Page 26 of Reaper Released

“Thanks.” I smile back as we drive through the gates. The fence goes all the way around the villa, and it looks massive pulling up. We get out of the van with the bags.

Three young Mexican guys come to grab them for us. “We will take these to your rooms. If you would like to follow us, Senorita Castillo will meet you by the pool for drinks in around thirty minutes!”

Dropping into step behind the guys, we can see the villa is actually a square shape with the pool centrally outside, eating area, sun loungers and outside cooking area and what looks like a dance floor all in the centre.

“Ah, very security conscious, nice design!” I mumble to no one in particular. We walk into our rooms. Three separate double rooms, all with their own bathrooms, two on the left of the corridor and one on the right.

I take the one on the right, and as I do, there are big double sliding doors at the back leading out to the pool area. Once we’ve dropped our bags and changed into something more appropriate, we head outside.

There’s a bar tucked away in the corner, which I hadn’t seen before, and the bartender’s making cocktails, so we go over to him. We’re two cocktails in when Carmen and her daughter Catalina show up. Catalina’s a carbon copy of Carmen. She just looks slightly younger, more from the shape of her body than anything else, but at nearly fifteen, she is absolutely stunning.

I give Carmen a grin and walk over to her to give her a hug. Look at me, getting out my own head and then hugging Catalina too.

“Reaper, it's fabulous to see you. So glad you could make it. I hope your rooms are satisfactory?” she asks in her subtle accent. However, her English is exceptional.

Carmen, Demi, and Scar go over to the table and sit with their cocktails. Catalina’s eyeing me curiously.

“What do you wanna know, kiddo?” I ask, grinning.

She takes in a shocked breath. “Know?”

“Yeah, I can totally see the questions flying around in your head, so come on, sit down with me and ask away!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, sure!”

“Did you really save me? How did you know? Why do they call you Reaper? Is Ray your real name? How many men have you killed? Did your tattoos…”

“Easy, tiger!” I cut in, laughing. “One question at a time.”

Blowing out a breath, she fixes her gaze on me again. “What's your real name?”

Before I give her the answers, I cut in with, “Right, ground rules!”

“Ground rules?”

“Yep, you wanna know my secrets, right? Then we have to build trust. You’ll have to give me some of yours, too. A secret for a secret!”

“Is your name a secret?”

“There are not many people who know my real name, my family, then some of the people I went to school with if the teacher slipped up and used it, but not many!

“If you want to know my secrets, we will have to make a pact. Our secrets are ours to share with each other, only you can’t share mine with anyone else, and I won’t share yours. Deal?”

She thinks for a moment. “So, if I tell you something, you won’t tell my mum…?”

“Can’t and won’t unless it's a matter of life or death!”

Letting out a shaky breath, she says, “Do we need a blood pact?”

I raise a brow at her. Well, that escalated fucking fast, but I have a feeling whatever it is, this girl is gonna need my help with it sooner rather than later, and I’m gonna have to be ready.

“Would you like to make it a blood pact?”

Thinking again, she chews on her lip. “Yes!”

“Well, okay, then!” Rising, I lead her to my room, where I get out the Swiss Army knife and give it to her. She looks at me, then down at her hand, then back at me. “You don’t have to do this. I’m not asking this of you.”

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