Twenty-three

 

Liv

 

I cracked my eyes open, watching a figure enter the room. Shane. Groggily, I turned my head to where Reaper had slept, but it was empty. When had he gone?

“Liv,” Shane whispered, leaning down to shake me. “Up, darling.”

My body clock was broken. I didn’t know what time it was. I blinked slowly and forced my body up with the help of his hand on my arm.

“Wake up,” he told me. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“The day has come, darling.”

Instantly, I knew what he meant. I felt knots in my stomach. “Is it really that time?” I whispered brokenly.

“Not quite. There’s been a change of plans.”

Before I could respond, he was pulling me out of bed, forcing me to my feet. The blanket was curled around me, and he wrapped it tighter before putting his arm around my shoulder and steering me out of the room. It was dark still, but the rain had stopped. The ground was cool and mushy under my feet. There was a soft breeze hitting my face, making me close my eyes momentarily to savour it. Now that I was moving, I was wide awake.

“What’s happening? Where are we going?” I asked.

“We’re leaving,” Shane said, simply. “Reaper listened, after all.”

There was a running car waiting for us. Behind the wheel was Logan, looking equally tired. I glanced quickly around us, searching for Reaper. He was nowhere to be seen.

“Where are we going?” I asked again, stopping to look at Shane as he advanced alone to the car. “I thought it was happening here.”

He opened the passenger door. “He changed his mind. He’s taking you somewhere safe and more appropriate for the occasion.”

It took a moment to absorb his words, and then my legs moved. I slid into the backseat and he followed. Andres drove around the compound to where the tall, wooden gates were. I stared out the window, trying to distinguish our surroundings in the darkness. It was all jungle and wooden huts. In the distance, beyond the gate, I saw a group of Reaper’s men filling the back of a truck with what looked like shrubs. They seemed rushed and panicked, barking orders at one another.

“Did the storm destroy their crops?” I asked.

“It’s been a shit morning,” Logan answered, grim.

“The rain’s cleared. They’re assessing the damage, aren’t they?”

“Yes. Let’s leave it at that.”

I curled into Shane’s side and closed my eyes as Andres drove endlessly down the same trail we’d taken to get here. Shane wrapped his arm around me, patting me gently, assuring me everything was going to be okay.

I was scared. I’d spent a lot of time with Reaper, and yet…I still couldn’t get to the bottom of him. I didn’t know what I was diving into. His interest in me was going to erode fast. He’d tire of our small little challenges and I’d wind up alone in a big house, like the trophy wives in our circle. Maybe I’d wind up bitter like them too.

The car stopped at the end of the trail. We got out and trekked shortly through the jungle before we made it to the clearing. The plane was already running on the dirt strip of road. Logan was already inside. Slightly further away was Reaper, and he was talking to Christy. I stiffened as she moved closer to him, wiping at her eyes.

“She’s not coming, don’t worry,” Shane said, noticing my body response.

Good. I didn’t want to have to deal with her glares or snotty jabs. She was crying. I knew why. We stepped out of the keep as I watched her nod at him, looking pitifully dejected.

Shane stopped to look. “Isn’t it sad?”

It was, actually.

She put her hand to her heart as she spoke to Reaper, seeming to raise her voice because the veins in her neck were out. I couldn’t hear a word because the engines were roaring, but the distraught in her body spoke volumes. Reaper listened to her patiently. Then he dipped his head down to her face and spoke in her ear. Whatever he said seemed to calm her down. She nodded at him a few times, and then she stared at a fixed point in the mud as he walked around her and toward the plane. He caught sight of us immediately and nodded once at Shane before stopping by the door, eyes on me. He was waiting.

“Go,” Shane said, patting me gently on the back.

My eyes widened as I looked at him. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

“No. This is a small ceremony. Reaper doesn’t want me there.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “Don’t, Liv. I can’t be around it anyway. I honestly can’t. I hate to let you go to these circumstances. It eats me up alive. I wouldn’t be able to hold back if I saw you walking down an aisle to someone like him.”

I've never seen Shane look so downtrodden. I wasn’t going to argue with him on this.

“I’m just scared,” I whispered to him, fighting back the lump in my throat. “I can’t do this alone, Shane.”

“You can,” he replied, determinedly. “Your whole life you’ve done it all alone. You just never gave yourself the credit. You were going to give Tony hell, remember? You said it over and over right until the end. What’s different about Reaper?”

I mulled over his words. “He’s…scary.” Scary because I felt things with him.

“You’re only scared of the unknown. Peel back this monster’s layers and get to know him. Then fight like fire, and don’t stop. You’re a survivor. You will find even ground with him and you’ll make it work. Just don’t ever let him hurt you. Never give him that power.”

