Page 14 of Reaper Razed

Whatever works, really. Ray and Cade spend the next two weeks up at his lodge. She leaves in the morning, strapped up in the sling, and returns at night that way. Cade promises she’s helping but not overdoing it. He’s doing all the heavy lifting. I’ve been so busy filling in the new role as Lieutenant and covering as Enforcer, too, that I’ve needed extra time and help from Cade.

I decided to go grab some lunch and surprise Cade and Ray. When I knock on the lodge door, there’s no answer. When I try the door, it’s locked. Looking in through the window, there’s no one there. The place doesn’t even look like anyone has been in it to do any work.

“Brother,” I call Ares. “Have you seen Ray?”

“Not today. You lost her again?”

“Too fucking soon, Brother, too fucking soon!”

“Sorry man, no, not seen her.”

“Is she in her office?”

“Her office?”

“Yeah, she said you gave her an office.”

“Well shit, yeah.” He laughs out. “Kinda, I’d forgotten about that.”

“Well, has she got an office or not?”

“Office? No! Space to work in, yeah.”

“Ares, where the fuck is it?”

“I’m coming to you, Brother.”

“I’m at Cade’s lodge.”

As Ares walks up to me, he has a massive grin on his face.

“What the fuck you smiling for?”

“The office. I can’t believe she was being serious. She mentioned it, and I kind of fobbed her off. Now she’s actually got an office.”

“Ares, I’ve got a fucking headache, man. Where the fuck is she?”

“Barn.” He laughs.

“I’m not gonna fucking like this, am I?”

“Probably not, but I can’t wait to see. Come on, Brother, your wife’s entertaining as shit!”

“Fuck you, Brother. I’m too old for this shit. I think I need a vacation from my wife.”

“Don’t fucking let her hear you say that. She’ll give you a permanent one! You’ll be spending it in a body bag.”

“Just shut the fuck up!”

As we push through the barn doors, there’s no one here. There’s some clutter, bits of metal, and rubbish in bags dotted around the barn, but nothing. Ray’s missing, Cade’s missing, and so is Hades.

I call her phone, but there’s no answer. I call Cade, but there’s no answer. I bring up the tracker app Dice added for me.

“Does she know you’ve got that?”

“Shut up!” Glancing at the phone again, I say, “It says she’s here.”

“Where?”

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