Page 8 of Reaper's Revenge
“Someone had a busy night. Without us, too, must’ve been hungry after missing out on that steak,” Machete comments.
“Didn’t want to share, brother?” Vicious grumbles. “Smells like they were giving away free liquor with that type B.”
“It wasn’t planned,” I admit and take a seat at the bar with a sigh. They follow along, no doubt wanting to hear what went down. “It was nothing exciting, just some prick who needed to stop breathing.”
Mayhem whistles lowly, joining us in another chair on the other side of Vicious. “It’s been a while since you’ve lost your shit on a random, Reaper. What went down?”
Suddenly, I’m surrounded by the entire club because of this damn sensitive hearing we all now possess. “None of your business, if I feel like sharing, you’ll be the first to know.”
Prez shakes his head, “None of that shit, Reaper. Who pissed you off enough that it cost them a few pints and made it messy enough you’ve been covered in their blood?”
One of the blood whores scoots her way in, perching on Mayhem’s knee. I lean in, close enough to bare my fangs and order, “Move.”
Her eyes grow scandalously wide, and in no time, she’s striding away like her ass is on fire.
“Hey!” Mayhem grumbles, but I ignore him. My words aren’t for blood whores, they’re simply sustenance on tap and not a part of this club as far as I’m concerned.
“I parked down the street from the café when we all left. I followed our waitress home once I realized she was going to walk alone. I found a creeper along the way who thought he’d get too close to her. I rectified the situation and made sure he wouldn’t mess with anyone else in the future. He smelled of ill intentions and previous assaults.”
Prez’s brows are practically to his hairline as he huffs, hands on his hips, shoulders tight as he asks, “He attacked her?”
“No. He never got the chance to show his face. I picked up on his emotions, though, and he was going to hurt her. I wasn’t going to give it to chance and allow anything to happen to her.”
“Good then, fuck him.” Prez nods, and the tense muscles in my back relax. It’s only momentarily, as I’m asked right after, “So you and her, huh?”
“We’re really doing this?” I grit my teeth, flashing my gaze around my brothers, noting all of their attention is pinned on me. They’re waiting for me to answer, not that they’re inclined to anything I don’t feel like sharing. I know they won’t stop bugging me until I cave, however, so I give in. “Nosey assholes,” I grumble.
“Come on, it’s been a long time since one of us had a woman in our lives. A permanent one, let alone drained a random person who was following her. Can you blame us for being curious?” Lucky amends, and he’s not wrong. The only woman I’ve been obsessed with is Veronica, and for revenge, not because I want to sleep with her or anything.
“Or excited?” Silver asks.
“Or living through you?” Ice comments.
“Fine,” I huff, caving, knowing they won’t leave me be otherwise. “There’s something about her. I need to figure out what it is. I’m drawn to her in a way I can’t explain, almost as if there’s a link between us.”
They all start speaking at once, jostling me in the process of their excitement. My brothers act like this woman is for all of us, but they’ll be sorely disappointed when they realize the truth.
She’ll only be mine.
Chapter Seven
Reaper
It’s another night, and I’m back at the cafe. Not to eat, but to lurk outside like a lost soul. It’s ridiculous, really, a fucking vampire who hasn’t found the ‘right time’ to step inside and make my presence known. This has become my nightly routine for the past two weeks. I follow her home each night, acting like an overprotective bodyguard in the shadows, with the plan to speak to her at the front of my mind. However, something always happens to stop me from making my presence known. It’s beyond frustrating, this urge I have for her, along with this insane need to feel like I have to protect her.
Tonight’s the night.
No more sticking to the shadows, watching and waiting while wishing I was touching her. I will speak to her, I’m determined. I have to, or I may rip one of the blood whore’s heads off, and even if they do get on my nerves, they don’t deserve such a gruesome fate for merely getting in my way.
Athena’s routine is the same; it plays over and over in a loop from the first night I met her. She should be more cautious; predators prey on routines. They make for easy pickings, and as much as I hate to admit it, she’s no different in that stance in making it far too easy. I’ve been around a long time, so have my brothers, and one thing I’ve noticed over the decades about younger people is they’re careless with their safety. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. People being reckless has kept us fed over the past decades, but where Athena is concerned…It worries me.
I’m transfixed on her form as she turns away from her co-worker, denying a ride once more. Why am I so utterly obsessed with her? She’s fascinating, and we’ve barely spoken, touched, or gotten to know each other. However, she’s all that runs through my mind aside from hunting down Veronica and ripping her throat out. That will come one day, even though it grows more difficult with each day that passes.
I have nothing to lead me to where I need to go to find my sire. Every evening, I wake up and do various internet searches, hoping something will slip and she’ll finally pop up. I have my brothers looking for her, as well as some acquaintances keeping their ears to the ground for clues to her whereabouts. However, she’s practically a ghost.
A woman known far and wide by vampires for her viciousness should be easy to find. Her past is full of plundering and draining too many, while in the midst, turning hundreds of men she’s found attractive. Surely, she’d realize that at least one of us would be furious over what she’s done and would be hunting her down. She’s stolen our mortality, our choice from us, and over time, our loved ones, as we can no longer be around them ever again. Maybe it’s the reason she hides so well, and I’m not the only man who is after her for payback.
I sigh as I glance around, using my advanced hearing to listen to my surroundings and make sure no one is on Athena’s trail as I am. Something inside of her speaks to me on a level, pushing me to believe we belong together. I know I must sound crazy, but no matter how hard I fight myself on these feelings, they only seem to grow stronger.
