Page 61 of They Call Him Reaper

“You managed to make me care about you. I’ll care about you forever. I don’t want to see you in pain.”

“I love you,” she whispers as I run my fingers through her hair and collect it into a bun atop of her head, then secure it with one of her hair ties.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” she says, her amusement increasing.

“Practicing in case it’s a girl.”

She tilts her head back and kisses my chin as the little bit of light we were using goes out.

“Looks like we lost power,” I explain as I reach for my cell. “And cell service.”

“Dante…” Inaya whispers, sounding scared about the situation.

The bad feeling that overcomes me has nothing to do with Inaya’s fear. My instincts are pinging on high alert and they’re never wrong.

“Baby, I’m stepping outside.”

Inaya’s eyes grow, but she takes a deep breath and nods. I want to be with her through the pains, but I hope to resolve it all quickly. I open the door again, ignoring that removing the barrier makes the rain louder. I need to access my surroundings. Bungalows farther in the distance all have power.

The first cautious step takes me onto the porch. I don’t want to use the flashlight on my phone because it’s practically a beacon that’ll announce my whereabouts. I stay close to the bungalow so no one can get behind me.

As much as I want to get back to my wife, I have to push her out of my mind to focus on finding the person who cut our power. I push my wet hair out of my face as I look both ways as I inch further out toward the end of the wall so I can look around the corner.

A figure moves forward, going around the back side. I pick up the pace, staying low and close to the wall. If it’s Carlos, he’s done me a favor. I’ll take him out before my baby enters the world.

Someone swings once I make it around the corner. I dodge it while hearing the sound of the arm cutting through the rain as it misses me. I quickly retaliate, landing my own blows. The downpour makes it hard to see the features of the person I’m fighting. A punch lands in my side, pulling a grunt out of me. Angry, I deliver a blow that knocks the guy out.

Dropping onto his chest, I pull off his hood to see if it’s Carlos. It’s not. I won’t kill the guy because I don’t recognize him. There isn’t any identification on him either, so I opt to tie him up and question him later. Pulling him out of the rain, I tie him up and get back to my family. Just as I secure the last knot, my heart drops at the sound of three gunshots from inside of the cabin.

FORTY

Inaya

I was sleeping blissfullyuntil pain pulled me out of my deep slumber. When greeted with the comfort of my husband's gaze, the reminder that I'm not alone was calming even with the pain. The pain passed as quickly as it came, but mine and Dante's assumption was the same. I was in labor. The lights going out wasn't a good part of the plan, but I had faith in Dante's and my knowledge to get us through this.

I was also aware that, as a first-time mother, I could be in labor for several hours. We had a high chance of making it to the hospital in time for delivery.

My fear rose when Dante announced that he needed to leave the cabin. Sometimes I still marvel at the fact that the man who was once my biggest fear is the one I want by my side.

I grab some essentials, then return to bed to look at my watch. The amount of time between contractions is promising. The rain rages on outside and a lightning strike briefly illuminates the cabin, displaying the outline of a person.

I jump from the surprise of it, since Dante went in the opposite direction.

“Dante's bitch and bastard,” the guy, who I presume is Carlos, sneers from his spot. “You're the only one our father cared about until you turned into a bitch in heat.” My heart beats erratically as fear chills my body. I want to point out that I'm Father's only child, but it's not like it'll help the delusion that Father created. Dante was much scarier than Carlos, but the envy in his voice is a very dangerous thing.

“He'll kill you,” I warn him. I could tell him to go to hell with Father, but I'm trying to stall for time. Carlos is obviously a lost cause. He won't be able to turn it around like Dante.

“Not before I kill you.”

A part of him must know surviving is not an option. His shadow moves closer just as another contraction hits me. I clutch my stomach and roll to my right side in pain since my lower back aches in ways I didn't know was possible. I'm annoyed and scared due to the bad timing of such debilitating pain.

As he leans over, my breathing evens out as the pain begins to subside. His scent is sour, like dirt and sweat as his clammy hands wrap around my neck.

“I only waited for your contraction to end so all of your pain comes from me.” The pressure on my throat makes me gag a little. “Shh…it'll all be over quickly.”

I hit him and claw at his hands so I can move. The idiot chuckles while not paying attention to my right hand that’s snaking under my pillow. I needed him close, but this is too close for comfort.

The lack of air is making my head hurt, but I finally get a hold of one of the items I grabbed the moment Dante left. Carlos thinks that time is not on my side, but it's not on his either.

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