Page 147 of Reaper's Claim

“I can take you,” Brad spoke up. I had forgotten he was standing next to me. “You girls don’t look right to drive yourself.”

“Thanks.” I looked up at him. “Well, let’s go.”

Kim walked around the bar, looking like hell. “Reaper is up there; he has been keeping us updated with any changes.”

“Has there been any?”

“No, he’s still in surgery.”

Stepping back out into the cold night, my stomach twisted tightly. Dad never got sick. He was Dad, strong and untouchable. Suddenly I was regretting giving him the cold shoulder for the last week. Hell, I was regretting putting him under extra stress.

All I knew as I climbed back into the van was it was going to be a long night.

***

He was standing, looking like a guard in the middle of an empty waiting room. At the sound of our footsteps, his eyes shot up and immediately locked onto mine. His eyes were scorching as if he was yelling at me through eye contact.

“Any news?” Kim asked, dropping her handbag on the plastic chair and sitting down next to it.

Reaper shook his head but still managed to not break eye contact.

“Why didn’t you tell us Dad was in the hospital when you called?” My voice was firm and strong, the complete opposite of what I was feeling right now.

“Would it have made you get here any quicker?” he fired back at me with a harshness lingering in his words.

“Just would have been nice to know.” I crossed my arms and continued to stand next to Brad and didn’t make a move to go towards him.

“How long has he been under for?” Brad asked, moving from my side and taking a seat.

“Five hours,” Reaper muttered back and finally broke eye contact with me.

Feeling freed for some reason, I went and sat next to Kim. She was a nervous wreck, which kind of surprised me because I would have thought I would be the one having a breakdown and stressing out, not her.

Brad gestured with his head to Reaper. “Wanna go out for a smoke?”

Something was telling me that these two had unfinished business and something to talk about.

Reaper nodded his head and followed Brad out of the waiting room.

“Wonder how long it is going to take.” Kim tapped her long nails on the armrest. “You would think they would have something to tell us by now.”

I leaned back in the seat. “They’ll come and tell us when they can.” I knew we were in for a long night.

Because if there was one thing you could bet on when it came to a hospital visit, it was never quick.

--

Thirty minutes had passed and the boys still hadn’t returned. Nothing had changed; we were still waiting. Well, Kim had gone from sitting to pacing, so apart from that, nothing had changed.

“That’s it, I need a smoke.” She whipped around to look at me and went towards her handbag. “Fucking useless hospital.”

“No news is good news, remember.” I attempted to be positive, but it was only met by her rolling her eyes.

“I’ll be outside. If anyone comes, come get me.” She walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the empty waiting room.

I was alone for a total of five minutes before he walked in.

Immediately I wished Kim was back.