Reaper's Claim Book 3

‘Produced by: Bethany Sharp’

‘Written by: Cecilia Gigliotti & Ellis Stump’

‘Sound by: Oskar Allen & Meaghan Bardwell’

Blinding, sterile, white light.

The nothingness then consolidated into tile walls and a fabric divider. A hospital.

I was on a cot, an IV in my arm.

Kade sat in a plastic chair to my left, scooched as close to me as possible.

His eyes melted when they met mine.

“Abby…” he breathed.

“I just had the weirdest dream,” I said. “I dreamt I was…” I trailed off, unable to even finish the sentence, as my palm slipped subconsciously over my churning stomach.

Damn. I shivered.

Wouldn’t that be a bloody disaster?

Raising a child on the back of a bike with Reaper? I shook my head and snorted.

Kade didn’t.

“We are, Abby. We’re having a…a baby. We’re going to be parents,” he said slowly and seriously.

The words hit with a thud, like he’d just dropped an anvil on my already tight chest.

Knocking the air from my lungs, so I couldn’t breathe… I couldn’t think…

“We’re going to be parents?” I echoed.

Kade nodded, taking my hand. But I couldn’t feel his fingers interlaced with mine. A numbness had taken over my whole body.

And was growing, and moving…

I shoved away the image.

“Why do you assume that’s what I want?” I asked.

Taken aback by that response, Kade faltered. “I didn’t mean… I don’t know what to say.”

“Me neither.”

“I thought you’d be… Excited?”

“If by excited you mean absolutely petrified and more freaked out than I’ve ever been in my life—which is saying something considering over the last three months I’ve somehow become an assassin—then yeah, I’m fucking ecstatic.”

“Hey, hey now,” he soothed, brushing his thumb softly across my cheek. “It’ll be okay, Abby.”

He bent over my forehead for a gentle kiss. “We’ll get through it together.”

“I mean—”

“This changes things.”

“How, Kade?”

“How does it not?!”

I thought I’d be older. Have my shit together.

Instead, here I was recovering from a bloody gunshot wound with Kade acting like there was nothing fucked up about this whole thing.

Suddenly, a chipper voice sang, “Knock, knock! Alone time is up, kids!”

“You’re awake, yay!” She pranced in, wearing her brightest, most optimistic smile. Dad followed behind, eyeing me eagerly.

“Alrighty, Abs! The doctors say you should be released in just a couple hours,” Kim reported. “By this evening for sure.”

Kade beamed at me. “Well, that’s great news!”

“Yup!” Kim continued. “We’ll have her safe and sound and back home at Satan’s Sons in Snake Valley, just in time for dinner. I’ll whip up something nutritious and delicious.”

Dad stuck out his tongue. “Please not one of those stinkin’ veggie burgers. Taste like a patty made of mulch.”

“Hey, you like the chicken ones,” she said defensively. “Those are good for you.”

“Yeah, I’ll have one of those. With a little mayonnaise.”

“Only if it’s low-fat.”

“Deal.”

He promptly dove into a bag of crisps, no doubt from a vending machine. Most likely months or years expired.

I watched them both, amazed at their obliviousness.

I didn’t plan on speaking up but, in my addled state, suddenly found myself saying, “Do I have to ask again?”

Kim blinked, confused. “Ask what?”

“Why you all keep assuming you know exactly what I want?”

“Oh,” said my sister, visibly surprised and slightly offended. “Well, I mean, I guess you can have a beef burger if you really want, Abs. Your call. I personally try to make conscious choices around Dad, but like…”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, Kim!”

“Abby,” Kim said. “I get it. You know I get it. You’re spooked.”

“Stop it…” I mumbled.

But, ignoring my rebuff, they moved in closer. Kim stroked my damp, matted hair as Dad placed his hand on my shoulder.

Annoyed, I shrugged off their touches.

Was Kim right? Sure.

Did I know they were just acting this way out of care for me? Of course.

But at the same time, I had to consider everything up until this point.

None of the Harrisons were known for being super touchy-feely, yet here they were, perched on my bed, doting over me, treating me like a baby—when I was the one fucking carrying one!

And when obviously all I wanted was to be alone! Just for five minutes, or even five seconds!

Just to fucking process…

I swallowed hard.

Hooked up to the IV, I couldn’t move from the bed.

My brain seemed so heavy. My body so stiff.

