by M. G Rayne
Following the blonde, I notice she has your typical girl next door vibe, with a willingness to do right. My usual type. Normally my brain would be running away with me and I would be thinking of all the different ways I could have her on my cock. She’d be begging for forgiveness but there’s nothing, not a damn thing. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Doesn’t that type get your motor running anymore, brother?”
“Piss off, Marcus,” I mumble so only he can hear.
Oh, look at his lordship himself, sitting at a six-chair table at the far end of the restaurant out of view. Wow, he really thinks he is the shit. How this bozo can think he is better than anyone confuses the life out of me. He’s a street kid, just like we were. We grew up together. He was as close to me as my brothers. Now we can't be in the same area as each other without it turning into bloodshed.
“Aaaah, Kane. Please, sit down.” Is it too extreme if I pluck my fingernails out with pliers?
“Cut the bullshit. You and I both know that voice is a load of shit.”
“I can see your attitude hasn’t gotten any better.” He smirks. The bastard does not stand to show some respect.
“No shit, Sherlock. Why would it, to a bottom feeder like you?” Nah I should pluck his nails out. That thought alone brings a sadistic smile to my face which makes him very nervous. I can see the sheen of sweat start to build on his hairline. What did he expect, me to come here and ask him nicely why he torched our property?
“No need to be a sarcastic asshole, Kane. We were close once.”
“Yeah, we were, then you threw it all away for some gash and power. It's either Southbourne or Soulless to you.”
“Now, what the fuck do you want, Grimm?”
Spotting Marcus stepping closer, I side eye him and with a slight tip of my head I give him the signal to tap the button on the device in his jeans pocket. We both clearly have the same thought. This is going to go up shit’s creek real fast.
“Word on the street is you guys have bought a new fighter?” Goddammit.
“Maybe we have. Maybe we haven’t. What’s it to you?”
“Don’t insult my intelligence, Southbourne. We know you bought The Reaper.” Kill him and end his life right now. Pull your knife and do it.
“So what if we have, Grimm? She belongs to us. She is our fighter.” I keep my facial expression as cold as possible. I can’t let any emotions slip through or he will take full advantage.
“Me and a few other heads are having a little competition in 3 months and we want your fighter on the card.” Shit. I can’t believe he is suggesting what I think he is suggesting.
“You mean the Battle Royale?”
“Damn right I do. Her reputation is famous. She's a ruthless fighter. We want her in it.”
Has he been snorting shit? Honestly, why the hell is he asking this? It’s a deathmatch and the last woman that was invited to one of these events, she was torn to pieces in the first match up.
“What are the stakes?” Marcus growls at the side of me. I know he and Reika have formed a friendship of sorts.
“Well, I'm surprised that it hasn't taken as long as I thought it would to catch your interest.”
“You haven’t, Grimm. Curiosity at its best. Why do you want her on the card? Be honest.” There's another reason why he wants her. Let’s see if he has the balls to admit it.
“Let’s just say a few of the fighters have a score to settle with her.” His eyes are shining in delight.
“So, you want me to send her in to be slaughtered?” I’m a sick fuck at the best of times, but Jesus, this isn’t a competition. This isn’t a game. This is for sport.
“She won’t be slaughtered, if she survives.”
“There is a reason why you don’t have female fighters, Grimm. It’s suicide for them.”
“Ah, you don’t have faith in the girl I see.” What the hell is he grinning for.
“I do have faith in her skills but I am not lining her up for your slaughter.”
Spinning on my heels, I start to walk out of the restaurant with Marcus behind me.
Deep rumbling laughter follows us.
“C’mon, Southbourne, stay for a drink. Let’s discuss this like adults.”
“It is a damn shame she won’t be on the card but if you don’t agree, that's fine.”
Reika.
