‘A big 4WD, or a utility, something you could go off road in and get dirty.’
‘I haven’t got time to go off road, unless it’s for work.’
‘But you have time for cruising around in a BMW?’
‘I got it on loan from the impound yard while my work car is at the panel beaters.’
‘What happened?’
‘A suspect in a homicide tried to make a break for it and rammed his motorcycle into the side of my car,’ he said as if it were as commonplace as putting the bin out.
‘Oh my God. You weren’t hurt were you?’ The thought of turning up to reap and finding Sam was to be my next client scared the hell out of me. But it could happen. He was a homicide detective. He came into contact with bad people all the time.
Sam flicked a glance my way, an amused set to his mouth, hazel eyes twinkling. ‘Do I look injured to you?’
He looked fantastic, is what he looked like. My heart hadn’t stopped racing from my first sight of him. I’d opened the front door at his knock and admired the way he filled out his dark blue jeans and long sleeved shirt. It was the first time I’d seen him dressed in anything other than a suit, and the casual look was a winner. As he applied the clutch and the brake, I could see his leg muscles tensing beneath the denim. He exuded an air of strength that made me feel safe and excited at the same time. I drew a shaky breath into my lungs, tearing my eyes away from his legs.
‘You okay?’
I forced myself to smile and gave a nod. This was just dinner out with a friend. Not a date. I couldn’t allow myself to forget that. I did not need any other complications in my life. Trying to keep Sam from finding out I was a reaper would be a major headache.
The car came to a stop and I looked out the windscreen. We were in the car park of a steakhouse. The caricature of a bucking bull adorning the saloon style wooden doors was also painted on the side of the building, along with a sign promising the best steak in town. A neon flashing bull stood next to the front doors, advertising a mechanical bull, waiting for adventurous diners.
Sam turned off the engine but made no move to exit the car, so I remained in my seat as well. He turned to face me and for once the confident and considering gaze was missing. His brow was furrowed as he looked at the flashing bull and then back to the black lace dress I was wearing.
‘Guess I should have worn jeans,’ I said with a wry smile. ‘I didn’t know where we were going, so I wasn’t sure what to wear.’
‘I can take you somewhere else if you like, but they really do have the best steak in town.’
‘Can’t wait to try it then.’ I unclipped my seat belt and opened the door. By the time I manoeuvred my way out of the car, careful not to let my thigh skimming hem rise too high, Sam was at my side. He locked the car and placed his hand at my waist, steering me towards the veranda that encircled half of the steakhouse.
With the warmth of his hand burning through the thin material of my dress, I had to keep reminding myself this was not a date. He leaned forward to open the door for me, the clean, male scent of him tantalising, making it harder to keep my distance.
That distance was tested even further when the wait staff ushered us to a table for two nestled in a corner, away from the noise and colour that centred round the mechanical bull. I had my back to the rest of the room, with nothing to distract myself from the man seated across from me. His knees brushed mine under the table as he took hold of my right hand.
‘I’ll just ask this once, and then I won’t bring it up again. How are you holding up?’
I sniffed back automatic tears and his grip on my hand tightened.
‘By a thread, I think. With everything that has happened in the past week, today was the worst. Saying goodbye to Sarah, knowing her parents hate me.’ I shook my head. ‘Honestly, it was easier to deal with Andrew trying to kill me.’
‘It’s tough, believe me I know. But the worst thing to do is shut yourself away and dwell on the bad things. You need to get back out in the world, have some fun.’
I managed a smile. ‘You don’t expect me to have a go on the bull, do you?’ I nodded over at the crowd of people whooping and yelling as someone tried their luck.
Sam’s even white teeth flashed as he grinned at me. ‘I think that would be too much fun, especially in a dress. You look beautiful, by the way. I like your hair down, although it would be nice if you stopped using it to hide from me.’
I gave him a rueful smile, caught ducking my head and hiding behind my long fringe. I lifted my chin and tucked my hair behind my ears. ‘Better?’
