Page 109 of Reaper and Ruin

“I’m fine. Let’s do this.”

Whip didn’t seem terribly happy about it, and I knew all three of them would have preferred to tuck me up somewhere safe. But none of them argued with me.

They just silently got out of the car, and one by one surrounded me, the four of us moving as a group on near silent feet.

The house wasn’t big. It was a shitty three-bedroom place, practically falling down in ruin. It reeked of rot and despair. A junky, rusted-out car sat on the overgrown lawn, a new addition since the last time I’d been here. Weeds grew up around and beneath it. There was a dim glow from behind the ratty curtains covering the windows, and the sound of a TV beyond. The front porch, where I’d copped one of my worst beatings ever, looked like it hadn’t had any maintenance in the entire time I’d been gone. It had squeaked something fierce fifteen years ago. I pointed at it and shook my head at the others.

They got my meaning. We crouched in the darkness. All three of them turned to me.

Despite the situation, despite the fact my heart hammered and my palms sweated just from being back here, the fact they valued my opinion meant everything.

“There’s a living room at the front of the house, and a kitchen and dining area at the back. Bedrooms upstairs. My guess is they’ll be in the living room, watching TV.” I eyed the living room windows. “Front porch will be a dead giveaway we’re here. We’ll be better off going through the back.”

Levi nodded. “We need to split up. The two around the back enter first. Two of us stay here and come in through the front after.”

“How many people do I get to stab?” There was no laughter in X’s question. None of his usual hyperactivity or humor. His eyes held an expression I’d really only seen once before.

When I’d watched him stab a man to death in cold blood.

This was the side of him I should have been scared of. I had been, in the beginning.

But things had changed. The only people X was going to hurt were the ones who truly deserved it.

And the people in this house truly did. They’d lived in my nightmares for years. It was no wonder Travis had run back to them. No wonder they’d happily welcomed him back with open arms.

Travis had come from a fucked-up family home, and they’d only made it worse.

They’d created the monster he was today. Nurtured it with their neglect and hate.

But it was me paying the price. Me. Toby. Nyah.

I swallowed thickly, refusing to believe Nyah was dead. Travis was a liar. Through and through. A narcissistic son of a bitch who would have said anything to hurt me.

Maybe I couldn’t blame him for that. Hadn’t I done the same thing to him? Hadn’t I told the police he’d hurt that girl, just so I could be free of him?

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, forcing out the past, focusing on the now. Because anything else would get us killed.

“I’m going through the back,” I whispered.

Levi squeezed my fingers. “I’m coming with you.”

For once, X and Whip didn’t argue. They knew each other well. They might have fought like cats and dogs the majority of the time, but they moved in unison, like a well-oiled machine through the darkness, each of them taking up a spot either side of the porch steps, crouched in the darkness, and just waiting for all hell to break loose.

I drank in the sight of them as I followed Levi around the back of the house, dodging rusting car parts and broken toys.

We reached the back door, and he leaned in, pressing his mouth against mine. “I love you.”

God, I loved him too. I kissed him back hard, making sure he knew.

“I’m going first,” he whispered, gun pulled out of the waistband of his jeans and clutched in strong fingers.

I wasn’t stupid enough to argue with him. I needed to be here, but he and Whip and X had done this a million times. While I had exactly no experience and wasn’t even sure which way to hold the knife.

Was there a right way? I had no idea.

But now wasn’t the time to ask. I lurked behind Levi, my heart thumping when he reached up and turned the handle.

It gave easily, clearly unlocked. It squeaked a little as he pulled it open, but when no gunshots or shouts rang out, we both breathed again and crept inside.