Page 3 of Reaping Havoc
He blinked a few times. “Uh, sure.” A sneer stretched his lip.
Oh, attitude, huh? I hoped he was going to test me.
I got in his face, pushing close enough to back him into his sports car. For added fun, I let a little bit of my Reaper come through as I growled my words. “Don’t make me hunt you down or bring my entire club to your fucking doorstep.”
That did it. Amazing how quickly fear could dominate false bravado.
“Shit. Yeah, okay. I hear you.”
“We’re going to walk to my car, and you’re going to apologize to my woman. Right the fuck now.” I didn’t give him a chance to argue as I dragged him toward the Rover.
Nylah, already knowing her man and his wild, protective tendencies, rolled down her window. “Hi,” she greeted the guy. “You should be less involved with your phone when you’re in public.”
This stranger wasn’t some kid. He looked older than me, which meant he fucking knew better. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that.”
Nylah nodded. “I accept your apology.” She rolled her window back up, but I saw the corner of her mouth curl a tiny bit. It wasn’t that the situation was funny, just that she got amused when I let the Reaper out to play. Unless, of course, it was dangerous or deadly. Or I had to spill blood.
That didn’t happen often. Well, unless I got pissed.
I leaned forward, invading this fucker’s personal space. The Reaper growled the words that I spoke with venom. A warning he needed to obey. “Don’t make a habit of doing shit like this. If you do, I’ll find you.”
He bobbed his head and practically ran to his vehicle, hopping inside and speeding off like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. He wasn’t that far off.
It was at that moment that my gaze shifted around the parking lot, sensing something was off. Maybe it was the reason I felt antsy all morning. Across the street, standing on the sidewalk, stood a man dressed in jeans and a dark jacket. It wasn’t his clothing that stood out to me, but the skeletal makeup he wore on his face. The same I almost always wore.
Hell, I had it on right now.
The strange part was that he continued to stare, not moving as I opened my door and slid behind the wheel. Not much creeped me out, but this did. It wasn’t like people walked around wearing Day of the Dead-themed face paint outside of the holiday and Halloween. The fact that it was almost identical to what I wore sent a chill through me.
My Reaper sensed it too. I could feel his agitation.
As I drove away, I wondered who the fuck the stranger was, why he decided to be so obvious as he stood across the street, and how long he’d been there, watching.
I didn’t mention it to Nylah, and I didn’t think she noticed him. She had closed her eyes, resting her head back against the seat. It was a good thing.
If that motherfucker had spooked her, he would have met my Reaper. And I didn’t give a fuck if it was still daylight out either. No one messed with my woman.
Frowning, I hoped he didn’t decide to follow us. I didn’t want to park the car and kick his ass when I had my ol’ lady with me, since she was so close to our daughter’s birth. But I would.
The stranger never moved. He stayed in place, still watching, until I no longer saw him in my rearview mirror. It didn’t alleviate the unease spreading across my shoulders and tensing my muscles. If anything, it made it worse.
Chapter 2 Nylah
“Why the hell did we let them knock us up in the summer?” Cameron asked, fanning herself with a flat piece of cardboard as we sat on my front porch.
To be fair, it was unbearably hot. “We don’t have to stay out here. I have air conditioning,” I teased her, picking up the remote to switch the fan facing us to the highest setting.
“Nylah, that’s like blowing a furnace in my face. Ugh.” She rested against the cushions on my wicker furniture, propping her feet up.
We both had swollen ankles lately.
“More iced tea?” I suggested, already lowering my legs to help out my sister-in-law. Of course, she was the closest female companion I had other than my sister Mimi.
I heard a car door slam and glanced toward the street. “You’re just in time,” I hollered as I placed my feet back on a pillow, thrilled I wouldn’t have to walk around with fat ankles all day.
Mimi snorted as she walked up the porch steps. “Why the hell are you both suffering in this heat?”
I gestured to Cameron with my hand. “It’s her fault.”