‘Much better. Nice to see some colour in your cheeks, too,’ he said in response to the blush sweeping over them at his intent stare.
A pretty young woman appeared beside the table. ‘Hi guys, I’m Maddie and I’ll be your waitress for this evening. Can I get you any drinks?’
I tugged my hand out of Sam’s, grateful for the interruption, and smiled at the waitress. ‘Can I get a glass of white wine, please? And some water.’
‘Sure. And what would you like?’ She turned to Sam, pen poised over her order pad.
I glanced around the room as Sam gave his order. Maddie handed us a menu each before heading to the bar. We spent a few moments in comfortable silence as we perused the menus. Every kind of steak imaginable was on offer. I decided on a fillet mignon with vegetables and mushroom sauce on the side.
When Maddie returned with our drinks I placed my order and listened as Sam ordered an entrée platter and a large prime rib.
‘Hungry?’
‘Starving, and I figured you’d help me with the platter. Trust me, when it hits the table you won’t be able to help yourself. But while we wait for it, you can tell me about this new cousin of yours.’
So I told him about coming home and finding Emily on my doorstep, voice catching as I thought about the reason I’d fled Chris’s penthouse. If Sam noticed my hesitation he didn’t mention it and I soon got caught up in my tale. His entrée arrived and Sam urged me to try one of the spicy chicken wings. It was delicious, and he didn’t have to try hard to convince me to taste some of the other selections on the platter.
Before I knew it the platter was gone, I was on my second glass of wine, while Sam still nursed his first beer, and our main meals were placed down in front of us. We both tucked into our food, and the conversation slowed as we ate. The noise in the rest of the steakhouse had risen as the patrons congregating around the bull continued to drink.
‘Is that safe? I’d have thought getting on a mechanical bull while drunk would be against occupational health and safety.’
Sam pointed at a dispenser on the wall near the front bar. ‘That thing spits out single use breathalyser units. They’re not terribly accurate, but the manager insists anyone who wants to ride the bull get tested first. Anyone over the legal driving limit can’t ride. Those that pass are made to sign an indemnity form, waiving their right to sue if they get injured. Doubt it would stand up in court, but it is enough to get them a licence to sell bull rides to idiots looking for a thrill.’
‘You’ve never had a go?’
‘That’s not the kind of adventure I’m interested in,’ he said, with an easy smile.
‘Of course, bull riding would be tame in comparison with catching bad guys. So, what kind of adventure does get your heart pumping?’
His smile vanished to be replaced with an ardent look that set my heart racing. ‘Sitting here with you and trying to pretend I don’t want this to be more than a night out to cheer up a friend.’
‘I …’ I shook my head, willing my heart beat to calm down, fighting the urge to leap across the table and into his arms. ‘I can’t go there, Sam. My life, it’s so far from normal I can’t even begin to think about dating.’
‘Fair enough. I get that your experiences with men haven’t been so great lately. I don’t know what went wrong with you and Bradbury, and I don’t want to know. But it’s clear he hurt you even more than that Miller guy did,
and I want to throttle him for that.’
My bottom lip wobbled at the compassion in his hazel eyes. ‘What, you’re not going to say I told you so?’
‘Tyler, no. I just wanted to let you know I’m not going anywhere. When you are ready, I hope you’ll give us a chance.’
I wished it were that simple. If I was just suffering from a broken heart, what better place to heal from it than in the arms of a man who truly cared about me? In all of this he had remained the same; a pillar of strength and honesty, and it was his honesty that forbade a relationship between us.
At the thought of disappointing him, watching as suspicion and secrets eroded his care for me, my heart really did break.
I pushed back my chair and stood. ‘I have to go to the bathroom.’
I spun around, nearly colliding with the waitress collecting plates from the patrons sitting at the next table. I murmured an apology and fled to the toilets, gazing at my haunted reflection in the mirror, wanting to smash it to pieces so I could no longer see the guilt and desperation building in my eyes.