A fifteen-minute walk to the store normally, has taken me double the amount of time. My emotions are still at war with themselves. On one hand what went down with me and Kane was amazing, and I want to jump his bones again as the knobhead gets under my skin and rattles my insides. On the other hand, I have never wanted to punch someone so much in my life.
God, can’t this shit just piss off for a little while and let me chill out? All I want to do is watch shit TV and eat crap. If I pray, do you think god will give me a break from running into his stupid ass? Yeah, right. God has never been on my side. I walk through the lot at the store.
“Hey, yo.”
“Yo! Reaper, we want to talk.”
“You got me mixed up with someone else.” They’re little boys, Reika. Be nice.
My back hits the side of a parked Lexus. What the fuck? The guy who was shouting has his arm under my chin. Breathe.
“Wow, he never said you were this fine.” What the hell is this idiot on about?
“Dude, I don’t know who the fuck you are so just piss off.” He leans in and runs his nose up the side of my face.
“You smell goooood.” This twat sniffed me like a dog.
“De’Marco wants a word with you, Reaper.”
“Who the fuck is that? I don't know what you're going on about?”
“Come on.”
Limp dick starts dragging me toward the blacked-out van he and his boys were standing against. How the hell didn’t I notice a kidnapper van before. What the fuck?
“Roan, tie her hands and legs you fucking idiot.” One of the others says to limp dick.
“Nah, man. De’Marco is wrong. You boys think he will let me play with her?”
My vision blacks out. Muffled screams come through to my ears but it’s not a normal sound. It’s like it is being filtered through cotton wool.
Everything comes back all at once, like a veil has lifted. The sight that meets me is horrific.
There. Are. Bodies. Everywhere.
Kane.
One of Grimms' guys comes flying through the door. Whispering something into his ear. The color drains from his face. What’s caused a reaction like that? I look at Marcus and give him the thumbs up. He knows what I'm wanting, so he excuses himself.
“Trouble in paradise, Grimm?”
“Fuck you, Southbourne.” Something has definitely happened, his hands are shaking, knuckles white. I clear my throat to catch his attention.
“What’s the issue? I've told you she will not be doing the Royale. So if that's all you wanted to talk about, then that’s fine.”
“But make no mistake, Grimm. If you or your boys come at us again like they did, I will gut you like a pig.”
Standing up, I make my way out of the restaurant. Grim hasn't said anything about me leaving. Where the fuck is Marcus? My fingers grip the doorknob.
“After the shit today, Southbourne, The Reaper is in the Royale.”
I step out onto the sidewalk and spot Marcus propped against the SUV.
“Thought you gave up on that shit.” I haven't seen my brother with a smoke in his hand in years.
“I did, but after the talk I just had with Liam I need it.” What is going on around here?
“It’s bad, Kane. Very bad. Grimm will want her head for this.” Without another word he climbs into the driver's side and waits. Grimm’s reaction and parting words send unease into my veins. What the fuck happened?
In no time at all we screech to a stop outside HQ. The crew members are everywhere. Some wear expressions of fear while others look sick to their stomachs. Marcus hasn’t said a word to me on the drive back.
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” I roar from the side of the car. Liam comes striding out covered in blood. Shit! What has he done now?
“Before you ask, I ain't done a damn thing.” His movements are choppy, I have never seen him this agitated before.
“Where the hell is she, Liam?” Marcus asks in a cautious tone. Ok, I am definitely missing something here. Liam nods his head in the direction he has just appeared from. Marcus takes off like a bat out of hell. Liam’s arm shoots out to halt me in my tracks.
“You really don’t want to go in there, brother,” he says shaking his head.
“Why the hell not? You gonna tell me what happened?” If someone hurt pretty bird, I will tear their soul from their bodies.
Unable to move, I can’t believe what I am hearing. One of the boys was walking past the store and saw Reika being attacked, or so he thought. My brain can’t process anything Liam is saying. Repeating over again in my head are the last words he said.
She practically tore them to pieces with some type of hunting knife. It was a bloodbath.
