Page 5 of Fear the Reaper
“War dog, remember?” Kujo rubbed Six’s head proudly.
“Right.” I carried the mug to Swede’s desk then ducked into the bathroom to rinse my mouth and wash my face. When I returned, Kujo was busy rolling a ball across the floor for Six to chase.
“Where’s Swede?” I asked, lifting my coffee to my lips. When the first drop touched my soul, I moaned.
Kujo laughed. “Headed home to see the wife and get a change of clothes. He found our guy. The two of you have to fly out the moment he returns.”
“Fly out?” I dragged my fingers through my hair but couldn’t get very far. It was a tangled mess. I groaned and sighed.
“He’ll explain all that to you when he gets back.”
Six returned the ball to Kujo who threw it again.
“In the meantime, you should shower and change.” Kujo said. “You look like death.”
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes. “That’s what every woman wants to hear first thing in the morning.”
Kujo laughed, a loud, masculine sound that had me fighting to hide my amusement. I took one final sip from the mug, set it on the desk and ascended the stairs to dig through the things Molly had sent over.
Nova “Star” Shuman
Welcome to Climax Saskatchewan.Population: 182
Lord, have mercy. I’d followed the pied piper to the edge of oblivion and there was no going back.
“Did that sign just say, Climax, Saskatchewan?” I asked, twisting in my seat as much as my seatbelt would allow.
Swede laughed. “Yeah. It’s not a joke. It’s the actual name of the town.”
“What is an American doing living in a town of a hundred and eighty people anyway? Is he running from the law?”
Swede shook his head. “No. He doesn’t really—you see? The Brotherhood, he’s a fan of. But the other ninety nine percent of the population, he can do without.”
I groaned. “Great. I’m being protected by the Grim Reaper.”
Swede laughed but I changed the subject to his life. I hadn’t really seen him since he and Allie got together. I her met a couple of times and I didn’t want to throat punch her.
That was a win in my book.
He drew to a stop outside what looked like a hardware store. I noticed the way his eyes took in the area. There was no denying he had military in him. I waited until he was satisfied before I unhooked my seatbelt and followed him in through the rickety door. When it clanged shut behind us, I must have jumped a foot in the air.
“Hey there,” a woman called, from our left. She must have been stocking the shelves when we entered. “How can I help you?”
“I’m wondering if you knew where I could find a friend of mine,” Swede said. “His name is Maverick Forge?”
“Who’s asking?” The woman’s back instantly went up.
Swede merely added his dazzling smile. “My name is Axel Svenson. This is my friend Nova Shuman. Look, if you think it’s safer for him, you can point me in the direction of a place to spend the night and let him come to me if he wants.”
She leaned a plump hip into the counter and tilted her head, eyeing both of us. “What you said your name was?”
“Axel Svenson—tell him Swede.”
“Aww-right.” She shifted to stare at me. “There’s a bed and breakfast just a mile up the road. They should have a room for you and the lady.”
Swede nodded and wrapped an arm around my hip to turn me for the door. It was as if he knew what I wanted to do—argue with the woman, try bribing her into telling us what we wanted. Instead, I bit my lip and went reluctantly.
“We could have gotten her to tell us,” I said.
