Reaper (A Dark Assassins Novel Book Two)

by Valerie Ullmer

  His whispered name burst through her swollen mouth, and when he glanced at her, all his doubts and fears fled. The trust that shone from her eyes, knowing that he would protect her and love her, caused his breath to squeeze in his chest.

  He flipped her onto her back, and without glancing down, removed her jeans and her panties with one hard tug. He crawled up her body, brushing his hot skin against her coolness and cupped her face between both of his palms.

  “You are mine, forever, Ara. My mate, my soul, and the woman I love. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Reaper, yes,” Ara cried.

  “If you ever leave me, I’ll find you, beautiful. You are my life now.”

  She whimpered at his words and as he pulled her in for a kiss, his hand slid between their bodies. He ran his fingers across her plump lips, feeling her wetness saturate his fingers. She surged her hips up to bury his fingers deep inside her, but he didn’t want anything to fill her other than his cock.

  He positioned the head against her entrance, and when he felt her heavy pulse and the heat from her sex, he drove deep inside her and held.

  A growl slipped from his throat as her inner muscles squeezed him.

  Her legs wrapped around his waist as she reached to his shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss. Her hips surged several times, but he held still, trying to control his need for her.

  “Please, Reaper, move,” Ara begged.

  Wanting to give Ara everything, and needing her to find her pleasure, he cursed under his breath as he retreated a scant few inches.

  She moaned as the friction from his small movement overwhelmed her. Her body arched toward his, and he became mesmerized by the flush on her face and chest, the way her nipples peaked, and her swollen lips from his kisses.

  The desire that shone on her face drove him wild, and his hand opened on her hip, readying her for him. When he pressed her back onto the mattress, he plunged deep inside her.

  “Oh, fuck, yes,” she moaned.

  He chanted her name with each stroke, each lick of pleasure that traveled the length of his spine. Her legs clung to his hips, digging her heels into his ass, which only drove him deeper and deeper inside her. His mouth sought hers, and his tongue mimicked his cock, diving deep and tasting her as their bodies became slick with sweat. He broke their kiss and trailed his tongue over her neck, nipping the place where he’d marked her, and then lower. His teeth nibbled on her stiff nipples, drawing more sexy moans from deep in her throat.

  While the roughness and need for her overwhelmed his senses, making his movements almost violent, he found that he couldn’t slow his thrusts. Not that it mattered to Ara; she kept begging for more. Yes, he loved her, and he would never hurt her, but his thrusts were battering, and yet she loved every moment. Her entire body clenched around him, moaning and cursing as she sought her release.

  “Reaper, more, harder.”

  If he’d had any sense at that moment, he would’ve realized how far gone he already was. But her words encouraged him to pump harder and faster, and soon, he could feel the shiver that was the start of her orgasm. He drove deeper, growling as her body kept moving underneath his.

  “I’m going to mark you again, our mating mark. You will be mine, forever.”

  Her eyes widened at his statement, but a smile ghosted on her lips before she pulled him down for a scorching kiss. They were both breathless when she pulled back.

  “Yes, mark me. You’re mine, too,” she said.

  He sucked in a breath at her statement and the thought of being hers settled deep inside him.

  She distracted him from her statement when she tilted her neck toward him and brushed her hair behind her shoulder, offering herself to him.

  After close to a century alone, he’d found the one woman who made him whole. Without wasting one more second, he surged deep inside her; when her muscles clenched his cock and her hot, wet come washed over him, he found the exact spot he needed and bit down.

  He released venom into her bloodstream as his climax hit him, and he moaned his release against her skin. His release triggered another shiver of an orgasm for her, and she clutched him closer. Neither of them was eager to pull apart, but after several minutes, he pulled his teeth from her shoulder. Still holding her flush against him, he rolled to his back, and laid her head on his chest.

