Page 95 of Reaper's Rival

“Can you stop looking at me like that?” Abby rolled her eyes and whacked my leg. “Pay attention to the road.”

“A boy.” I grinned at her. “We’re having a boy.”

She shook her head, her eyes widening at me like she was ready to tell me off. “Will you stop looking at me like that!”

“A boy, Abby.”

“Yes, I was there for the ultrasound as well.” She playfully smirked at me. “But you wouldn’t think that the way you keep repeating yourself.”

“Still. A fucking boy.”

She groaned. “Seriously, can you say anything else?”

“How about I love you? Can I say that?” I reached for her hand. “And how fucking happy I am that you are back with me.”

“If that is your way of saying you missed me, then I missed you too.” Abby leaned her head against the window. “I really don’t want to go back.”

“Why?”

“Because Dad will know about Blake, and I’m really not in the mood for a fight. I swear all my body needs is sleep.”

“I’ll handle your dad.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, because he is totally going to listen to you. No, he will want to question me personally and most likely in front of everyone.”

I didn’t like the way Abby thought that it was acceptable for her dad to yell at her in front of anyone. Like she was a member and deserved to be told off. Roach and her had fought more than talked the last few months, and I knew that would be hard on Abby. She loved her dad. Hell, look at what she had done to keep the old man alive.

Surely he wouldn’t be that hard on her.

“Well, I won’t leave you while you get your lecture.” I kissed the back of her hand.

“You would think by now I’d be used to it.”

“He doesn’t have all the facts. So he will be more questioning you than yelling.”

“It’s Dad. He speaks at one volume, and that is shouting.”

I pulled into the lot. “Maybe once he knows he is having a grandson, he won’t be as hard on you.”

“I’m glad it’s a boy. Hopefully he is nothing like me.”

“Abby!”

“What? I’m a terrible role model. Everything I start, I fail, and if I don’t fail at it, I screw it up. I’m basically a walking screw-up. You should be thankful it’s not a girl.”

“You aren’t a walking screw-up.”

“Reaper, I just spent months killing people on weekends.” She looked me in the eye, and what I saw in hers pulled on my heart. The regret was painted on it, but what was clearer was the emptiness. She looked hollow. The emotion and love that normally shone in her eyes wasn’t there.

“You normally call me Kade.” I hated it when she called me Reaper. I usually hated being called Kade, but from her lips, that’s all I wanted to hear.

She nodded her head. “Sorry. I should head in and get this over with Dad.” She pulled her hand away from me, opened the door, and got out.

How could I get Abby back to herself? I couldn’t make her love herself again. I didn’t know how to do that. But that emptiness that shone in her eyes. That scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know if it was possible to get her back.

She might be walking and talking, but she wasn’t my Abby.

How the hell did I get her back? She hasn’t mentioned giving the baby up again, but I didn’t know if I had completely talked her out of the idea. Especially not when she was saying crap like she was a walking screw-up and failed at everything.

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