Page 25 of Demon Rider

Her eyes narrow, licking her lips she watches me watch her, and fuck, my breath is sealed in my chest until she speaks.

“Like Grim Reapers?” I nod. “Not much. I would assume it is they collect souls when someone dies.”

“True. Reapers are demons. They serve multiple purposes. Like some reap the souls of dead humans, guarding them to the Afterlife. There are also Reapers who are ordered to send evil souls back down to Hell, if they escape.” I let the words sink in.

Time ticks by, her gaze not wavering as she looks at me. Her fingers are linked together on her lap, but I see them flex and tighten as what I just said starts to make sense.

Her lip’s part, her eyes widen. “You are a Reaper?”

I nod. “I am.”

“What the fuck? Am I dead, and you are keeping me here as some sex toy?” I bark out a laughter at her description as to why she is here. “Do not laugh at me Tyson… fuck I do not know your last name.”

I calm my breathing, my laughter slowing.

“My surname is Langford, baby. Plus, you are not dead, you are very much alive. The man that took you, that was a human host, who had been possessed by a demon that escaped Hell.”

“So the face I keep having nightmares about was as innocent as I was?”

“Yes, babe. The club sent money to his family, anonymously.”

“That was a nice thing to do.”

“Zeke, started it when he started the club.”

Her eyes comically widen again. “You are all Reapers?”

“Yeah.” I chuckle then stop when she glares.

I am a fucking fifty-year-old demon and this tiny human has me wrapped around her finger.

“How did you become Reaper?” her question makes my gut knot.

“Fuck.” I sigh, scrubbing my hands over my face. “You will hate me when I tell you, but let me finishes before you say anything.” With a nod from her, I explain my life.

“I was married once, and she fell pregnant, but work was hard to come by, especially for someone like me who never finished school. Then I fell into the wrong work group. Let’s say drugs and guns got involved and stealing cars. The money was flowing in, and I got to spoil her , and getting shit for the baby. Then she miscarried.

“I spiraled, as did she, but she got clean. I did not. Yet she stayed with me offering support. Anyway, I kept doing shady jobs, luckily not once being caught by the cops. Then we were out driving and I was told to do a pick up for my boss.”

I push to my feet and start pacing.

“You can stop, honey.” Fuck me, her endearment makes my chest ache.

“No, you need to know. I tried to get out, for her. She was my everything, ya know but I kept being pulled back in. I was stupid, and it was all my fault. Once I had done the pickup, we left, but little did we know that we were being followed. The car hit ours, forcing us off the road and into a tree.

“They came for us, with guns in hand. I tried to stop them, but they shot me to get to her. They wanted my wife. Kept telling me as I stood in front of her that she would make a good whore for their crew or maybe they would sell her. It was my fault she was there. They shot me three times, while I was dying, they raped her, cut up her face, just to fuck with me.”

Kristina gasps, tears run freely down her face. I hate that I did that to her. My Reaper claws at my insides to get to her, but I hold strong.

“When they were finished, they slit her throat. There was nothing I could do but I was able to crawl onto the road and get attention to us, but by the time the EMT’s arrived she was gone.”

“Oh, my god, I am so sorry, Tyson.” She comes to me, kneeling at my feet, her hands on me knees.

“I died at the hospital.” Another sharp gasp. “I met my maker, baby, and he is one fucking scary motherfucker. Because I tried saving, my wife, and genuine regret filled my heart, I was offered to be a Reaper to come up here and keep the humans safe from demons and lost souls.”

“How long have you been doing this, Ty?” I scoff a laugh. “I died in nineteen-eighty-one. It was the year I turned twenty-one. We do age, but slowly.” I inform her.

“I am twenty-five.” She adds with a cute smile. “so I got myself a sugar daddy, huh” she jokes.