He gave me one final hug before motioning to the plane. I walked to Reaper, keeping my eyes firm on his, never letting him notice the fear buried in them. Before had been all talk and play.

The time had finally come.

He opened the door for me and extended his hand out to help me in.

“Funny,” I said, wryly. “I didn’t realize I came off as a damsel in distress.”

His lips tugged up, entertained already by my dry words. “If not now, you will be very soon. I’m a lion, feisty, and I’m tired of waitin’ for my meal.”

My cool expression remained intact until I climbed into the plane, moving to the back. They’d reinserted the seats, and they were just as grimy looking as the floor. I sat down as Reaper followed, closing the door shut behind him. Logan handed me a headset and I dutifully put them on, keeping my eyes averted from Reaper. My nerves were causing me havoc. I began trying to buckle my belt, but I was shaking and flustered. Interrupting me was Reaper’s large hands. He batted mine away and clicked the belt in place around me. He was so fucking close to me. This plane was too tiny. I looked up at him, fixated on his perfect profile as he tugged the belt tighter. He looked back at me, a cocky expression on his face.

Jesus, he looked excited.

“Look at the future Mrs Martinez,” he remarked, his voice so low and aching, it warmed my insides. “Shame I can’t marry you in this shirt.”

My heart stampeded in my chest as his eyes dragged down my exposed front. I hadn’t bothered with concealing myself. What was the goddamn point anymore?

He pulled away and climbed to the front of the plane. He put on a headset and took control of the steering. Logan instructed him what to do, surprising me with his precise instructions.

Maybe he wasn’t completely hopeless after all.

In no time we were speeding down the runway and lifting off. Shane stood by the strip of road, growing smaller and smaller.

It was only when I was buried in thought, tuning their words out through the headset, that I recalled what Reaper had said shortly before take off.

Look at the future Mrs Martinez.

It occurred to me I didn’t even know my future husband’s real name.

 

 

The ride was over an hour long. Logan began descending over a populated town along a river. He found the shoddiest looking runway strip without even batting an eye, meanwhile, it had looked completely invisible to me from the sky. The runway was backed by a small field and then a gargantuan looking house.

Logan’s landing was much better the second time with him. He seemed to be far more experienced with this area, not having to check the map every few minutes the closer he had gotten to here.

“You think Matias will be impressed by my landing?” he asked Reaper once the engine was off.

“You’re assuming he was watching you.” Reaper responded, skeptical.

“Why not?”

“Matias may own the residence, but you forget how he lives.”

Realization dawned on Logan’s face. “I thought he was retired.”

“No one retires from our kind of life, Logan. The only people that’ll be around will be the caretakers.”

There was a car ready for us when we stepped out. The driver was behind the wheel as we approached. He looked like he’d been waiting a while. The seat had been pulled back, and he was dozing. How had he contacted a driver to have him ready? I looked over at Reaper, curious.

He opened the back door, motioning Logan and I in. Once inside, he slammed the door shut loud, rousing the driver awake. He bolted up, apologizing for sleeping as he slid the seat forward. Reaper rounded the car and jumped in beside him.

The drive was quick. The driver zipped down a dirt road, past the field, and up to tall, white gates. He waved at a security camera from the window, and it opened straight away. I looked out the window, taking in the lavish Spanish style mansion, red roof and white stucco clad walls. The road turned to asphalt. There were acres of gardens leading up to the entrance. We pulled to a stop at the few steps leading up to the entrance.

Outside the tall dark double-door entrance were three women waiting, dressed to the nines in lavish creamy dresses.

“Jesus, the women here,” Logan muttered under his breath as he took them with a dazed expression. “I’m gonna retire in South America, Reap.”

Reaper looked like he didn’t give a fuck where Logan was going to retire as he stepped out of the car and walked up the steps. They smiled brightly at him, like they were expecting him.

“Logan,” I muttered, confused, “I thought there was no internet where we were.”

“There isn’t.”

“Cell reception?”

“It was completely off the grid.”

I looked at him salivating next to me. “How did Reaper set this all up last minute?”

Logan’s face fell. He glanced at me and heaved a shrug, not responding. I didn’t bother to push it. I watched Reaper have a quick conversation with one of the stunners. Then he turned to the car and let out a whistle, shouting Logan’s name.

He jumped out excitedly, running a hand over his hair real quick as he practically dived up the steps to him. They had a quick word. Taking advantage of this time alone with the driver, I quietly said, “Did you know we’d be here?”

The driver glanced at me in the rear-view mirror and said nothing. Fine. Moments later, Logan returned and opened the door for me.

“Come on, babe,” he said, smiling at me. “Time to get you married.”