A toilet flushed and a young woman emerged from one of the cubicles. She stood at the sink next to me and washed her hands. In the mirror, I could see her frown as she took in my frozen posture and the horror filled grimace on my face.
‘Are you okay?’
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her reflection, from the death’s head blotting out her features.
She was going to die.
7
I bolted out of the bathroom and scanned the restaurant, looking for the threat. Instead, I caught the reflections of more death’s heads. They were in the mirrored pictures lining the walls, the glass that lined the back wall in the bar, their owners oblivious to descending doom.
So many of them.
How was this possible?
The saloon doors in the entrance slammed open and a crowd of people surged inside, lurching, staggering, mottled faces on all of them. Two brandished knifes, one held a cricket bat, the other two unarmed but just as deadly as they launched themselves at the first person they came across.
Screams and shouts of shock rang out as the rest of the patrons realised what was happening. Some leapt to the rescue of those already under attack, but most of them surged towards the back of the steakhouse, desperate to get away from the horror that threatened them.
I struggled against the tide of panicked people, trying to force my way through. If I could get to the Wraiths I’d be able to reap their souls. I had to get to them before they killed someone.
Too late.
My necklace emitted a burst of cold so sharp it drove me to my knees. I struggled to stand, but the crush of people around me made it impossible. I fought to centre myself while legs jostled me from every direction. The cold in my necklace increased. I bit back a moan.
Someone landed on top of me, pushing me flat to the floor, arms out in front of me. The weight on my back increased. I struggled to get my hand underneath me, to reach my necklace. Only in astral form did I have a hope of getting near the Wraiths now.
My fingertips grazed a wing. I dug my nails in. I was sucked out of my body, hovering above the chaos. People were crammed into the area behind the mechanical bull, some holding bar stools and chairs in front of them. Others brandished steak knives. The Wraith with the cricket bat swung at them, but a tall man in a cowboy hat blocked him with a bar stool. Another Wraith was throwing anything she could get a hold of at the beleaguered patrons.
That lot were okay for now so I searched the rest of the room. Sam was wrestling with a Wraith, trying to get his assailant to drop a knife. I wanted to rush to his aid but our young waitress, Maddie, was trapped by the other knife wielding Wraith. Crouched behind the front counter, she held a stack of menus above her head to fend off the Wraith’s attempts to stab her. But he was twice her size and she wouldn’t be able to hold him off much longer.
I moved to help her, but was pulled up short. I still hadn’t collected the soul of whoever had died, the need to reap tethering me in place. I scanned the room, searching the scattered chairs and tables for my client. It wasn’t the large woman pinning my body to the floor. She struggled to her feet, eyes wild as she dived under a table.
I spun back around and spotted a man sprawled on the ground in front of the long wooden bar. A woman kneeled beside him, performing CPR. I flitted over to them and reaped the dead man’s soul, holding it in my hand as I launched myself at the Wraith trying to kill Maddie.
He never saw me coming. I had my hand wrapped around his neck, calling forth his soul, before he could react. His body crumbled to the ground and I waited to be hit with the penalty for an illegitimate reaping, but nothing happened.
I didn’t stop to wonder why. I still had four more Wraiths to deal with. And they had company. Two dark reapers floated throughout the main room, waiting for someone to die so they could pounce on their soul.
I focused on my necklace, trying to form a beam of aether like I had only hours earlier so I could take them out.
My necklace’s heartbeat remained dormant. Dammit. Why wasn’t it working?
I’d been furious, when I’d done it the first time. Maybe anger was the trigger.
But though I was angry, fear for the people fighting for their lives throughout the steakhouse overwhelmed it. It was up to me to save them. Screams came from the kitchen.
I pushed my astral form through the wall, arriving just as my necklace warned me I had another soul to reap. I had to take it before either of the dark reapers did.
