In fact he was downright fucking gutted as he took in the robust guy standing in the very middle of the room glowering at Reaper.
And his girl.His fucking girlbeing held up by the wall with her arms wrapped tightly around her middle, dried tear tracks on her cheeks and she was looking at him so emptily, he felt sick.
“So you finally fucking showed up.” Sargent spat out.
Reaper’s worst nightmare come true.
Andhis wifestaring at him like she didn’t know him all over again.
The invisible punch was felt in Reaper’s torso.
He’d known this day would come.
He’d just wanted to be better prepared.
Now it was too late.
The walls shrank in, suffocating him.
Time had run out and the great sense of urgency clanged through his mind.
His feet wanted to track across the floor and take Paige in his arms because she was upset and that could only mean this jackass had said something to her as always to break his daughter.
“What the fuck have you done, old man?” He cursed, eyes blazing.
His fury in full effect.
* * *
“What you should have done a long time ago, you lying piece of murderin’ shit.” Sargent stabbed his finger at Reaper.
Reaper. The name she’d known him as for four years.
It came back to her that he hadn’t wanted her to use his real name.
“You’ve fucking hurt her again!”
“Are we listing crimes, boys? ‘cause yours are so fuckin’ long.”
“Stop it,” she croaked. Then louder. “Stop it, both of you!”
Both sets of eyes came at her.
One hurt more than the other and she couldn’t look at him.
“I need you to go, dad. Right now. You had no right coming here, not with your heart full of hate. I don’t want it.” She didn’t give him chance to reply. “Just go.”
He sniffed; his face twisted in his usual intimidating scowl. “I have business in town. But mark my words, girl, this one will lie to you until the cows done come home and when he does you can getcha ass home where you belong. Where you’ve always belonged.”
She heard Reaper’s growl clear across the room. It rang bells in her ears, caused her already clutching heart to cinch all the tighter.
“So you can use her as you always did? Fuck you, old man. I’ll see you dead before you cause her any pain again.”
“Dad, go!” She said louder.
Holding on by a thread, her head buzzed.
It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t be.