Page 2 of Hell's Reaper

This will throw them off my scent. That hound was only getting close to me to catch my scent, and I fell for it.

I throw my bag of money over my shoulder before bolting for the back door.

“Alexa!” someone calls after me.

I ignore it. It’s not even my real name, but close. I need to go back to my hotel and grab my stuff before I fully leave. Quickly, I push through the back door and run into a large wall. I blink, looking up, up, and up until I see the face of a new guy. Definitely not as sexy as the one I danced on, but his magic tells me he’s one of the guys after me.

“Damn… you’re big,” I mutter.

A smirk runs across his lips as he grabs my forearm and pulls me to the end of the alleyway.

“Hands off! Hey! Watch it!” I shout, drawing the attention of the bouncer. It’s not the first time I’ve been grabbed outside of the club.

“Hey, let her go!” One of them steps forward to my aid. I’ve always been grateful for them. They step in for the dancers a lot.

The guy removes his hands, and I take my chance to lift my knee fast and hit his thigh. Keeling over, he shouts as I reel back, punching him hard in the jaw and sending him to the ground.

I take the chance to rush out into the busy street. Once across the street, I dash toward my motel, clenching my bag of money. It seems like the group had split up to cover all the exits, meaning they might not notice what I did to that guy, or depending on their bond, they felt it too.

I know I won’t get far, but I’m sure as hell going to put up a fight.

Once at the crappy motel, I rush inside my room to grab the duffle bag that is always packed and ready and empty all my earnings from tonight into it. I’m used to this; always moving around and never staying in one place. Being on the run for so long does get tiring. In the beginning, I would join the groups of friends going out for drinks and dancing, but I quickly learned that my presence put the humans at risk.

Her blood sprayed against the red brick building.

My blood runs cold, causing me to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

After that night, I’ve learned to distance myself from everyone and everything.

I grab the keys to the room before moving back to the front door, but as soon as I open it, he isstanding there with his dark eyes looking down at me.

Jolting, I slam the door shut, or try to. He pushes it open easily. Then his three little guards enter, filling me with nerves. Little isn’t the word to describe these seven-foot-tall men.

“Hey. Looking taller, Khazon,” I say nervously to the ringleader, but he doesn’t speak. It has only been two years, but his appearance has changed a lot. His jaw is much more defined as well as his shoulders and muscles bulging through his shirt and leather jacket. His dark brown hair is cut short, hanging against his face a bit. Not only is he taller, but he’s also wider now. His dark—almost black—eyes blaze with… hatred. “You know… four guys and one girl is not a good look if I scream right now.”

“Do it,” Khazon challenges, his voice way deeper than I remember it.

“Oh, hey, you finally hit puberty!” I tease.

He rolls his eyes. “Just come with us and you won’t get hurt.”

“Aren’t you a sadomasochistic, though? Isn’t that what all the Soul Reapers are?”

“No,” he deadpans.

“Sad.” Dropping my duffle bag, I kick out for his jaw.

He grabs my foot before it can hit him. “Asura, stop these games.”

“Games?” Rolling my shoulders as I pull back, I prepare myself for my next attack. I feel my bones crack before punching out but ceasing my movement and punching with my other hand. He dodges my sneak attack. “These aren’t games, Khazon.”

I try to catch him off guard with another attack, but Khazon grabs my fist, pulling me hard into his chest. “Yes, they are! You’re acting like a child, not the heir.”

Wiggling my hands free, I lift my knee and hit his side. He doesn’t wince. “Fucking hell, do I have to hit you in the nuts?”

He pushes me away, rolling his eyes. “We aren’t kids anymore. I’ve been training for the last two years to be better than you and to bring you back.”

“Kinky,” I deadpan. “I couldn’t care less, Khazzie. Take your massive dogs and get out!”

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