Chapter Eleven
Reika
What have I done? Rocking back and forth, there are screams in my head. Why can’t I remember anything? It's been years since I've had a blackout. A broken sob escapes as the door opens. Why can’t they leave me alone?
“Hellion?” Marcus. Some of the tension leaves my body. But it isn’t enough, the voices have started again.
Worthless. You aren’t good for anything.
Broken. Who would want something as damaged as you?
Useless. You couldn’t save them. What makes you think you can save Mel?
Death. You bring death to everything you care about.
Monster.
I desperately try to shut my mind down. I can’t do this. It’s true, what they are telling me is right. “I am a Monster.” Broken screams come from somewhere in the room. Whoever it is best piss off.
“Hellion, it’s ok. I’m here.” He pulls me into a hug. I realize the noises are mine.
I can’t speak. Even though Marcus is holding me trying to comfort me, I can’t. If I see the look in his eyes that everyone else has, I can't bear it.
You let them die.
“Reika, talk to me.”
“I, I, I killed them, Marcus.” I start sobbing uncontrollably. I can't get enough oxygen into my lungs. I can’t breathe.
“Hellion. Breathe for me. You're safe. I won’t judge.” He will judge me when he knows.
“They tried to take me. Something about someone wanting me.”
“Who? What was their name?” How should I know? I can’t remember much.
“I’m not sure.” I think back. It’s like my memories are fuzzy, like they are fading.
I can hear my thoughts through a filter.
“D, the name starts with D.”
“Is that all you remember?”
“Look at me, Marcus. I look like I've taken a bath in blood.” Looking at myself, my stomach turns. How can he stand to touch me?
“Tell me everything you remember.”
He releases me from the bone crushing hug. Which allows me to shift my ass so I'm in a more comfortable position. Then I dive into telling him what I remember.
Marcus
All I can do is stare at her. Hearing what happened outside the store, fucking De’Marco, it had to be his goons. Looking down at Reika, I can’t understand how she has survived the bits she has just told me. The voices in her head telling her she’s a monster. Telling her she couldn’t save them. She was a child for fuck’s sake. The pain of everything must be too much for her, she is even more broken than I realized. She killed his men, he will want her in the competition now as payment. From everything Liam said on the call, she has a chance to survive. Possibly. I have to help her anyway I can.
“She's asleep?” Looking over my shoulder, I notice Kane is standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the girl who is asleep with her head on my lap.
“Crashed out after telling me what happened. She doesn’t remember much. It’s like she blacked out.”
“You know who tried to take her?” I can see the bloodlust written across his face. He cares for her.
“All she said was D.”
“De’Marco?” Bingo.
Realization runs across his face. He was desperate for Kane to agree to his demands, then someone tried to grab her. It’s too much of a coincidence for my liking.
“Step out, I want to talk to you.”
“What about her?” He definitely cares.
“She will be out for a while, I think.”
Slowly getting to my feet with Reika in my arms, I gently place her on the sofa and turn to face my brother. Who looks like he’s about to tear me apart.
“You're lucky you're my brother. Do I need to remind you she is mine?”
Is he serious at this moment in time?
Leaving Reika in the office, I nod toward the kitchen. He either follows or he doesn’t. One of the crew is sitting in the kitchen when we make it there.
“Get out.” The crew member scurries out. I need to word all this carefully or he is going to go batshit.
“Kane, sit down!” Fuck, this is going to turn into a right fuck up.
“Don’t speak, just listen. And don’t lose your shit.” Taking a deep breath, I tell him everything Reika has told me. I don’t want to break her trust but he needs to know he can’t be playing these stupid games with her. She deserves more than that. Normal people would crumble under the pressure of a life like hers.
Kane.
What the fuck do I say? My body is like ice, emotions warring within me. Knowing what I know now, I can understand why she pushes back so hard. She is the one who has to pick herself up from the ground and dust herself off when life turns to shit. The amount of times she has had to do it alone guts me. After digging into her history, I know she has people in her life who are like family; Mel and a guy called Tom.