  He brushed her hair behind her ear, and glanced down to see his mark on her shoulder. Instead of the bright red puncture marks he had found the last time, the area where his two teeth pierced her were black, as though tattooed on her skin. Curious, he ran his finger over one of the marks, causing her to shiver against him.

  “Does it hurt?” he asked.

  “No, it’s…pleasurable,” she said.

  He smiled when he heard her sleepy voice. Pulling her tighter against his side, he kissed the top of her head.

  “Sleep, beautiful.”

  “Missed…you,” she mumbled before she fell asleep in his arms.

  Although elation at her words washed over him, rage grew as he realized how close evil had been to Ara.

  The bastard had shown her the lion-shifter’s death. Although the assassins were used to death in all forms, they were greatly affected by the video of a shifter ripping out his own throat. Tomorrow, he and the others would make plans to get ahead of this guy and eliminate him.

  The more his feelings grew for the beautiful woman in his arms, the more determined he became to slay all of her demons, real or not. With that final thought, he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ara

  The warmth that surrounded Ara made her smile as she blinked open her eyes and gazed out of the window to see the sun rising in the east. She shifted onto her back and groaned as her muscles clenched in protest at her movements. Glancing over to assure that Reaper hadn’t woken, she lowered the sheet to reveal her naked body. Her eyes widened as they took in the bruises that started to form on her hips, her thighs, and her forearms.

  The night before rushed back. After Reaper had claimed her with his bite, he’d woken her again and again to make love, and she’d lost count of the number of orgasms that he drew out of her. Her desire had grown each time he’d touched her. The ecstasy of his touch drove her to demand more from him. When he surrendered to her, gripping her tighter to him as he plunged inside, it thrilled her and soon had her coming apart in his arms.

  After he’d bitten her, he worried that he’d hurt her, but she reveled in the fact that he couldn’t control himself when they were together, and told him so. Instead of adding levity to the situation, his face hardened.

  “I want to know if I hurt you,” he demanded.

  She pulled him in for a kiss before she reassured him with complete honesty. “It doesn’t hurt. I love it when you lose control. To see your desire for me, and have you take me in the way you and I both want—well, I love it. I don’t want you to hold back with me.”

  “But you’re human. I could really hurt you,” he argued.

  Rolling her eyes, she pulled him in for a quick kiss.

  “Like you would ever hurt me.”

  Despite the warmth from Reaper sleeping peacefully beside her, her uncovered body began to shiver, and she quickly pulled up the sheet and cuddled against his side. The side of her neck tingled, a reminder of his words and promises from the night before. As she brushed her fingertips across the slight bumps, a buzz of satisfaction settled deep inside her. Desire flared in her again, but she ignored her reactions and settled for listening to his heartbeat and even breathing.

  As she lay there in the quiet of the early morning, she couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes as she remembered the details of Solomon’s death. Although the guilt of not being able to protect him would haunt her for the rest of her life, knowing the details of his death caused anger to lodge in her chest. She should have tried harder to save him, but her kidnapper had a direct hand in his death and the blame should be squarely placed on his shoulders. She under
stood that she couldn’t control anyone’s fate but her own and instead of the fear she felt the night before, she let anger wash over her.

  Fear and panic had led her to make the decision to leave Reaper after she received the note and the drive, but with the clarity of a new day, she was mortified to remember how she acted in front of Ghost and Liv. Although she should have waited for Reaper’s return and explained her reaction, she freaked out and shut down, giving Liv no choice but to sedate her. She hoped that she didn’t cause too much damage to the house, and if she did, she would find some way to fix it.

  But as much as she felt disappointment at her reaction in front of the others, she couldn’t bring herself to regret seeking comfort in Reaper’s arms as soon as she assured herself that he was safe.

  He pulled her from her dreams, the one where a group of men tortured Reaper because they enjoyed her distress, and when she touched his smooth skin and found him whole, everything faded in the background but her need to feel alive in his arms.

