Page 31 of Reaper Razed

“I’ve never seen her like this… ever… but Ray is like the puppy you get from the pound that’s cute, adorable, loyal, and loves you almost unconditionally. She will do anything for you, but the second she feels any kind of betrayal, she will rip your throat out in your sleep! And then go right back to sleep herself. If she believed for one second that you had cheated, she would have killed you in that instant. Don’t let her love for you cloud the reality of who she really is.”

“Who is she really?”

“That, Brother, is for you to figure out, but she’s not cross with you. She is working, and this she has to do on her own. Trust me, you don’t want to see her like this! She will do whatever it takes to get the answers she needs, and she will stay there till she does. I’m here till that happens. My sister trusts me to look after you and keep you safe. Don’t make that difficult for me, Steel, or I may have to kill you myself!”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Bran. You’re just as ridiculous as she is if you think that.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” He winks at me. “Breakfast?”

“Sure.”

Dozer

I take a deep breath as I wake up. Everything feels fuzzy, like a hangover from hell! I take another deep breath, wincing at the headache that’s pounding in my brain. There's a murmur beside me, and I lean over. Beauty’s next to me, but we’re not at home.

I slide up against the headboard, and Beauty turns over. “Hey. You’re awake. Thank the motherfucking Reaper!”

“What?” I scrub my hand down my face and through my beard. “Where are we?”

She slides up to sit next to me, leaning over and cupping my cheek. “You okay?”

“I don’t know… what the fuck happened?”

She looks a little sheepish. “I don’t know… we’re at Ray’s. Something went wrong with the deal. You were all drugged and taken. Ray lost her shit! They brought me here, and then she took off after you with two guys in an armoured truck, armed to the back teeth, decked out in all black balaclavas and gas masks and came back with you all unconscious. Shit, Dozer, I don’t know who that girl is, but I’m glad she’s on our side.”

“Dice and Steel? Are they okay?”

“Yeah, Dice has a small graze, but just the effects of whatever drugs they used.”

“Where’s Ray?”

“I don’t know. They dumped you all in the parking lot, unconscious, drove off up the back road, and came back later. Ray showered and left again and hasn’t been back since. That was yesterday.”

There’s a knock at the door, and Beauty tells them to come in. Bran and Steel step through the doors.

“Hey, you good?” Steel asks.

I nod. “You?” He nods, and we just stare at each other. “Do you remember anything?”

He just shakes his head. “You?”

“I vaguely remember some tear gas and three people dressed in black. I remember a woman laughing, and I… fuck, I don’t know?” I shake my head and scrub my eyes.

Beauty leans over, drops some pills in my hands, and gives me a glass of water.

“Apparently, we’re under house arrest here until my wife shows her face!” Steel says, glaring at Bran. “Apparently, we are to be babysat till she graces us with her presence.”

“Don’t get pissy! Think yourself lucky she trusts you enough not to kill you when she saw that video!” Bran spits at Steel.

“Video?” I frown at Steel, then glance at Beauty as all the colour runs from her face, and she starts to shake. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? What video?”

She climbs out of bed and over to her phone. She pulls up the video, holding the phone to her chest. “I love you, but I can’t hear that again. I’m going for a shower. Just wait till I’m out of the room before you play it.”

She tosses the phone on the bed, grabs the towel and her bag and walks out the door, not looking back.

Taking a deep breath, I press play. I watch, my stomach turns, and I close my eyes and shake my head before screaming out and throwing her phone across the room! My heart is racing. I can feel the bile in my throat. I feel sick, angry, and violated, but most of all, I feel guilty.

Steel picks up the phone and presses play. I keep my eyes scrunched up as I hear it all over again. When I look up, I see the sheer look of horror on his face and the rage that’s there.

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