22. REAPER
22
REAPER
I ’m not going to lie, these past few days, the heaviness weighing on me has become almost insufferable. I’ve never spent days at a time with people, especially people I care about, and with every passing minute, it becomes abundantly clear that I can’t stomach the idea of losing them.
Siren is . . . I don’t even understand what she is to me, but when she’s in my bed, wrapped in my arms, my heart races so fast that I fear it could explode. It’s more than just a fierce type of lust. I’ve lusted over women more than I care to admit, and it never lasts long, and it sure as fuck doesn’t get stronger after I’ve already had what I wanted from her.
This is more, and it’s scaring the fuck out of me because I know that when the time comes to end her life, I’m not going to have the strength to do it. Nor is Shadow, for that matter. The two of them have become closer over these past few days. They’re inseparable, and I can’t help but feel that Siren has taken on a motherly role with her.
The two of them went shopping on my dime to replenish the things Siren lost during the fire, and it was almost comical to watch them both fawn over all the bullshit they bought. They’re like two peas in a pod, and they don’t even realize it. They bought a bunch of clothes and makeup, and while Siren wasn’t able to find her usual style of clothing in the limited stores on offer in Blue Springs, it’ll do. But what really thawed my cold heart was watching the two of them loot all the weapons of the contenders who didn’t make it. It was like two kids on Halloween returning home with all their candy.
True to her word, Shadow has stayed with us. She stays with Siren during the day, and after helping Siren with dinner, she ventures out in the early evening to do whatever the fuck she feels needs to be done. But she’s always back by ten or eleven and takes her ass to bed. We truly are some kind of dysfunctional family, and I’m finding that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just like Siren and Shadow, none of us have ever experienced what family life is like, and I find myself clinging to it. But truth be told, I’m terrified of losing it.
Siren is still shaken after the fire, but she hasn’t let it bring her down. If anything, it lit a spark under her ass to get back out there and show these fuckers that she can’t be messed with. After the fire, we were hoping that War Games would announce her death, which would have given Siren one hell of an edge in these games, but when her name didn’t appear in the update, we came to the realization that the higher powers of War Games are more connected than we really knew.
She spent the last few days tracking the remaining five contenders, but the majority of her attention has been focused on Gasoline. After watching the psychotic redhead closely, it became abundantly clear that she’s somehow created an alliance with the brothers. It’s not ideal, and it makes them an even bigger threat, but in reality, when three morons get together to plan shit, it doesn’t necessarily mean what they come up with is going to be particularly effective. Either way, we need to keep vigilant, and now that the three of us are living under one roof, it makes us a bigger target—one I hope the others are too intimidated by to even attempt to take us down.
Today’s focus—The Executioner.
The guy is an ex-cop, and he moves like one too. I’m surprised he hasn’t been targeted at this point in the competition yet. He seems to be . . . lacking. Everything about him is obvious, and even as he makes his way toward the massive lake, he seems to walk with his chest puffed out and a stick up his ass. The fucker has no idea how to be discreet or blend in and become invisible.
I’ve been tracking him for the better part of the morning, getting a feel for who he is and what his day looks like, and to be painfully honest, the guy is fucking boring. There’s not a remarkable thing about him. Just another ex-cop who wanted to experience the thrill of being the bad guy.
From the research I did, his kills are all executioner style, and as for his victims, there’s not a damn connection between them. He has a god complex and targets men and women who he believes need to be taught a lesson, but today, his bullshit is coming to an end. I don’t particularly like making kills in broad daylight, but Blue Springs has been particularly quiet today.
Perhaps it’s the statement the FBI put out last night, warning the residents about the killers on the loose. Everybody is staying in, keeping themselves safe, but truth be told, they’re the safest ones here. None of us care to make a problem with the residents, that’s not our purpose, and honestly, making sure they’re locked in their homes is nothing but a benefit for the rest of us.
From what I can tell, the FBI is still focusing on the dismemberment of Sharkbait and has since stumbled upon Raven’s body under the bridge. They finally ruled out the fire at Siren’s suite as no accident. Not to mention the other bodies that have been called in.
Their resources are spread thin, so despite having the FBI here in Blue Springs, they’re too busy to see anything that’s going on around them. But it’s fine, I’m more than happy to hunt down these killers for them, and if they need The Executioner delivered to them on a silver platter, then I’m more than happy to oblige. Though, I can guarantee that when I’m through with him, he won’t be in a state to answer questions.
I follow him to the lake, and it’s clear from the way his gaze shifts from left to right that he thinks he’s tracking someone. As he turns to make his way to the water’s edge, his body stiffens, and my theory is confirmed.
His hand hovers over the gun at his hip and the move makes me want to take him out on principle. It’s a cop move, but more than that, it’s an easy way out. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gun, but using a gun in a game like this is almost considered cheating. Either way, he’s found himself a target, and I can’t help but feel like today just got a little more interesting.
Adjusting my stance from behind him, I peer up ahead, trying to figure out which of these fuckers he’s going after, and as I see the back of a woman with her hair up in a high pony and the long strands plaited down to her ass, my stomach sinks.
Siren.