A man with an apron wrapped around his middle was being held up by two young girls in waitress uniforms. A knife protruded from his chest. Three young men, also wearing the steakhouse logo on their shirts, held large pot lids up as shields. On the other side of the kitchen the Wraith was plucking knives from a knife block and throwing them at the teenagers. He saw me and took off through the swinging door that led back into the restaurant, a knife still gripped in his hand.
I reaped the soul of the chef and went after the Wraith.
He had the knife raised, ready to stab it into Sam’s unprotected back, both dark reapers hovering above him. Sam’s attention was still on the Wraith in front of him. He had no idea about the threat behind him and I was too far away to get to him in time.
‘Sam, behind you.’ I put everything into my shout, my astral form sagging to the ground as I used up a considerable amount of psychic energy, desperate to make myself heard.
Sam spun around, dodging the blade aimed at him and kicking out with one leg. The Wraith went down, knife falling from his hand. Sam threw himself backwards as the first Wraith tried to take advantage of the distraction. He swung his knife at Sam, narrowly missing him.
I reaped the Wraith’s soul and the empty body collapsed to the ground. I turned to take care of the other Wraith. He took one look at me and pulled out of the body before I could move. Twin thuds sounded as the Wraiths over by the mechanical bull did the same and a collective gasp swept through the steakhouse as the survivors realised their nightmare was over.
I put the souls I had taken into my necklace and was swept into my body, shuddering as the penalty for reaping two illegitimate souls hit.
8
I rolled into a ball, riding the wave of ecstasy that swept over me. Intense pleasure wiped out thought and left me a quivering mess. Seconds later agony took its place as fire lashed my body over and over again.
I could hear Sam’s voice, but couldn’t understand the words. I could feel his hands on me as he tried to roll me over. Unable to move or respond, my muscles had constricted, holding me in place while every nerve ending I possessed screamed. After what felt like an eternity of torment, the pain ended abruptly, leaving me shaking and twitching, nerves taking a stuttering step towards life.
‘Tyler, can you hear me?’ Sam’s concerned voice, panic beneath the husky surface, broke through the memory of pain.
I groaned and unwound my limbs, blinking blearily into Sam
’s worried eyes.
‘Hey,’ I said, voice croaky. I struggled to sit up, but his hands on my shoulders pressed me back down.
‘Lie still, I need to find out where you’re hurt.’ He gently probed my body, searching for injuries.
I brushed his hands aside. ‘It’s okay. I’m okay. I just need a drink of water.’
This time he let me rise, hazel eyes cautious as he scanned my face. ‘You can’t be okay. I was right here, Tyler. You were in agony.’
‘Someone fell on me. I’m just winded, that’s all.’
‘Winded?’
I nodded, dropping my eyes as he continued to stare at me. He helped me to my feet and I looked around the ransacked steakhouse. Bodies littered the floor, not just the ones the Wraiths had hijacked. Apart from the man whose soul I had reaped, there were three more bodies, four with the chef in the kitchen.
Three souls taken by the dark reapers. So many innocent people dead. Madness. Sheer madness.
Sam gripped my shoulders and turned me around to face him. With one hand he tipped up my chin. ‘Look at me.’
I fought to keep my gaze steady.
‘I heard you, you warned me, and I swear your voice came from behind me. But you were over here. How is that possible?’
I met his searching eyes, cursing the need to lie to him. ‘It wasn’t me, couldn’t have been. Like you said, I was over here.’
‘And the people who did this,’ he pointed at the bodies, ‘I’m guessing you don’t know anything about them, right?’
‘How could I?’
Outside, sirens blared, and a small army of uniformed police officers and paramedics swarmed inside the steakhouse. But Sam did not take his eyes off mine.
‘They look like Sarah did, after her miraculous return from the dead. Same as the drug addict from the service station last week, and a man who killed his ex-wife and her new husband earlier today.’
‘I don’t know what to tell you, Sam.’ The truth felt like lies on my lips, but what else could I say?
Winged Reaper Page 4
