Page 44 of Hell on Wheels

Grim smirked. “The Reaper doesn’t share a glass with anyone. You should feel special.” He poured a heavy shot, slung it down, and wiped his hand across his mouth. “You don’t have any questions?”

I suppose I did. I’d been so preoccupied with Lark that I never thought much about it yet. “Do you feel him? Your Reaper?”

“Every fucking minute. Sometimes, he’s silent. Like he’s sleeping or waiting. Quiet but always ready.”

“And the other times?”

“He’s brutal. Ruthless. Death’s harbinger and executioner. When I wield the scythe, it’s a power unlike anything I could ever describe. We become one entity. One shared goal. Reaping souls is our job, but we fucking love it.”

“Sounds creepy as fuck, brother.”

“Yeah, it can be. When I feel his presence, it’s soothing. When he speaks, it’s demanding and arrogant, often belligerent.” He chuckled. “But the Reaper is loyal, intelligent, charming, and has a wicked sense of humor. He pisses me off as much as he makes me want to laugh.”

“Sounds like Lucifer,” I replied with a wince.

“Yeah, and it makes sense. The Reaper is a demonic being similar to the devil. I don’t know all their secrets. Probably never will. Lucifer likes to hold the trump card. Can’t say I blame him.”

“I don’t know what that means for me.” I cleared my throat, wondering how to say what was on my mind. “He combined Kane’s spirit with my own. He called me a shadow rider. A new vessel to bring wrath and justice upon the world, specifically in Las Vegas.”

“A little cryptic, huh? Lucifer loves that shit.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the problem. I can figure shit out. What worries me is how I’ll change. What abilities might manifest because of this deal I made.”

Grim nodded. “I hear you, Maddog. I can tell you from nearly twenty years of experience that he never goes back on his word once he gives it. He’s shady as fuck. Tricky. Annoying. None of that will surprise you, but he’ll stick to the agreement. The devil loves to watch his puppets perform.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “I always fucking hated puppets as a kid. Used to freak me out.”

Grim laughed hard at my admission. “Have you noticed any differences?”

“Shadows,” I blurted, leaning back in my chair.

“What about them?”

“I saw Lark’s when I came home after we took that ride into the desert.” Ticking my chin his way, I couldn’t help my humor. “None of you Reapers have a shadow.”

“The fuck? I see it all the time.”

“It’s not the physical one. Spiritual, I think. An extension of your soul. Since you all sold yourselves to the devil, it’s overtaken by the Reapers.”

“Well, fuck. Never knew that.”

“Lark’s shadow is beautiful,” I continued. “Hers danced around her body, gyrating to a beat of music I couldn’t hear.” My voice softened as I thought of my songbird. My little dove. “I don’t think any living soul would be able to hear that music or the beat. It exists for her alone.”

“Damn, Maddog.”

“She’s been through so much darkness. Maybe that’s why her shadow loves the light and dances in it.”

Grim nodded. “I agree. I can’t see those shadows, but I see auras. The aura exposes everything about a soul.”

“Then Lucifer gifted us both with unique qualities,” I observed. “To lead our clubs.”

“I think you’re right.”

“WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?” I growled, staring at the big motherfucker pulling my woman into his arms. She hugged him back, not hesitating to reach up on her toes and place a kiss on his cheek.

The cheek. Not the mouth.

I grunted as I realized he wasn’t a lover.

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