Page 53 of Reaper

His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t look away. I rest my palm on his forearm. His skin is warm under my touch, alive with more than just the need for revenge. He’s so full of life, if only he could see it. I know his need for revenge clouds everything, but I wish he could see it’s not the only thing he should be focused on. There’s more, especially now that he has Ace and me in his life.

“Try to understand,” he murmurs, closing the gap between us. His lips find mine, and fora moment, there’s no darkness, just the heat of him and the taste of hope. “I need him dead if I’m ever going to live again. I’m a ghost now, Lexi. A phantom who only lives for one thing—revenge. I know you want more, but I’m trying to be honest with you. Until he’s dead, I can’t be the man you want me to be. It’s just not possible.”

As much as it frustrates me, as much as I want to convince him he’s wrong, I know he won’t change his mind. Blackstone has to die, or Reaper will never be mine.

“But once he’s dead, you’ll at least try to be Ace’s father, right?” I ask, hating the desperation in my tone.

“Does Ace know I’m his dad?”

The question stings. “No, he doesn’t. I told Ace his dad left … that I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.”

Anger flares in Reaper’s eyes as fierce and quick as a lightning strike. “I didn’t leave. You know that. Why did you lie to him?”

“How was I supposed to explain everything to Ace? I can’t tell him what we’ve been through, what you’re still going through. I don’t even know if you’re ready for the responsibility of helping to raise a kid. It’s no joke. You don’t get to run off and do what you want anymore. Ace will always have to come first.”

“I don’t want Ace to think I abandoned him, not like my old man did to me.” His voice breaks on the last word.

“You won’t be like him. You’re already not,” I say, hoping my words can ease his fear.

“How can you be so sure?” he challenges, turning back to face me. “I don’t know the first thing about being a good father. All I’ve ever known is how to survive, how to fight. I wasn’t ever a kid. I never had that opportunity.”

“You’ll learn. It’s not easy, but I’ll show you what to do. Scar and some of the other guys have kids too, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then they can help as well.”

“I’ll fuck it up.”

“Everyone messes up from time to time. There’s no such thing as a perfect parent. You’ve got a heart. A big one. And that’s what Ace needs—a father who cares.”

“Lexi …” He sounds torn, a war raging behind his eyes.

“Look at me,” I insist, cradling his face in my hands. “You’re not your father or Blackstone. You’re the man who stands in front of danger, who protects those he loves. That’s who Ace needs. That’s who I need.”

He pulls back slightly, looking down at me with an intensity that makes my breath catch. For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything. Then, slowly, his arms wrap around me, pulling me close against his chest, his heartbeat steady against my ear.

“I know you’re scared, but promise me you’lltry,” I whisper, holding on to him like he’s the only solid thing in this world. “Not in a week or a month or a year. Now. Before Blackstone’s dead. Ace needs you now, not at some point in the future.”

“I’ll try,” he whispers, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply. “I don’t deserve you, Lexi.”

“Yes, you do.”

He locks eyes with me, but he doesn’t speak. The kiss he plants on my lips is fierce, full of a silent promise to end the conversation here and now. I can’t deny the way my body responds to his touch; it’s electric, every nerve igniting. But there’s frustration, too, simmering beneath the heat. This is Reaper’s way of dealing with things—deflecting and derailing conversations when they cut too close to the heart. He trades words for action, exchanges vulnerability for the physical connection that always seems to demand attention.

Even though a part of me wants to slap some sense into him, it’s impossible to resist his skilled hands. The raw masculinity that clings to him like a second skin is more intoxicating than the scent of leather wafting off his cut. Something primal awakens within me. I moan as his tongue forges a war against my defenses. I helplessly surrender, reveling in his wicked heat.

Every kiss is a statement, a claim that no matter how hard the conversation gets, he’s herewith me in the most tangible way possible. And even though I crave more than just our physical connection, I can’t help but respond to the call of his wild, untamed spirit.

The cool rush of air across the river blends with Reaper’s heated touch, a stark contrast that sends shivers up my spine. His lips move from mine, trailing a path of kisses down my neck, each one stoking the fire he’s ignited within me.

“Reaper,” I whisper against the backdrop of the rushing water, my fingers tangling in his dark hair, pulling him closer. The world narrows to just us, the riverbank our sanctuary from the chaos of our lives.

His hands are everywhere, insistent, and strong. They map the contours of my body like he’s charting a course through dangerous territory. Our love for each other is new to him, and it can’t be easy for someone so determined to push people away, but I can tell he’s trying to grapple with it. And I know, despite everything, this is where I want to be—in the arms of a man who’s seen the darkest parts of life and still fights for what’s right.

“Lexi,” he breathes out, his voice roughened with desire. “You’re everything I’m not.”

“But you can change, baby. I know you can.”

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