. Are they supposed to be so handsome? He tilts his slightly full lips into a smirk as he reaches out his hand toward me.

“You must be Inaya. I’m Andrea.”

“You smell divine,” I blurt out like an idiot.

His laugh makes the side of his eyes crinkle and somehow increase his attractiveness. Despite the craziness of the last few months, it’s enough to bring a smile to my face.

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