Page 54 of Bleed
I’m lost in my thoughts as she hands me a steaming mug of coffee, black, just like I wanted. She grabs her cup, with whip cream and sprinkles on the top, from the counter and takes my hand again, leading me to the back of the place, finding us one of those little paisley loveseats to sit on.
“Just hold me and everything will be okay.” She says, sitting in my lap, curling her legs up under us, leaning on my chest.
“Yeah, I know it will.” I sigh, sipping the piping hot java slowly, trying not to burn my lips, or heaven forbid spill any on her from the very full cup.
“You having second thoughts?”
“No. I mean not about it needing to be done. Just how I feel about it all.”
“The Reaper has feelings?” She scoffs playfully, laying her head on me with a little rub of her cheek on my collar.
“Who would have thunk?”
“Me. I always knew you did. That’s why it hurt so fucking bad to stay away for so long. And when I found out the mark was there anyways, I had to come back. To see if you’d taken it and to see if you still loved me like I loved…love, you.”
“Always baby.”
“And now, look at everything. It’s all gonna be over soon, and you and I will be left alone, starting over, from scratch.”
“Yes.” I simply say, closing my eyes and leaning my head back to stare at the insides of my eyelids, blocking out the stimulation of the yellowish lighting in the place, trying to ignore the hippy music playing softly in the background, focusing only on the feeling of her against me and the smell of my shampoo in her hair.
It’s almost like we’ve come full circle, the two of us, only instead of repeating the beginning, we’re starting another loop in time. It should be cathartic, and maybe it will be when it’s all done. But first we need to get through the next couple of days, and the next couple of kills.
Chapter Thirty
The day goes by at a snail’s pace, dragging on and on with one shitty song after another played over the café’s speakers. The coffee seems to be getting hotter with each cup, until I finally stop ordering it and switch to bottled water. Dani on the other hand is happy to continue to down the creamy, sweet, girly, foo foo drinks all day, and it’s fucking adorable.
“You’re going to have to pee in the middle of the genocide aren’t you?” I laugh to her, squeezing her to me, holding her tightly like she’s a stuffed animal giving me comfort.
“Probably.” She says with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.
“Typical woman.”
“Hey. There’s nothing typical about me.” She squeals, then headbutts me in the chest, forcing the air from my lungs.
Coughing from the blow, I hug her tighter and kiss the top of her head. “I know baby. I know.”
Through the front picture windows overlooking the street between us and Valentino’s I can see the sky start to darken as the sun sets behind the buildings. It won’t be long now, and instead of getting more anxious, I settle into a relaxed acceptance, just like I should feel, like I always do before a kill. Just this one is going to be people who don’t deserve it outright, like the rest of the family. But there can be nothing left, women to bear heirs, no relatives, nothing left. They’re all a disease that must be eradicated.
The Reaper is coming through, past Damien, taking over, pushing the man with morals to the side so he can be the monster he needs to be. With the Recluse by my side, we will do what must be done, and we’ll do it together.
“I love you.” I say to her and kiss her forehead. “It’s almost time.”
“Good.” She smiles and snuggles into me. “Just hold me till you’re ready.
It’s another two drinks, and about twenty ungodly stupid songs before the night has descended and the lights in the restaurant across the way brighten up the street. I can see the family sitting down at their tables, knowing exactly where everyone will sit, up to and including Salvatore himself.
There’s no kids running around the place playing, almost like they are expecting something, and for that I’m happy. The women chatter amongst themselves though in conversations I can’t hear from where we are. They all look so happy, and so oblivious to what’s coming, but they must know something. They would have to. I mean it’s me. Would they really think I’m just going to let this slide? No.
The Reaper is coming. That’s what’s coming. The weapon you created is coming for you all.
“It’s time.” I say to Dani, shaking her shoulder a little, rousing her from a catnap. “You good?”
“Mmmm, yeah.” She says, stretching like a little kitten in my lap, grinding against me with a sleepy, yet sly look.
“How could you sleep after all that caffeine?”
“ADHD brain. Caffeine has the opposite effect on us. Relaxes the shit in our heads a bit.”
