Chapter 12 Crypt
Ifelt antsy all night. My Reaper was mostly the cause. He kept prompting me to stand guard in front of Rachel and Rylee and not let them out of my sight. So, I did.
The only time I left them was when Hannibal was there.
It had been a week since we arrived at the cabin. We spent the days in the water and the nights by the campfire. It should have been relaxing, a vacation away from all the chaos. And when I was buried inside Rachel, it was fucking perfect. I knew I was falling hard for her, and walking away was never going to be an option.
I cared about her and Rylee. That little girl was a firecracker just like her mom. She made me laugh. I loved being around her and getting a taste of fatherhood. If given the chance, I’d do right by Rylee and give her the best life I could.
Hannibal wasn’t glaring at me anymore. He made peace with the fact that I was with his daughter. If he knew we had fucked multiple times already, he didn’t act like it.
I sat across from him in front of the campfire, sipping from a beer while Rachel went inside to use the restroom.
It took a minute for me to realize she hadn’t come back out.
Hannibal noticed around the same time that I did. Rylee was in bed since she had been falling asleep around eight after swimming all day. There wasn’t a reason to linger in the house unless she woke up. “Crypt?”
“Yeah. I feel it.” I set my beer down on the ground and stood, approaching the house with caution.
My Reaper shouted in my head. He was so pissed that I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say.
By the time I reached the sliding glass doors that led into the kitchen, I knew something was wrong. Someone moved within the shadows, and they had Rachel.
My lip lifted in a snarl as I saw two figures emerging from the cabin. The first was Rachel. She had a knife pressed to her neck. The blade was sharp, and moonlight glinted on its surface. I didn’t recognize the man who held the knife.
“Don’t move any closer,” he warned.
“What the fuck do you want?” I asked, pausing my steps so he wouldn’t cut Rachel.
“What’s owed to me,” he hissed.
For fuck’s sake. Why does every entitled asshole out there think they can steal what they want?
“Drop the knife and let her go,” I ordered, keeping my voice level and calm.
My Reaper wanted to burst from my skin and take his soul, letting Rachel see how well he could protect her.
But not yet. This asshole might hurt her in the process. I had to be careful.
“I’m not doing shit. Rachel is coming with me.”
Why? What did he need from her?
She turned fearful eyes my way as she spoke. “I told you I don’t know the combination to Doyle’s safe, Tilton.”
Tilton? Who the fuck was he?
“Drop your hands and move away from my daughter, Tilton,” Hannibal warned.
I felt his presence before I saw him. Hannibal had entered the cabin from the other side, and now he was behind Tilton. His Reaper was as pissed and agitated as mine. This wouldn’t end well for Tilton.
“Last chance,” I warned.
Rachel gasped as Tilton pressed the knife closer to her skin. I saw a drop of blood appear on her skin and growled. He would pay for every tiny mark he inflicted.
I was about to rush him when I heard Hannibal tell him his time was up. At first, nothing happened. But then Tilton started to twitch. His eyes widened as he dropped the knife. A strange sound came from his lips like he was slowly being strangled.
Rachel ran away from him and into my arms. I hugged her close as we watched him convulse. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. I laughed, but it wasn’t me. The noise came from my Reaper.
