Page 136 of Reaper

“If anyone is sorry, it’s me. I told you, you wouldn’t ever be hurt again when you were with me, and you got hurt.”

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known he would attack.”

“Agree to disagree on that.” He squeezes me tight. “I’m just glad you're still here with me.”

“Me too.”

My eyes start to feel heavy, and my body begins to relax.

Then sleep overtakes me.

twenty-nine

Ever since we came home,Natalie hasn’t been sleeping well. She’s been restless unless I’m lying down with her, holding her.

When we opened that door, I didn’t know what to expect. She could have been tied down and violated. She could have not been there at all but instead she came out swinging.

Natalie probably doesn’t realize it yet, but she slashed Spider’s forearm with the knife. My knife that was in my desk that at some point she decided to start carrying on her. If Spider hadn’t raised his arm, she would have got him in the face.

My girl is a fucking fighter.

My phone vibrates, and very carefully, I get it out of my pocket.

Wrath: Are we still doing church in five minutes?

Me: Give me ten.

As soon as the message sends, I put my phone back in my pocket. Looking down at Natalie part of me is tempted to leave her sleeping, but I know if she wakes up and I’m not here, she will freak out.

“Baby,” I say softly as I kiss her forehead. “Time to wake up.”

Slowly she stirs and stretches against me. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Not that long. I only woke you up because I didn’t want you to wake up alone and I have to get to church and talk about what happened.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. We just haven’t had a chance to talk since shit went down the other day.”

Natalie gets these little creases on her forehead as she frowns. I can’t help but touch them with my thumb, trying to rub them away.

“What’s wrong?”

“A-are you guys going to decide what you’re going to do with me?” she asks, not looking at me.

I roll her over onto her back and pin her down with my body, making her look at me. “Do you think they want you gone? That I want you to leave?”

Natalie shrugs.

“Baby girl, we claimed each other. If you leave, then I leave. That’s it. Done deal. No take backs. Those guys out there respect that and don’t hold shit against you. Understood?”

“You still want me?”

Leaning down, I kiss her. “If I didn’t have a chapel full of guys waiting on me, I would show you just how much I want you.”

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