“Got jumped leaving the mall.” Snake began then added, “Two fuckers. Killed one.”
“Remi doesn’t like blood Reaper. It got all over her. I didn’t mean to scare her, but he was holdin’ her pretty tight.” Shamrock quickly added when Snake interrupted, “Saved the other fucker for you. He’s in the basement.”
“Honestly, I didn’t mean to scare her,” Shamrock said remorsefully. “She was havin’ a perfect time, bought a lot of girly stuff. Then out of nowhere, these two Russian fellers grabbed her. She looked so scared. I couldn’t help it. I had to save her.”
I wanted to rip into Shamrock and Snake for allowing Remi to even be in that kind of situation. It was their job to make sure she was safe. But shit happened, and Shamrock looked as if someone killed his puppy. The way he was standing and looking at me, I wanted to groan. He was a grown-ass man on the verge of tears because some five-foot-three petite woman just ripped him a new asshole.
I really didn’t have time for this shit. I needed to check on Remi and then go see the fucker in the basement. Ignoring Shamrock and Snake, I headed upstairs and entered my room to hear the shower running. Sitting on the bed, I picked up the shirt she was wearing, and true enough, it was covered in blood.
I was thankful it wasn’t hers and pissed as hell that she’d been so close to being nabbed again. The anger in me started boiling. I could feel the rage as it streamed through my veins.
It was never going to end.
None of it.
No matter what I did, who I killed, there would always be some fucker out there, trying to hurt or take what didn’t belong to them, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It didn’t matter who the person was, who they belonged to, what color they were, rich, poor, nothing. Everyone had a price tag, more so than others. The foul stench of depravity ran deep in some, and the urge to expand was too great. Nothing was going to stop them from getting what they craved, just like nothing was going to stop me from doing everything I could to hinder, disrupt or kill them.
Those fuckers have fucked with the wrong woman. I may not have truly claimed Remi, but she was mine. Mine!
“Reaper?” Her soft voice infiltrated my mind.
Sighing, I whispered, still holding the blood-soaked shirt in my hands, “Don’t call me that.”
“Why not?” she said, sitting next to me on the bed wrapped in a towel, her hair still damp from the shower. “Everyone calls you Reaper.”
“Not you. Never you.”
“Okay,” she smiled. “Max.”
She was so close. She smelled like vanilla and cherries. She was mouthwatering. I couldn’t help myself. The thought of losing her, never touching her, kissing her, holding her again was too much. I had to have just one taste. A reminder. That no matter what, regardless of the outcome, I had this one perfect moment to remember.
Wrapping my arms around her, I lifted her up until she was straddling my lap. The towel she was wearing, tight against her tits, pushed them over the towel, peaking at me, begging me to kiss them.
I couldn’t stop.
Didn’t want to.
Holding her head in my hands, I crashed my lips down on hers, tasting her forbidden fruit. The lusciousness of her plump lips burst in my mouth, making me hungry for more. She was perfect in every way. She was soft, demure, sexy, fierce, strong, a survivor. She was everything I could ever dream about and more. And I wanted her, all of her. Every hug, every tear, every laugh…I wanted it all.
I needed her like I needed air. I needed her goodness to balance my darkness. I could breathe around her. She calmed my demon. She was all light and pure. I was the shit everyone avoided.
My body wrapped around hers, consuming her as my lips crushed hers. God, she was innocent and sinful all at the same time.
NINE
REMI
Max was kissing me!
How had I gotten here?
Okay, I know how I got here, but still.
When I came out of the shower, he looked so defeated, lost, and alone. He broke my heart. I hated seeing him this way. I wanted to comfort him, but lately, he’d been distant, too busy to spend time with me. I understood. I really did. He had a club to run, business to tend to. He didn’t have time for a needy girl who wanted to be around him.
It was more than that, I wanted more, but I didn’t know how to ask for it. Contrary to everyone’s beliefs, I knew what I wanted. Yes, I wanted to be safe, but mainly, I wanted Max. I wanted everything he could give me. There wasn’t a day since Max and I went our separate ways fifteen years ago that I haven’t thought about him, wished I were with him. And given a chance, I did what I had to, to get to him. Now that I was here, I was never leaving.
I just needed Max to see me and not the small girl he remembered.