Page 32 of Reaper's Hunt

“I can either leave him with you or take him with me. If I leave him at home, he’s going to find something to break, possibly a person. Or, you can have him.”

Ronan shakes his head furiously, grabbing another glass to wipe off. “Yeah, fuck that. He terrifies my customers. Go check on your girl.”

“Our girl,” Malik corrects as he slides off the stool and heads toward the entrance. I just nod, not wanting to get into that. There’s no doubt in my mind that Ronan is going to end up being a regular in her bed. It might take a little more time because he’s an actual gentleman when it comes to women, but it’s going to happen, nonetheless.

The ride to Selene’s house is silent but the moment we pull into the apartment complex’s parking lot, Malik is out the door. I was going to tell him to stay in the fucking car but I can see now that he needs to see she’s okay. Rushing up the stairs, I get there just in enough time to keep him from knocking and press a hand to his chest, ready to berate him.

“If Harley hurt my sparrow…”

“Back off, Malik,” I growl, pushing him a step away from Selene’s door. “Harley’s a police officer. We don’t hurt them, we don’t taunt them, we don’t torture them.” He tries to struggle forward so I roughly grab his chin and pull him close, our lips a breath apart, his breath hot against my face. “Listen to me, babe. Harley’s not the target, today or ever. Selene’s the one you protect, your pretty sparrow, right? All I want is for you to protect her. I’ve got Harley.”

His eyes soften as he nods, the angelic expression on his face weirding me out. “I can do that. I’ll always protect her.”

I press a soft kiss to his lips. “I know you will, babe.” Releasing him, I pull my lockpick from my pocket and work the door, the tumblers clicking as Malik hovers beside me. When the door swings open, I see Selene, pressed against the wall, her robe loose around her shoulders, Harley looming over her as he shouts in her face.

It takes him a few minutes to realize her attention has shifted and then he turns, spotting me and Malik. “Why the fuck would you call him?”

“Because you wouldn’t leave,” I say, stepping inside and shutting the door behind me after Malik pushes past. “And I’m the only other person you listen to.”

Selene’s eyes dart between me and Malik, my woman trying to understand why I’m as calm as I am. When I offer her a small smile, it’s like she just understands that I know. I’m not sure how but her eyes widen with the realization. Malik moves toward them and pulls Selene away from the wall. He drags her into the kitchen, a snarl on his pretty lips before he cradles Selene’s cheek in his hand. “I got you, Sparrow,” he murmurs. “He can’t hurt you.”

And now she knows that connection too.

She throws me a murderous look but that’s the least of my problems.

Harley growls in frustration as I step up to him. “She didn’t need to fucking call you,” he slurs, his breath reeking of bourbon. “I was just asking questions, because things don’t make sense.”

“And cornering her while you’re drunk is the way to do it? Harley, you’ve been trying to get in her pants since you split, but that doesn’t give you the right to be an asshole.”

He swings at me, a sloppy punch aimed at my jaw, and I easily dodge, grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back. “Well, this is going to be fun.” I shove him toward the couch, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to sit him down, but he’s already struggling, his cop instincts kicking in despite the booze.

Malik

Standinginthekitchen,I tighten my grip on Selene’s waist, my heart racing because she’s not pulling away, her warmth seeping into me like a drug. My sparrow, my obsession is right here, pressed against me, the scent of fresh coconut filling my nose from her shower. I press a soft kiss to her head, unable to resist even as she tenses against me. Fuck, I messed up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask,” I murmur. “Dante does that to calm me.”

She frowns, her eyes flicking to the living room where Dante and Harley are brawling, a lamp crashing to the floor. They’re fighting like schoolboys over a girl but we all know who’s going to win. It’s taking all my strength not to step in between them and give Harley a piece of my mind. However, Dante said I couldn’t do that and if Selene goes…

No, no. She can’t go either.

“Let them do that. It’s been brewing for a while.”

Selene cracks a smile just as Harley’s drunken voice cuts through the moment. “I knew you were fucking sleeping with her! What happened to bro code?”

Dante laughs as he dodges a swing. He’s definitely taunting Harley and I absolutely love watching. “Harley, our parents got married, but we’re adults here. What I do with my cock is no business of yours.”

There’s more scuffling, the coffee table scraping across the carpet, and something else crashing before Selene pulls away from me. I turn my attention back to her as she hops up onto the counter, her legs dangling over the side. “You both know, don’t you?” She doesn’t let me answer, already knowing the truth before I say anything. “Why the fuck did Dante never say anything?”

I shrug. “Probably for the same reason I didn’t. To protect you.”

She scoffs, a bitter edge to her words. “You taunted me with my fucking hammer.”

“I wanted you to think about me,” I purr, stepping closer, my eyes locked on hers. “And you did, didn’t you?”

“This is all really fucked up, and now my ex and his brother are fighting in my goddamn living room while there’s a…” She trails off, her eyes darting to the side, and I follow her gaze, my grin widening at the beautiful treasure she retrieved from this evening.

I reach around her and pull the banana jar from the counter, the heart inside swirling in preservative, a dark, beautiful lump with tendrils floating around it. “I’ve always wondered what you did with them,” I say, holding it up so that the kitchen light illuminates the organ inside. “Never imagined it would be so fucking beautiful.”

Terror is the main emotion in her expression but there’s a hint of intrigue and desire. I take my chances as I step closer, slowly parting her knees before setting the jar back onto the counter and pushing it back so that it can’t be seen. Then I reach up to run my thumb across the cut on her cheek, her lips parting despite the chaos in the living room. “Your craftsmanship is everything, Sparrow, but after this evening, I can’t stop thinking about the way you bleed.”

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