What the fuck does she think she’s doing? I thought she was spending the day doing recon on the brothers, but here she is, striding down to the water’s edge, dragging her feet through the water, and doing nothing but making a fucking target out of herself.
The Executioner picks up his pace, hurrying after her while doing what he can to be discreet, but truth be told, he’s as discreet as being turkey slapped by a fucking elephant’s cock. He thumps his way down to the lake, and I don’t even have to try and conceal myself to stay hidden behind him.
He’s focused solely on Siren’s ass and has no consideration for anything around him.
He begins to lower his hand over his weapon, grasping the handle, and I release one of my knives from the belt around my hips, clutching the handle in my palm. The blade feels like an extension of myself, and as I watch him closely, waiting for him to make his move, I prepare to end this.
Siren continues on her way, completely unaware of the two lethal men behind her, and as The Executioner raises his gun, preparing to take his shot, a twig snaps under his foot.
Siren pauses and whips around, her eyes wide as a blade releases from her hand and sails perfectly through the air, whipping straight past The Executioner, but not before amputating his whole fucking ear. The blade spins toward me, and I simply tilt my head to the left, letting it sail right by me as The Executioner grips the side of his head and roars in agony. “FUCK!”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Siren demands, her gaze locked on me as she ignores the wailing man between us as he drops to his knees in agony.
“Me? What about you?” I throw back at her. “Do you even realize how close you just came to losing these fucking games? This asshole almost put a bullet through your head while you were too busy taking a nice afternoon stroll in the sun.”
Siren rolls her eyes and props her hands on her hips, clearly irritated with me as I double back a few steps and collect her blade. “It was a trap, you moron. I’ve been leaving breadcrumbs for him for three days, and he finally took the bait. I lured him here, and now my whole fucking plan has gone to shit.”
Well, shit. That might have been a slight oversight on my part, but at hearing her words—with his non-amputated ear, of course—The Executioner stiffens, his gaze snapping up just long enough to realize just how fucked he is. Then, before Siren gets a chance to berate me further, The Executioner scrambles to his feet and takes off at a sprint, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Siren simply stares at me as he gets away. “Seriously? Now I’m going to have to chase him to make my kill. Do you have any idea how inconvenient that is?”
The Executioner gets further away, and as I stare back at the woman I may or may not be falling in love with, all I can do is smirk. “Not if I get there first.”
Her beautiful face falls, her eyes widening, realizing just how serious I am, and without a second of hesitation, she turns on her heel and flies after him, intent to make her kill and take claim of his identification.
“Over my dead fucking body,” Siren calls over her shoulder as she makes a break for the reeds, her bare feet digging into the sandy shore as she goes.
I can’t help but laugh as I start after them. This may not be the most exciting game I’ve ever played. That position is solely reserved for the night Siren cuffed me to the fridge and let me fuck her after I caught her, but this is coming in a close second. There’s something about being in competition with this woman that excites me, and I can’t get enough.
I’ve got to give credit to The Executioner. For a retired cop, the fucker moves fast, but he’s not faster than me or Siren. He makes it all the way to the entrance of the massive cave system to the right of the lake. The caves are dark and offer protection, but I’m a hunter by nature, so there’s nowhere inside those caves he could possibly hide from me.
The Executioner disappears into the caves, followed shortly by Siren, and despite how dark it is, I know she can sense exactly where he is. It only takes me a second to catch up to her, and I silently move in by her side. “Don’t even think about taking this kill,” she mutters, trying to keep her voice low, though I don’t know why she bothers. I have no doubt that The Executioner knows exactly where we are.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I lie, a smirk pulling at my lips.
Siren scoffs. “You’re so full of shit.”
A laugh rumbles through my chest, and as the sound bounces off the cavernous walls, Siren takes off at a run. My laugh rumbles louder, and when the cave forks, splitting into two, I start heading the opposite direction. “You’re going the wrong way,” I taunt.
“Am not.”
“You sure about that?” I call as the darkness eats me up.
A moment passes, and silence falls around me as the sound of Siren’s footsteps comes to a halt. A second passes and then another before the sweetest sound fills the cave. “Fuck!”
The grin that tears across my lips is almost psychotic, and hearing as she backtracks before following after me down the right side of the cave, I pick up my pace simply to taunt her.
“Fucking asshole,” Siren mutters as she comes up behind me. “I put too much effort into trapping this loser. I’m not about to hand him to you right at the finish line.”
“You want him, baby, then take him from me.”
Siren skips ahead of me, spinning around and walking backward as she meets my stare. “Call me baby one more time, and I’ll have no choice but to rip your vocal cords out of your throat and strangle you with them.”
Fuck. This woman knows a thing or two about foreplay. “I’d like to see you try.”
Siren scoffs and turns back around before pausing in the middle of the cave. I move in right behind her, unable to keep from putting my hands on her waist and circling one down over the front of her hip.
She smacks my hand away before I get any lower and distracts us both from the real reason we’re here. “You can have me after I take out this dirty pig,” she murmurs, lifting her chin as if to sniff out the very animal we’re hunting. “Assuming you can control yourself enough not to come in your pants while I put on a show.”
