“Damn,” Hunter whispers from behind me. He steps up next to me, arms crossed, head tilted to the side, inspecting. “That’s messy.”
“Who. Did. This,” Fallon asks again, his tone deadly.
“I did,” Hunter says, sauntering forward, and clasps a hand on Fallon’s shoulder.
Liar.They are always protecting one another. That’s what they do.
That’s what we all do.
Fallon doesn’t remove his hand but turns to face him. “Why?”
Hunter leans in and stage whispers, “He tried to touch my cock. Said he’s dreamed of my little dick since I was a boy. So I cut off his hands.”
Fallon’s gaze immediately snaps to me, and my breathing stops. He breaks our gaze after a heartbeat then gestures to Cook’s body. “Clean this up,” he tells Hunter. “Throw the mess in the incinerator.” Fallon points at me. “Get your brothers and stay in your room.”
“Yes, sir,” I say and take a step back.
“Viper.” Father’s hard tone makes my blood curdle. His jaw pops as he eyes me, his hands on his hips. When he breaks eye contact, his gaze drops to his feet, and it feels like time stills. I brace myself for it. The harsh words. The accusations. But when Father drags his eyes back up to me, I see nothing but a flash of softness before he covers it up. He points to Cook’s mutilated body. “Not a word of this to anyone.”
Father spins and stalks down the hall, not looking back.
My insides squirm, bile threatening to spew all over the floor. I clutch my stomach and stalk back down the hall toward my room.
“What’s happening?” Striker shouts. “Why was everyone yelling?”
I look up and find Reaper leaned against the wall outside my room, Striker’s head peeking out from the open door.
“Nothing,” I choke out, my focus locked on Reaper as I approach. A tingling sensation ripples down my spine, then spreads, flooding my hands. It feels a lot like panic. I rip my focus from Reaper and say to Striker, “Go to your rooms and stay until Father calls us for breakfast.”
My little brothers inch out of my room, both glancing down the hall as they go.
“Go,” I yell.
Once they are in their rooms, I march forward. Reaper pushes off the wall right as I step up to my door and blocks the entrance. I crash into his hard chest and stumble back, but he catches my arm. Reaper releases me, then slides to the side, unblocking my path, but I’m frozen in place. His eyes drift down the hall where, just out of sight, Cook’s mutilated body lies in a heap.
He rubs the scars on his lips, like he’s thinking. “Looks like we need a new cook,” he says and then brushes past me.
I don’t follow him.
I don’t question.
I don’t look back as I walk back into my room, a strange relief flooding me.
This is who and what Reaper is.
He protects us at all costs.
He is death and vengeance wrapped up in a man’s body.
Chapter 35
Delilah
“No,”Fallonsnaps.
My entire body reacts to his sharp tone, jerking away from him, but he’s looming behind me, crowding my space. My eyes dart to Reaper by the door. He remains still, not interrupting once since we’ve been down here.
Which has been hours.
