Page 174 of Reaper's Claim

If I were still President, this wouldn’t be fucking happening.

If I hadn’t walked from my charter.

If I hadn’t gone fucking soft.

Then this wouldn’t be happening.

I had no choice. I was up against a fucking hard wall, and I had no fucking choice. He had the power, and I was fucking powerless. He could send me away, and I had no fucking choice.

It came with my name, who I was. The Reaper.

The list needed cutting, and now I had been called to do my duty. That meant time on the road. That meant time away from Abby.

Who was I fucking kidding? Abby and I were over.

The Reaper didn’t come back laughing and fucking loving. I came back harder than I left. I come back a bit more soulless. I come back more Reaper than Kade.

Abby

Walking into Reaper’s room, I closed the door softly behind me. I could hear him in the wardrobe.

“You were right.” I tossed my leather jacket on the bed. “There was nothing to worry about. Unless you count what Kim told me. Seriously, you won’t believe what she told me.”

He walked out of the wardrobe, and immediately I knew something was wrong. Ice slowly melted through my body as I stared at him.

“What happened?”

He grunted and dropped the packed black bag on the bed. “Your old man happened.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Did he threaten you?”

“Abby,” His voice was thick with emotion, and he pulled me across the room, sitting me on the bed. “I can’t be with you anymore.”

He didn’t just say that.

No.

No, he couldn’t have just said that.

“What did you say? Because if you’re fucking breaking up with me, you can forget it.” I wasn’t letting him. We had come so far.

“I’m leaving.”

It was an automatic reaction. I didn’t even think about it. My hand whipped across his face, slapping him. My eyes filled with tears. “You fucking promised me. YOU PROMISED ME!” He said he loved me. He said it was forever. He said he needed me as much as I needed him and now what, he was leaving?

“HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME!”

His head slowly turned back to face me, taking the slap as if it was nothing. “I don’t get a choice.”

“Don’t lie to me. Everyone has a choice. Everyone makes them. If you’re leaving, it’s on you, no one else.”

“I’ve been called to do my job. I don’t get a fucking choice in the matter. Your old man wants the list cut. He wants me on the road. He gets me on the road. It is as simple as fucking that.”

“You’re putting the club before us.” I shook my head in rage. “You said you loved me. How can you say those words and not really mean it?”

“I do love you. I fucking care more about you than anything else in the world. But your father made a choice. He doesn’t want me near you, so I’m hitting the road.”

“You’re letting him win.” Furious tears slid down my face. “You’re the fucking Reaper for god sake, stand up against him.”