My hand trails up her body before circling her throat, and as I gently squeeze, she melts against me. “I told you, baby . You’re not beating me to this kill, but I’ll still claim your sweet cunt either way.”
Siren groans, and with a sharp push of her hips, she slams her ass back against my cock, almost bringing me to my knees as she sprints deeper into the cave, more than locked on her target now. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, Reaper,” she calls over her shoulder as she disappears into the cave.
I kneel down, my fist pressed against the hard ground as I take a second for my balls to settle back into place, and despite the damage this woman insists on doing to my balls, I think I was right—I’m falling in love with her.
Fuck that. Who am I kidding? I’m already there. But despite how I might feel about her, that doesn’t mean I’m about to hand her the win on this one. If she wants it, she’s going to have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.
I take off after her, this time being as silent as the ghost the other contenders fear me to be, and as I creep into a wider opening of the cave, I find Siren well and truly on the hunt. Her blade is clutched in her hand, her target locked and loaded.
The Executioner cowers behind a boulder, and I make my way toward him as his gaze remains locked on Siren. He’s so unaware that he doesn’t even realize I’m here. Though I doubt that Siren suffers from the same inadequacy. She knows I’m here, she can sense it in the way a chill sails down her spine every time I walk into a room. Though I hope by now she’s learned to trust that chill and know that without a doubt, I will never hurt her. Even fifteen days from now when I’m supposed to end her life.
I can’t do it, and despite the rules of this bullshit game, I won’t do it.
I’m in love with this woman, and I won’t be the reason for her death. There’s got to be another way because I refuse to believe that the very moment I find someone worthy of spending my life with, she’ll be torn away. I don’t care what I have to do; this game ends with me, Shadow, and Siren still breathing.
“Little pig, little pig,” Siren begins to coo. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”
The moron whimpers, and I roll my eyes. How fucking stupid can one man be?
I watch as he reaches for his gun again, gripping it tighter than Siren’s sweet little cunt grips my cock each night, and as he takes a few shaky breaths, I realize he’s preparing to make his move, stupidly thinking he could still get out of here alive.
He should have known better. Siren is too good. There’s no beating her. Well, except for when I try, but I look forward to the day she gets the drop on me.
As if sensing that something’s about to happen, Siren adjusts her grip on her blade, and instead of preparing myself, I just keep strolling toward The Executioner, trusting Siren to have it under control. Then the second The Executioner makes his move and springs out from behind the boulder with his gun aimed toward Siren’s beautiful face, she launches her blade toward him with every ounce of strength she has.
The blade spins, whipping toward him, and I watch with pure elation as it slices straight through his wrist, amputating his whole fucking hand. He roars in agony as the bloodied heap drops heavily to the ground, gun and all, and all I can do is watch with pride.
That’s my fucking girl. It’s a shame I’m going to take this kill right out of her capable hands.
The Executioner falls to his knees, gripping his newfound stump as blood pours over his fingers. There are tears in his eyes as he howls in agony, and the way his cries echo off the walls of the cave is simply magical.
His ferocious stare is locked on Siren, and as she slowly strides toward him, it’s clear he’s forgotten who the real threat is here. Then, to make sure the fucker isn’t missing out on all the fun, I step out of the shadows and move in right behind him. I reach out and gently tap his shoulder, and when his head whips around with wide, terror-filled eyes, the deepest excitement fills me.
He instantly begins to scramble away, using his feet and elbow as he struggles to hold on to his new stump. “Oh, right . . . ummm,” I say, feeling giddy. “BOO!”
He squeals like a little bitch, and just as I go to lunge toward him, Siren breaks into a sprint. “Oh, fuck no,” she yells, swan diving toward me and The Executioner with a new blade in her hand. I catch her midair and avert her body weight, dropping her into a forward roll that sends her flying right past me and The Executioner.
A laugh rumbles through me, and she quickly gets back to her feet as I focus on my kill. “Bastard,” Siren roars behind me, then just as I take a step toward The Executioner, Siren launches herself onto my back. Her legs lock around my waist as her arm twines around my neck, pulling tight. “Don’t make me drop you again.”
I try to peel her off me, but as her blade swings toward my thigh, I have no choice but to fight back, and within seconds, we’re rumbling on the dirty ground like two horny teenagers, each of us still trying to inch toward the target as he does everything in his power to crawl away.
Siren gets ahead, springing free from my hold and swiping toward The Executioner with her blade, and I catch her by the back of her jeans, yanking her fine ass back. “Oh, no you don’t, baby girl,” I say, just moments before trying the exact same thing, only her foot to my throat more than slows me down.
Siren laughs and flashes me the most perfect smile. “Oops.”
Fuck me. This woman will be the death of me. Literally.
“Little Siren, I promise, you will pay for that.”
She grins back at me, tossing the blade in her hand and catching it perfectly in her palm, preparing to take another swing. “I’d like to see you try.”
Then, with every bit of strength she possesses in her perfect body, she lunges toward The Executioner again, her blade aiming right for his throat. I fly after her, my arm locking around her slim waist, and as our bodies propel forward, I disarm her, taking the blade right out of her grasp before plunging it straight through The Executioner’s eye.