Shit, Mel. She thought I had her. I will do some digging and find out what has happened. If I offer to help in this, she will turn me down. If she doesn’t know, she can’t. I grab my phone and press dial.
“Well, Well, Well. If it isn’t the infamous Southbourne brother ringing me.”
“Cut the crap, Fox. I need you to find out what you can about a missing person.”
“Fucking hell, Southbourne. You’re into kidnapping now?”
“Not me, smartass. Mel Jacobs is a friend of mine and she has gone missing. I need you to find all the information you can.” Cheeky little prick. If he wasn't as good as he is at finding shit out, he would have dropped long before now.
“Usual Fee stands. When do you want the info by?”
“Yesterday. You’ll get it when you deliver.”
Dropping the call, I head back to the office. After our talk, Marcus came back to keep an eye on Pretty Bird, not knowing what state she would wake up in. My eyes land on her instantly, she is still out cold.
“Has she woken up at all?” She looks so peaceful asleep.
He is sitting behind the desk staring into space, not hearing the question I ask him. I make my way over to the desk. He pulls his gun from under the desk. I throw my hands up.
“Easy brother, I just came to check on her.” His emotions are all over the place. His eyes are blown wide but he has a slight tremor to his hands. Shit, he’s close to taking a trip down memory lane.
“Before you go all nuclear on my ass, you think we should take her back to the house? It's safer there than here.”
“Yeah. Um. Sure. Good idea.” He makes a move.
“It’s all good. I've got her.” As gently as possible, I scoop her up into my arms.
Before I know it, I’m heading down the corridor to my room with her in my arms. I can’t take my eyes off her. I accidentally jolt her body trying to grab the door handle, she stirs in her sleep. To my surprise she doesn’t wake but snuggles closer into my chest and falls back into a d
eep sleep. Without turning on a light I make my way to the bed and place her down. Fuck it. I strip off my shirt and crawl into the spot beside her. I just want to keep an eye on her. Her soft snores and even breathing relax me and I start to feel the pull of sleep. Marcus knows to come wake me up in a couple of hours.
Reika.
So much heat. I feel like I'm hugging a furnace. Why is it so goddamn hot in here? Wait where the hell am I? My thoughts are jumbled. What the hell is going on? I know I didn’t turn the heat on. As I shift to get my bearings, an arm pulls me closer. I freeze. Oh crap! What the fuck did I do? Peeling my eyes open, they begin to sting like I've scraped them along asphalt. Ouch! I notice an arm, which is wrapped around my stomach. Oh no. I follow the arm from my stomach to the elbow. Tattoos? I continue to follow the arm to the shoulder “Holy shit, this dude’s stacked.”
My eyes land on the owner of the arm. Fuck! What the actual fuck? Did we fuck? Slowly lifting the covers, I find I am still wearing my clothes from yesterday. Thank God. Something scrapes along my neck. As gently as I can, I reach to see what it is. I really can’t deal with this asshole. Nope, not happening.
Hellion!
Be nice to him when you wake up.
He wouldn’t leave you or let anyone else watch you.
Don’t try to murder him!
Marcus.
Be nice. He has got to be shitting me. I would rather pick a fight with a porcupine. Why the hell wouldn’t he leave me? I can’t stand his ass and I thought the feeling was mutual.
“Stop moving, Pretty Bird.” Is this guy like the dude from Candyman? Only when you think about him too much, he pops up.
“You gonna let me go, asswipe?” Ugh, I really need coffee.
“Nope, we are staying put, I’m comfy.” What the fuck? Did aliens come down and brain probe him or something?
“Very funny, asshole. Move.” Thank God, I am calmer than I was last night, but what is the deal with Kane? As mum used to say, “Man up, buttercup. Make the most of an unexpected situation.”
