Page 32 of Reaper's Rival

“And I’m fucking telling you I want those cars cleaned and rebirthed by the time I get back. Why the fuck they are still in the shed to begin with has me wanting to smash heads. And I fucking mean it. I want them gone tonight.” Dad hung up his phone with the rage of a raging bull and stormed down the hallway.

I had only reminded him that it was after midnight a million times. That we didn’t have the right to be visiting, so the least he could do was keep quiet. But this was Dad.

Might as well be talking to a brick wall; it would at least be about as red as Dad.

“Where is she?” He stormed out of the lift.

“Just follow me.”

For once, he did as he was told.

“Now don’t just go storming in there, I’ve been reading all about vibes and energy, and we need to be giving off positive energy.” I paused at her door before holding it open for him.

I was expecting him to storm in and start demanding Abby to wake up. Instead, he was frozen in the doorway for a moment before he took one large step in.

Then I felt the energy shift.

As if the temperature in the room dropped. I watched Dad swallow sharply before dropping down into the chair beside her bed.

“It’s one thing hearing about it but another… seeing it.” His words were thick with emotion as he placed his large hand over her small one.

“She’s recovering as expected from surgery.”

“She’s still not awake though, is she?” He twisted in his seat to look at me.

“She’s not dead either.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just got to give her some time and maybe she will come around. Her body has been through a lot. The doctors are positive, and we have to take that into account.”

“Still wasn’t how I was expecting my first grandchild.”

“Come on, admit it. You were never expecting them because you never wanted Abby or me to find a bloke.”

“Wasn’t meant to happen like this.”

“What do you want me to say, Dad? That everything is going to be fine? Because I don’t have a fucking clue. All I know is Abby only has us, and we can’t give up on her or the baby.”

Dad getting out was meant to take the pressure off me. But instead he was just applying more pressure, and it wasn’t helping me. Didn’t he get it that I was just as worried about Abby as he was? That I had just as many questions as he did?

The room went silent, and I felt bad for snapping at him. I knew he was under pressure too, from the club, from the family, and from himself.

Still, I felt selfish.

“Reaper gets out tomorrow, maybe that will help.” I broke the silence.

“Just because he is out doesn’t mean she is magically going to wake up.”

“Be romantic if she did.”

And when it came down to it, all we had was hope maybe Reaper being here would be the difference needed for Abby to wake up.

Abby

They say in the darkest times, you can always find the light. That hope always came through. That the truth will kill any lie and that love will always be strong enough to pull you from the deepest of depths.

“Reaper, I didn’t come all this way with fucking sandwiches for you to not eat them.” Kim’s voice was demanding.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Would you fucking stop being a child and eat something that hasn’t come out of the vending machine? I came all this way, stopped what I was fucking doing, and made you sandwiches. So now the least you can motherfucking do is eat them.”

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