Page 55 of They Call Him Reaper

“It makes perfect fucking sense. You’ve been exposed to the world, no longer the no name ghost you wanted to be! I’ll finish what Father couldn’t and kill that pregnant bitch and you’ll have to live with knowing that you couldn’t stop me. You’ll be at your lowest once you’re released, and I’ll be there to reunite you with your wife. It’ll be my honor to kill you.”

“Those are big threats for such a small man.”

I dodged the punch I knew he was going to throw. I’m steps ahead of him and that’s what makes this encounter pathetic. Carlos’ delusion of grandeur makes him forget simple things, like the fact that I’m the main person who taught him how to fight.

He’s vicious and is the owner of some of the most gruesome kills out of most of Father’s protégés, but he’s boastful and the most likely to get caught.

“I didn’t come here to fight,” I tell him while evading another blow. Sloppy; he’s lucky he’s survived this long in the shadows. “Just leave my family alone.” Leave this one-sided fight since it’s a warning. Timing it to precision, I step aside the moment he lunges.

He collides headfirst into one of the statues I had purposely aligned myself with the moment he appeared. Carlos always had an issue seeing the long game. The thuds are satisfying when they both hit the floor. I make my exit before someone can come investigate.

Killing him now would have been too obvious. I didn’t perfect hiding in the shadows just to do something so stupid. My only goal was to let him know I was on to him and piss him off enough to make more mistakes.

Once he awakens, his fury will spur more bad decisions. He’ll see me at the end of those decisions. I’ll grant him the ultimate departure from Father’s hold. I couldn’t help him and now I consider him an enemy.

He will pay for what he said about my family.

THIRTY-SIX

Inaya

One of theperks of being in captivity with someone for months is that there is nothing to do but study that person. Dante may have known all the surface things about me, but I learned about his mannerisms. Without him saying a word, I knew he was plotting someone’s death, so I’m not surprised to awaken for my night pee to find him missing again.

Dante lives for the shadows, and I cannot—no,will nottry to change that about him. He may have been taught how to do a lot of wrong, but lately his methods have been for the good of others. If he felt his mission was a good enough reason to leave me at the house, I believe him.

While the police have been quiet over the holidays with some of their officers switching out to watch out for Dante, no threat of arrest has been made. They can’t seem to make the frame job stick, but they are trying their best, especially with the curious death of Detective Mendez. Andrea doesn’t allow them to get too close to his property, thus rendering them ineffective. Their fear of Andrea keeps them from pushing, and I appreciate that. A new crop of idealistic FBI agents has called Dante and mein for questioning. He’s unflappable and I’m numb to anything relating to Father.

They still don’t have anything concrete, but I still feel like although it’s a new year, some of the same bullshit still managed to follow me. Dante didn’t kill Detective Mendez; he wanted to, but he’s too calculated to be cocky enough to kill while being watched.

The baby moving pulls a smile out of me. When I ran from Father, I didn’t think I’d ever have a family. Being abducted didn’t appear to help my odds, but it was the exact opposite.

Dante has made so much progress with connecting with me emotionally that our relationship almost seems normal, even with knowing that he’s gearing up to kill someone. His need to take out “Abel West” makes so much sense that I wonder if I’ve joined Dante’s way of thinking.

Our so-called brother is out for vengeance without a clear purpose. All I can think of is something Dante once told me. Father made Carlos believe that Dante was adopted, although there isn’t any paperwork to support that. He didn’t adopt anyone; just kept them brainwashed. Carlos was led to believe that he’d never be as accepted as Dante.

Moving past my musings, I stretch in bed and give myself a mini pep talk to get up; luckily, my bladder won’t allow me to ignore it much longer. A sleepy yawn escapes as I climb out of bed. January is much colder than December, but I don’t have to worry about losing warmth because Andrea’s amenities are amazing. My feet touch the heated floors, and I begin to amble toward the bathroom.

All the couples had split off into our own worlds during the holidays. Dante and I laid low at the house while Andrea and Theodore took their wives on separate getaways. I only saw Kennedy for my checkup, so I don’t know what she did for Christmas. Although no one directly said anything, I know whatthey were doing. They were providing space. Dante is not used to holidays and especially would not be accustomed to family-style gatherings; it’s something he needs to be eased into over time.

I was happy to spend quiet time with him, not worrying about gifts, since our only gift exchange ever was the catalyst for most of this turmoil. We will get there; it doesn’t have to be now.

My trip from the bathroom brings another smile to my face as I see the gifts the ladies gave me for the baby. It feels good to be around people who understand my unique position and relationship. They are becoming the friends that I wanted. I hope to see them more, once things are more settled.

My positivity often slips when I think about Father being in the wild. He’s not physically strong enough to do anything to us, but he doesn’t have a shortage of minions. I climb back into bed, but I don't lie down immediately. Although it’s not the case tonight, I still have the occasional nightmare about how Father dragged me to the almost death of my child and possibly me as well.

The evil man who stood before me, glared at me and hit me in ways I’ve never known from my dad. He was a stranger, yet somehow his true self. The hate in his eyes always sticks with me once I awaken. It’s also the part that pisses me off.

It makes me angry for Dante. The nightmares he used to have were hard to endure when I was his captive and unaware of the source. As his wife, who knows the monster in his nightmares, it’s heartbreaking.

I want to do everything in my power to give him peace, despite knowing that it’s a steep uphill battle.

In the spirit of preparedness, Dante started training me as well as he can with me being pregnant. He chose to focus on weapons knowledge and how to get out of popular holds. I’ll admit, working with Dante is quite distracting.

As if my current thoughts conjured him, Dante comes into view. It would have scared me if I weren’t used to his propensity to pop up out of nowhere. His sigh tells me everything I need to know; it wasn’t the right time to finish his mission. I don’t know what kind of game he and Carlos are playing, but I don’t attempt to understand it.

Piece by piece, he removes his clothing and drops it into our laundry basket. He has a place for everything and it’s fascinating to watch. Naked, he climbs into bed and pulls me to him. His kiss on my forehead is gentle, although I can feel the tension in the way he holds me.

“Want to talk about it?” I offer as I snuggle up against his chest.

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