A wooziness swayed over me.

I felt like I might suffocate.

The nurse chose just then to appear in the door frame.

“Abby?” he interjected timidly. “There’s someone here to see you. Do you think you can manage another visitor? We don’t want you getting overwhelmed.”

My family and Kade shared nervous glances.

“What’s the name?” Kade asked, his manner suddenly low and defensive.

I rolled my eyes.

I was awake, fully cognizant, and able to respond for myself.

The nurse could speak to me.

“Yes,” I said, “I can take on one more person. Three’s already a crowd, right? Why not make it four, five, six bodies looming over me with their smothering concern and loud opinions?

“Sure,” I continued, “it’ll be a whole big party! Someone bring out the cake!”

The nurse stared back, unsure of how to respond.

“I’m fine.” I shifted my tone. “Send them in.”

“Alright,” he responded hesitantly, shuffling back out into the hallway. “She says you can go in. But I’d proceed with caution if I were you.”

“Thank you, but I’m pretty sure I can handle it,” came a warm, very familiar voice.

A voice that had only become so familiar over the last few months, although that time felt much longer.

Then, clutching a massive bouquet bursting with fresh daisies and daffodils and all sorts of light white and yellow puffs and petals, Liam walked in.

His always dewy, glowing face fit in perfectly among the flowers.

Bruises and bandages from his beating by Damon still covered his body. But he was dressed neatly with a clean, pressed button-down and slacks, as if he were headed to church.

Had he thought I’d fucking died or something? Probably.

Although, I suppose Kade, in his trademark darker colors, was the one more appropriately dressed for a funeral.

“Uh, hi, Abby. I can’t even express how happy, and uh…relieved I am to see you.”

“Hey, Liam,” I said back. “Likewise.”

“Wow, um, how are you feeling? Can I go grab you anything? A tea? Some crisps or crackers, anything from the vending machine down the hall—”

At that, Dad glanced down at his snack, mid-crunch, sheepish.

Meanwhile, Kade cleared his throat. “What do you want, Liam?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, everyone. I really, truly don’t mean to be interrupting anything—”

“Well, you are,” Kade snapped.

“Relax,” I reprimanded. “Let him talk, for Christ’s sake.”

With a grateful nod, Liam continued, “I’m here on Blake’s behalf. He was… I was… We were all so worried about you.”

Still not having it, Kade crossed his arms and growled, “Join the club.”

It was apparently my dad’s turn to protest, too. “Yeah. Maybe if your people—those murderous fucking maniacs—hadn’t held Abby fuckin’ hostage in the cellar of that dump you call a headquarters, then maybe you wouldn’t have had anything to be so damn worried about, huh?!”

“Actually, that’s not our headquarters, technically,” Liam muttered. “It’s a branch site, but um…”

Noticing he had the floor, he then turned quickly to me. “I’m here now, Abby, to take you back home to Hellbound. No rush. Whenever you’re ready.”

I felt my jaw unhinge.

Had I… Had I heard him correctly?

I hadn’t even figured that was a possibility. What with me literally killing Blake’s right-hand man Damon and all…

I mean, I’d left their yard in a smoking shootout.

I blanched.

And, taking advantage of my speechlessness, my entire family exploded.

Kim stamped her foot. “Oh my God, Abby, no! Absolutely not. No way.”

“I’m not letting her out of my sight, you Hellbound asshole!”

“Yeah, you’re comin’ home with us. Right, Abby?”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Shut the hell up, all of you!” I shouted.

All eyes flew to me.

Silence.

Then everyone turned inward, breathing heavily.

Finally, for the first time since I’d woken up in this godforsaken too-small room, some peace and quiet.

After a long moment, Liam finally looked to me.

Well. Now that was a good question.

That was the question they all should have been asking.

I suddenly realized I had no idea.

I lay there on the hospital bed, trapped and exhausted, with my family and Kade all huddled to one side, and Liam fidgeting on the other.

My gaze bounced back and forth between them like I was watching a fucking tennis match.

They all stared back at me in shock, as if bewildered I could even contemplate another option.

The anger I’d harbored over the last few months was about to be let loose again.

I was my own goddamn parent.

And now, I supposed, I was going to be a literal fucking parent to some unborn…human...inside of me.

I could listen to myself.

I could make my own choices.

And with that, I opened my mouth to speak.