Page 3 of Reaper's Rival

I was far past caring.

“I’m not going to crumble.” I glared at the side window. “We’ve all got our demons, and I’m telling you mine aren’t getting in the way of this job or the next.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear.”

We started moving through the traffic heading home. Kim and I lived with Damon, Eric, and Matthews. It was a big, newly-built, double-story house on the edge of town. It never felt like home, but a lot of things didn’t feel like they should.

***

“So when are you going to get the ink, Abby?” Damon locked the car, and we both walked across the lawn to the house.

He was always on about when I was getting the Hellbound tattoo on me. Kim and I both didn’t wear the mark yet.

It had already been three months, and I knew it would take something—something big—to push me to get it.

“When the time is right,” I muttered, and the security light flicked on as we approached.

“You know Blake keeps asking.”

“Blake doesn’t trust us.”

“Never said that.”

“Well, if he can do a better job running the gang from prison, we should let him.”

Damon smirked. “We?”

“I was talking about Kim and me.” I watched him unlock the door.

“No, you weren’t.”

“Well, we are a team, aren’t we?”

His hand froze on the door, and he cocked a look my way. “We’re a whole lot more than a fucking team. We’re family.”

“Pity.” I suppressed my grin. “Here I was just thinking about fucking you. Can’t fuck family though.” I patted him on the back and pushed the door open, leaving him standing at the front door, speechless.

Sometimes I just can’t help myself.

***

It was one of those nights. I couldn’t sleep. Lying on the bed, with the blankets pulled back, staring up at the ceiling, I was only thinking of one person. Reaper. My fingers traced my stomach as I thought about his touch, his laugh, and the way his eyes would always shine with protectiveness when he looked at me.

I missed him.

I missed us.

Sometimes I would miss the club: the smell, the men, and Dad. I missed the good times, the laughter, and the way time felt like we had forever in front of us. Now, time was ticking, and it was going faster.

Each day I found myself a little deeper into something that I didn’t fully understand and didn’t fully get. I was being pulled under, and I was losing who I was.

Hell, I had lost her the day Reaper rode out.

I rolled to my side and reached for my phone; it was still the early hours of the morning. I couldn’t get any sleep. Not when I was being haunted by memories.

I wonder what he was doing this very moment. Was he asleep? Was he with someone else? Was he even in this state?

I knew one day I was going to have to let go of him. Didn’t mean I wanted to.

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