Page 16 of Fear the Reaper
As I sat there, holding her shaking frame, I wondered how I could turn my back on dating, on intimacy. I guess it was easier than putting myself out there and getting hurt. Having my heart ripped from my chest wasn’t something I could handle again.
The time ticked by until she stopped shaking. But now, she was sleeping. I checked her pulse, counting the seconds between each beat then set her on the sofa and grabbed the first aid kit from where I’d dropped it. When I went back, I hiked her skirt up a little. Though it felt as if I was invading her privacy, I couldn’t let the cut stay the way it was.
Tenderly, I cleaned the wound to find it wasn’t a very deep cut but enough to require some attention. I gave it a good patting down with some antiseptic then covered it with a band aid. After pulling her skirt back in place, I covered her with a blanket I found draped over the back of the sofa. I then delved into cleaning up the mess we’d made in the kitchen.
My phone chirped.
“Yeah?” I dropped it between my head and ear.
“Reaper, it’s Montana. I see you checked into one of our houses. What’s going on?”
“Mother-fuckers blew up her house, man,” I growled. “Set the device under her corvette.”
“Shit. You two okay?”
“Yeah. There were a few listening devices in the house.” I reported. “They were shortwave ones. Nothing too expensive. They looked like something you’d put in a room to catch a cheating spouse or your babysitter doing the wrong thing.”
“So, what are you thinking? Pro?”
“The bomb certainly was.” I dumped the dirty napkin into a nearby garbage can and pushed out a puff of air. “The activated the timer after they were sure she was home. Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure. What you need?”
“Send me everything you can on Nova. And I do mean everything.” I washed my hands and dried them in my thighs. “And I know you’re short on man-power right now but if she has any family or friends, they need to have eyes on them.”
“There is one friend…Estelle. But you will have to take Star and get her. She doesn’t know any of us. And it’s not like we can knock on her door and be like,come with me if you want to live.”
I sighed. Taking Star back into the open wasn’t a good idea. “How close is she with Star?”
“Best friends.”
“I was afraid you’d say that. Okay. I’ll make plans to have her extracted.”
“Need back up?” Montana asked.
“Can you spare it?”
“Yeah. Molly said if you needed a hand she can help you out.”
“Molly?”
“Long story. But know she can handle this. Besides, she puts up with Kujo.”
“Say no more,” I said.
“I’ll send someone to sit on her place until you get there,” Montana said. “Where’s Star?”
“Resting right now. I’m assuming she’s exhausted after almost being blow up.”
“Okay, I’ll send Molly your way and she’ll be bringing gifts.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, Brother.”
“I’ll have Swede send you the info you asked for right now.”
“Thanks.”
With our talk done, I sighed. It seemed in my absence the Brotherhood went and grew up. The world moved on without me. Thinking I had been forgotten sent sadness through me. I wasn’t sure why. I’d given up on the world a long time ago. Still, it tore at my heart with everything that had happened in my absence.
