Page 57 of They Call Him Reaper

“Dante, this isn’t going to work. You’re a distraction.”

My eyebrows shoot up because her words are news to me. “I’ma distraction?”

Some of her curls bob when she nods.

“Yes.You. Dante Orejón, assassin extraordinaire. The sexy as hell Spaniard with the patience of a toddler oscillates between tempting me and making me want to use you as a target.”

I smirk despite my frustration with her learning curve. I’ll never understand why people live such dangerous lifestyles, yet refuse to give their children the tools necessary to survive. The ones who do go from one extreme to another. The kids are either like Andrea or Inaya. There needs to be a place in the middle.

“You want to shoot me, baby?”

Inaya blinks slowly because my tone is seductive, despite my inquiry about her threat. The violent side of her shouldn’t be sexy, but it’s turning me on just a little. I get in her face while holding her chin to maintain eye contact. Inaya doesn’t need to go off the deep end where her dad pushed me, but I like knowing that she’s adapting to her dangerous surroundings.

“Sounds like a good idea right now,” she admits. “I at the very least owe you a tase.”

I suck on my bottom lip to keep my grunt at bay.Fuck.That shouldn’t be arousing.She can hurt me if it makes her feel better. The pain I felt when I tased her isn’t completely gone, but it’s a distant feeling now.

“Promise?”

Inaya giggles, but I know she’s serious when she speaks. “When you least expect it, I will tase your ass.”

“As long as you’re prepared to be fucked after.”

“Your foreplay sounds adventurous,” Andrea quips, taking my attention from my wife.

“What are you doing here?”

Andrea’s blue eyes shine with amusement and just a hint of annoyance. “Well, I live here. I go where the fuck I want to go on my property.”

His words are sharper than his delivery. Andrea’s tone simply suggests that he’s just stating a fact; he said it as if he was mentioning what he wanted for dinner.

His gaze moves to Inaya, and he raises his eyebrows expectantly. “You rang?”

“Yes,” she admits while moving out of my space. Inaya looks at me. “You’re fired.”

Andrea and I laugh for two different reasons. His laugh is full of amusement, while mine is incredulous. I’m the best gunman on the compound.

“Fired? I have the most extensive knowledge close up and long range”

Inaya shakes her head. “Knowledge doesn’t equal a good teacher. The main goal is for me to learn the basics, right?”

“Correct,” I agree slowly while folding my arms.

“Theneveryonehere is qualified to teach me.”

“She has a point,” Andrea points out like I asked him.

Andrea turns his attention to Inaya. “I can get you started, but I’m not sure if my patience is much better than your husband’s, so I’m calling for reinforcements.”

He sends a few texts, then drops his phone back into his pocket and moves closer to her to adjust her position. I knowthat he’s being helpful, but I still need to fight the urge to stab him at the base of his spine so that he’ll never walk again.

Andrea whispers something to her, pulling a giggle out of her. My eyes narrow as I watch her nod, then focus on the target. Hesitating, she adjusts her aim a few times until she finally pulls the trigger. The gun still jerks since she’s overcorrecting in expectation of the kickback, but the bullet pierces the target’s stomach.

“Very good,” Andrea tells her as he claps like she’s a sharpshooter.

“Nice!” Theodore says from behind me before I can point out that we shouldn’t give praises so easily.

I block out what they’re saying as I take a moment to consider the scene in front of me. Inaya “fired” me because I’m not a good teacher but the only thing Andrea did differently was give her positive reinforcement. Theodore did the same without knowing the entire story.

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