  The moment he claimed her, she knew that she didn’t possess the strength to leave him. Although she feared his death over any other scenario, even the one where she could be recaptured, she would fight anyone if they tried to harm him. She had to remember that she wasn’t defenseless. The best had trained her to survive, and she would, for him.

  “What are you thinking about?” Reaper asked, his voice still scratchy from sleep.

  Taking a deep breath, she told him every detail of what had transpired the night before, even the humiliating confession that she wanted to leave him for his own protection. She glossed over Solomon’s death as quickly as she could, before she mentioned the note.

  “What note?”

  Glancing around, she spotted the index card crumpled in the corner near the dresser. Groaning because of her sore muscles, she stumbled over to reach for the note and returned to the bed, handing it over to him.

  She braced herself for his anger, but the roar of outrage that bellowed through the room, and probably the house, had her jumping. His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the note in his hand, and she held her breath to see what his next reaction would be.

  The bedroom door was thrown open, taking her by surprise. Ara squeaked before she reached for a sheet to cover her nakedness. Once she had it tucked around her, she glanced at the doorway to see an alert Kai, scanning the room for danger. Reaper rose from the bed and tossed the note to Kai, who caught it and read it in a split second.

  “Shit,” Kai said. “Get dressed. Meeting in ten, downstairs.”

  “Kai, I’m sorry—”

  “Not your fault.” With those parting words, Kai was gone.

  Ara turned to Reaper as he walked toward the closet. Despite the looming presence of a threat, she felt her body respond to the sight of him. The muscles in his back and butt shifted as he walked, and she couldn’t pull her eyes away from him. She thought about wicked things that she wanted to do to him, mainly exploring him with her mouth and tongue, but his low growl brought her out of her thoughts.

  “I feel the same way, beautiful, but we need to get downstairs.” Reaper grabbed a pile of clothing and tucked them under his left arm.

  It took her a moment, but she blew out a breath and nodded. They were right to be concerned. This monster had tried to kill both of them, and he moved onto taunting. The threat had moved beyond his need to get her back; these were the acts of an insane man, and there was no telling what he was truly capable of.

  Reaper reached for her hand and walked them into the bathroom. He adjusted the shower to the right temperature, and jerked the sheet away from her. A smile quirked his mouth into a sexy grin, and she bit her lip to prevent herself from moaning at the sight.

  He took a moment to run his gaze over her, and she flushed when he noticed the newly formed bruises scattered around her lower body. But when his eyes traveled to his mark on her shoulder, his chest puffed out and his hands clenched at his sides. His eyes glittered with emotion that flashed by too fast to interpret. By the way his cock grew, his mark on her shoulder turned him on, and she blew out a breath of relief. She had been worried that he would worry over the bruises, while she reveled in the fact that it was Reaper who had left them on her skin.

  His head bowed before he took a deep breath, and when his gaze met hers, a fierceness had replaced lust. He moved both of them under the spray; she closed her eyes as he washed and conditioned her hair, taking his time scrubbing her body clean. She loved the feeling of his hands on her in any way she could get. When he rinsed, she reached for the loofa to return the favor, but he shook his head and cleaned himself.

  At the disappointed look on her face, he smiled and reached for a towel. When they were dry, he tossed her the clothes he pulled from the closet, and she put them on. Reaper tucked his fist under her chin and tipped her face up to his.

  “I need more than ten minutes to kiss your mouth, much less your body. When we have time alone, trust me, I will give you everything you need.”

  Her cheeks grew warm at his promise, but she nodded before she tucked her hand in his outstretched one and they headed downstairs.

  Although she knew that she had to face her actions, she found that her steps slowed the closer they moved to the voices in the living room. She glanced around as she searched for damage on the walls and the floors, but nothing was evident.

  Reaper tugged at her hand, bringing her attention back to him and the meeting they were headed to, and she blew out a breath of relief that she hadn’t destroyed Kai and Liv’s home.

