He came to stand in front of me, and my throat went dry. His abs slick with sweat, outlining every cruel, rigiddetail. His inked cock meeting my eyes. Dirty, reckless thoughts swept my mind.
It would be so easy to put him in my mouth. So easy and soright.
I shook my head.
“I’m the Reaper. I live in hell.” He bent down and thumbed my chin. “You don’t get to leave hell.”
My lips parted at the intensity in his eyes. At the soft way he spoke.
Just as quickly as it came, it vanished.
“You chose this.” He stood back up, folding his arms. “Don’t start acting like a damsel now.”
“But…”How will this work? What about my family? What about his very real job as the king of the Underworld?I didn’t ask any of this, my tongue tied. Instead I asked,“But how?”
He shrugged. “People will die.”
“I can’t…I can’t stay here. People will wonder.”
“It’s been one day. Pretty sure your family will think you’re off getting drunk somewhere.”
That hurt, so I laughed. “Fuck my family. They wouldn’t notice if I were gone for months. I have more followers than the president, than Ariana Grande, than fucking Beyoncé.They’llnotice.”
One time I went twenty-four hours without posting and people thought I’d died.
By my count…we were about twelve hours away from that.
“Tell them the truth.”
I blinked.
“You traded in your pretty crown to fuck the worst man in town.”
His voice was hard. The gentle rasp I’d felt against my skin now replaced by cold iron.
The anniversary party was coming up. My mom?—
Oh God, mymom.
Was she okay?
Grim grabbed his pants, sliding into them. Then he turned, like he was just going to leave.
“Wait—I can’t stay here. I have a life! I’m the most famous girl in America. People will notice if I’m gone.”
“You shoulda thought about that before you tattooed death on your neck,” Grim spoke, his voice rough.
Goose bumps went up my spine. He’d said it like my life was ending.
I stared at where blood still caked and splattered on my body. “Our two worlds will never work together. You said it yourself.”
“You’re right.” A soft grin quirked his lips to the side. “Welcome home.”
He slammed the door shut.
THIRTY-NINE
GEMMA
