The Reaper Saga [Book 1-3]

CHAPTER 10 [EDITED]

5132

I was running again.

Despite promising Mikhail. Despite all the things he could have done for me. But that was the catch, wasn't it? Once upon a time, Zach used to do the same thing. Coddle me when I was down, at times gave me a small lie I could get past or maybe most telling of all...

At the end of the day, he wanted me dead.

Where Mikhail just wanted to figure me out like a lab rat, Zach had known everything about myself, including my bloodline. He was the one who forced me to trigger the Reaper gene. How could I go back from that? And the worse part, I never knew if what we had was a lie either. The more I tried not to remember those moments, the more my mind took me to the past.

"Want some?″

"Only if you pay." I teased, poking my tongue out. Zach gave me a wink, killing the headlights of his bike. Removing my own helmet, I smoothed down the wild hair running down my shoulder.

"Whatever you say, sweetcheeks." Giving me a brief kiss, he turned to enter the ice cream shop.

Damn him. I didn't deserve him. No matter how many times I pretended otherwise, that was the truth. Any other guys would have left knowing what I did by now but him...

"You should thank me that I was able to charm her up, Lana. Here, your rocky road." Zach suddenly appeared, bringing me back from the endless memories I was trying to run from.

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't stop the chuckle. "She was an old lady, Zach."

"But I was able to make you laugh." He said so quietly that I almost didn't hear it. No one in their right mind would take their girlfriend out at four in the morning for ice cream just because she had a terrible nightmare. But Zach was crazy like that. And that's why I loved him the most.

"Zach? If you ever stop loving me...″ My voice cracked, unable to continue. I was tired of losing the people I loved. Dad didn't want me, mom was always busy and Samara...she was already gone. I didn't want to add another, obviously not Zach.

"I won't," Zach promised, wrapping his arms around me tightly as if I would disappear if he didn't. "Never say that, never."

If only I knew what was waiting for us back then. How foolish I was, clutching into a fairytale rather than seeing the things for what they were. But it wasn't too late. I still had something to look forward to. Mikhail could help me find my birth mother, but it was time to figure myself out without anyone's help.

Cause when I finally met Keisha Deshayes?

I was going to drive a knife through her heart.

***

VERMON

"I'm surprised you refrained yourself from punching Valentine in his smug face." Aaron's back was hunched as he asked the question. There's no mistake that he had seen the interaction between Valentine and me.

"I wanted nothing more," I admitted, laughing. "But I'm not rich enough to afford it if that motherfucker decides to sue me."

There was a smirk on his face. "We can always go to Uncle Jimmy for money. He doesn't know where to shower it enough. Now, what's the plan?"

"There's no plan, Aaron. We just have to retaliate as things come our way."

"What about your patient?"

I masked my expression before shrugging. "Unfortunately dead."

"What?" He was truly shocked. Unlike me, he had a telling face that was easier to read. "When did you know? Shit, what's happening? Why did I ever not know anything when it comes to this case?"

My lips twitched at how easy it was to annoy him. "I can say the same thing about your nurse who doesn't even exist."

He was silent. Too long for me to notice. "What?"

"What if your patient and the nurse are the same people? Maybe they faked their death to disappear. It happens, right?"

Fuck, maybe he was onto something.