  As they stepped into the room, she braced herself for the barrage of questions that were sure to come. Instead, she felt strong arms wrap around her and lift her off the floor in an all-encompassing hug. For the next several minutes, the assassins took their turns as they hugged and comforted her, having been filled in on the situation. When she was set down on her feet, she spotted Liv standing away from the group, worrying her lower lip. Ara walked over to her, about to apologize, when Liv pulled her in for a hug.

  “I shouldn’t have—”

  “No, I should have known it was coming and I overreacted. I’m sorry about the house—”

  “I’m glad that you decided to stay. I would miss you if you left.” Liv smiled at her.

  “Me too. Thank you,” Ara said.

  When Liv moved to Kai’s side, a smile on her face, Ara was relaxed enough to sit next to Reaper.

  “Ara, how did you move the entire mountain ridge?” Hunter asked.

  Despite knowing that she was able to move a house to defend herself, she had no clue what he was talking about. The confusion must have been evident on her face, because he laughed before he filled her in.

  “Some of the roads that lead to the house have been damaged, and there is a sinkhole about halfway up. The Department of Transportation thinks that the damage was caused by an earthquake, and because the seismic activity was confirmed by the USGS, they are set to make repairs today.”

  Her eyes closed and pinched the ridge of her nose.

  “Fuck.”

  She should have realized that they could hear her, and burrowed her face into her hand when laughter erupted.

  “Her powers are still unknown, and the fucker messed with her last night. It wasn’t an overreaction. We need to protect her until this man is dead,” Reaper said through clenched teeth.

  Ara squeezed his hand, and he relaxed his tense posture and sank back in his seat.

  “What did you find yesterday?” Ghost asked.

  Xander had filled Ghost in on the little information they unearthed on the shell corporations, and the dead man who had his past erased. The information made no sense to Ara, but when Xander continued, dread filled her.

  “I believe the man after Ara is related to the man who killed her parents. The problem is there is no official record of this man’s existence, but I found traces of a hack in the federal and state systems where he had ready access to birth, Social Security, and death informati
on. He has skills that are beyond anything I’ve seen. He erased Ara’s entire existence as well as the gunman he sent after her, which is damn near impossible. He left bits and pieces of information on the drug dealer, and somehow, he found out about immortals. Ghost, I’ve searched our systems and they haven’t been compromised, but you might want to check with your contacts. This guy discovered where we can be found and who we are without leaving a trace and we are unable to track him,” Xander said.

  The room grew quiet as they absorbed Xander’s words.

  She understood that they were trying to get ahead of this man, but he was never going to stop. Instead, they needed to be on offense. It was the only way to get ahead of him. A ridiculous plan developed in her mind as Xander spoke. Before she could bite her tongue, she blurted out her thoughts.

  “You can use me as bait. Drop me off somewhere where others wouldn’t be in danger, and then set a trap for him.”

  The silence that met her statement gave her hope that they might have been thinking about it, but all hell erupted and she sank back down in her seat.

  Reaper glared at her, and she caught Hunter and Xander shaking their heads, looking horrified that she even suggested it. Jade had tears in her eyes, and Liv had shot to her feet and started to pace. Seth shot Ara a worried look, shaking his head, and she realized what her statement must’ve done to him.

  Guilt swamped her as she moved her eyes around the room.

  Ghost, Ax, Kai, Kane, Gunnar, Thomas, and Isaac were silent, but anger radiated off them in waves. The voices grew louder until Ghost stood and shook his head. Everyone sat.

  “Reaper and Ara will stay in the room upstairs until this is resolved. Working in twos, we will take eight-hour shifts monitoring the perimeter from the central hub and making hourly perimeter runs. Seth, you’ll have to stay here. It’s a good thing that your classes don’t start for another month, but if this goes that far out, we will figure out another plan. Xander, keep searching for anything on this man. Fucking hack the most secured databases if you need to—just don’t leave a trace. Got it?”