Page 38 of Fear the Reaper
“…everything will be recorded.” He was saying. “All you have to do is stick to the areas I laid out for you.”
“Um—I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” I admitted.
“Star, you really need to focus.” Reaper admonished.
“And you think I don’t know that?” I snapped. “However this ends, all you guys do is go back to your lives. You go back to Climax and I’m still left with a shit storm. Sure, it’s a shit storm of my making but it’s still fucking stinks. So, forgive me for being a little bit pre-occupied.”
“Settle down, Star,” Kujo said. “No one is saying you’re not taking this seriously. Reaper is worried about how this will end so cut him some slack.”
Reaper twisted in his seat and leveled a hard stare on me. “Listen, throw as big a tantrum as you want, right now. Get it out of your system. Because once this starts, there’s no way to stop it until it plays out. You can’t pump a break and there’s no turning back. I need you at one hundred percent. My job is to make sure you’re still breathing at the end of it. Right now, I don’t care if your house blew up or if your name is on some list. All those things can start mattering again once this is over—got that?”
I said nothing.
“Do you understand?” Reaper growled.
“Grim…” Swede warned.
But Reaper ignored his friend and kept his dark stare like a laser beam on my face.
I nodded.
Kujo and Swede remained silent until we dropped off Kujo so he and Six could be our backup. Reaper took over driving and continued to the illegal bar. Swede and Reaper took turns explaining everything to me. My heart raced inside me so painfully, I winced a few times. This wasn’t something I was used to. Reaper walked through it all as if it was a second skin to him.
His penchant for violence should worry me. A man who was so quick to passion and could play my body better than Jesse Kinch on his guitar could also become war ready at the drop of a dime. I couldn’t blame him, I suppose. Our country trained him to protect it and that required some cold blood pumping through his veins.
Swede gained entrance first. Once the door closed behind him, I waited a minute, straightened my clothes and leaned over to Reaper. “I know you’re mad at me,” I said. “But for now, could we just call a cease fire?”
He said nothing. Instead, he curled his fingers against the back of my neck and kissed me deeply. “When this is over, I’m going to have to teach you some manners.” His voice was soft, husky.
I trembled, kissed him and climbed from the SUV. There was no time to catch my breath as I stuck my borrowed clutch under my arm and made my way up to the door. Following the instructions I had been given, I was finally able to get in. The putrid smell of stale alcohol mixed with cigarettes threatened to bring up everything I’d ever eaten. The air was clouded with smoke, no doubt from all the cigarettes lit around the room.
The first thing I did was locate Swede. He winked at me and suddenly I was stronger and braver. I made my way over to the only empty seat at the bar. Before I could order a drink, someone was behind me. At first, I thought it was Swede, but he wouldn’t be drinking so much while on duty so he’d smell like a brewery. I fought not to look back and continued my order.
“I’ve never seen you around here before.”
I shifted on my chair and came face to face with Brian Stromwell. A part of me wanted to throat punch him. Another part wanted to run. “Listen, I’ve had a shit day. Either buy me a drink or go away.”
I showed my indifference to his presence by moving my attention to the bartender now placing a bottle before me. I handed him payment with a tip and drew the beer toward me.
“All right then,” Brian said. “What are you drinking next?”
“Shots.”
“My treat…”
I managed a wry smile. Time moved, slowly, but still the clock ticked silently away. Eventually, I managed to talk Brian into leaving with me. It seemed he hadn’t learned from the last two women who’d gotten him drunk and took him for all he had that they could find. As he pressed a palm to the small of my back, I threw up a little in my mouth. His fingers didn’t send fire through me. It wasn’t Reaper’s touch. No, Brian’s hands were small, insignificant, dirty.
I exchanged looks with Swede and the moment I saw him rise, I was somewhat comforted. We stepped out into the dimly lit lot and began leaning me toward his car. My heart raced faster, it throbbed violently, sending blood rushing through my veins and caused a pain to pulse behind my eyes.
Reaper, where are you?
“Hey buddy,” Swede called. “You got a cigarette I could bum off you?”
“No, I don’t smoke. Filthy habit.” Brian casted a dismissive hand at Swede while the one against my back became more insisted.
We went by Swede but were stopped again. This time, when I looked up, the reason for pause was easy enough to spot –Reaper and a gun against the back of Brian’s head. I knew then why the lady at the bed and breakfast in Climax hadn’t told us Reaper was there. For such a large man, Reaper moved like a very deadly ghost.
Silent.
