Campbell's Reaper: Soul Reapers #2 (23 page)

“
Fuck, I know.
”
And I did know. I just didn
’
t
know how to be me without the shit hanging over my head.

“
Sooooo . . . what
’
s
the problem?
”

Nothing.
And
that was the problem if I was really honest with myself.

“
Tank, I have never seen you
so happy as when you are with Cam. Hell when she is in the same room. You NEED
her brother and if you let her leave now - she ain
’
t
coming back.
”

I dropped my head back as his words
rolled around in my mind.
She ain
’
t
coming back.
“
Maybe it
’
s
for the best.
”

“
What
’
s
for the best?
”
His
voice was eerily calm.

“
Cam leaving. It was what I
was going for . . .
”

“
WHY?
”
Great question
brother.

“
Why?
”
I parroted back.
“
Because
I am a worthless piece of shit that can
’
t
protect her. That
’
s why. She got taken twice.
Not once but twice since she has been mine and I didn
’
t
stop shit.
”

Silence followed my admittance and
stretched so long that I finally looked back at Colton to find him smiling his
infamous smirk.

“
Been yours huh?
”

What?
“
What?
”

“
You just said since she has
been yours. When did she become yours?
”
I wanted to wipe the
knowing smirk off his face.

“
The minute I fucking laid
eyes on her.
”
And
it was the truth. She has always been MINE.

“
Enough said.
”
Colton turned down the
hall.
“
Then
let
’
s
go claim it.
”

The minute I fucking laid eyes on her.

Acceptance of what I just admitted to
myself, of what I wanted, of what I could finally let my heart feel poured
through my body as I took a cleansing breath. He was so right. It was time to
claim what was MINE. I threw on clothes and was down the steps and out the door
before I talked myself out of it.

CHAPTER
TWENTY

Campbell

Whistler was too easy. He was a fucking
prick. But too easy to read. After about ten minutes of me boo-hooing, Whistler
gladly threw my shit in one of the trucks and took us to the safe house. Plus,
his ideal version of Tank did not include me attached to his hip so in Whistler
’
s
mind he was killing two birds with one stone. It took a little under two hours
to get there. When we pulled up, Knox was already on the front porch with a
shot gun lying across his arms.

“
No one is supposed to be
here until morning.
”
Knox could be intimidating as hell when he
wanted to be and this was one of those times.
“
Why
are you here?
”

“
Calm down Knox. One of
Baxter
’
s
girls is making the trip with him.
”

“
Since when?
”
Knox was pissed. He looked
from Logan to me and then to the bags I was carrying from the truck.
“
Does
Tank know? Hell, does Prez know?
”

“
I don
’
t
know and I don
’
t care,
”
ranted Whistler.
“
Since
I
’
m
the one driving Baxter
’
s sorry ass out of here, we
can leave now and gain some time on the road.
”

“
You are leaving now?
”
Logan asked.

“
Pretty much. Get in the
house and say your good-byes while I load up the truck.
”

We did not argue with Whistler and
followed Knox into the house. It was older but in good condition. It was dark
throughout the house so I could not really see anything worth noting. He led us
past the kitchen, down a long hallway that had two doors at the end.
“
The
one on the left is Baxter
’
s. To the right is the girl
’
s.
”

“
Who is she?
”
Logan asked as we stood
outside the doors.

“
She
’
s
not talking. I can barely get her to eat anything.
”

“
Maybe I should try,
”
offered Logan.

“
Go see Baxter first,
”
Knox directed as he stepped
into the other room, leaving Logan and I outside Baxter
’
s
door. Logan reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a slight squeeze before
opening the door.

We both gasped at the sight before us.
Baxter lay tied to a double bed that was in the middle of the small room. His
face was so bruised and swollen that you could barely make out the shape  of
it. There were lumps and scrapes all over his neck and arms. He was a shell of
his former self, having lost at least thirty pounds.

“
Oh God dad, are you okay?
”
Logan asked as she rushed
to the side of the bed.

“
Logan, is that you?
”
His voice sounded so weak
and small.

“
And Cam,
”
she explained, taking his
hand in hers.
“
The Hellhounds did this to you.
”

“
It
’
s
nothing I didn
’
t deserve,
”
he admitted. I had never
seen my father look so small and insignificant. Baxter was a vibrant man who
could talk a starving dog out of a bone, but this man, he was weak and scared.

“
You come to say good-bye?
”
he asked as he looked
between the two of us.

“
Cam is going with you.
”

“
She can
’
t.
This is club business and she can
’
t
come.
”

“
No daddy. She wants to come
with you.
”

“
Absolutely not Logan Marie,
”
he said as he looked at
her.
“
They
are going to kill me,
”
he whispered,
“
and
I will not have my daughters witnessing that or paying for my sins ever again.
”

Baxter looked right at me.
“
You
stay here with your sister where these men can keep you safe. My body may be
beaten and broken, but my ears work just fine. It sounds like both of you have
found brothers who will look after you and make sure you are safe. Keep it that
way.
”

Right as I was about to object . . .

BANG BANG

BANG BANG

BOOM

BANG BANG

The gun shots echoed off every surface
in and around the house. The silence that followed was overwhelming.

“
Fuck. Everybody get down.
We are taking hits,
”
yelled Knox as he ran down the hall.  More
gunfire rained down on the house. Logan and I found each other on the floor as
the windows to our room got shot out. We screamed as glass shattered all around
us. I felt pieces bite into my skin as we crawled across the floor and through
the door.

“
Oh shit! Baxter!
”
I shouted over the noise.
“
He
can
’
t
get out of there.
”

More gun fire. More glass shattering.
More shouting. More cursing. More shots.

Silence. Not even the crickets dared to
make a sound as the stifling quiet filled every space in the house.

I gasped again when I heard the roar of
motorcycles in the distance. Friend or foe? I could not tell as Logan and I
stayed crouched down in the hallway.
“
Should
we get Baxter?
”
I
whispered, but felt that my voice carried too far when the gunfire started
again. More of everything this time as the intensity of the fight grew until
again there was silence. My harsh breathing mingled with Logan
’
s
as we hugged each other tight.

“
Clear.
”

“
All clear,
”
Knox yelled back.

“
Logan. Are you in here?
”
Colt
’
s
voice rang throughout the house.

“
Down here,
”
she called back as we both
stood arm-in-arm.

“
God damn it woman. Trouble
finds you everywhere you go.
”
Colton cursed as he took us both in his
arms. After a moment I eased myself out of the embrace, allowing Colt full
access to Logan. I heard the murmurings of love, which hurt more than I wanted
it to.

“
Sunshine.
”
That one word made my heart
skip a beat. I looked at Tank as he swept me up in his arms.
“
Thank
God you are okay,
”
he whispered into my hair before taking a
deep breath. Tank
’
s hand ran up my back to my
neck, titling it as his lips claimed mine in a soul-shattering kiss. His tongue
snaked through my lips, entangling with mine as he took the kiss deeper.

“
Don
’
t
go,
”
he breathed across my lips
before kissing me again. Longer this time as he devoured my mouth.
“
Don
’
t
go Sunshine.
”
As
the kisses slowed down and became small pecks, our foreheads rested against
each other.

“
Why Tank? Why should I
stay?
”
I needed him to be honest
with me; to say the right thing.

“
Because I love you.
”
And he nailed it!

“
You do?
”
I smiled so big my face
hurt.

“
I love you more than life
itself. Before you I had nothing. With you I have everything.
”
My lips found his as I
kissed him with all the love I felt for him.

“
I love you too.
”

Tank

She fucking loved me. I had always
known, but hearing her say it in this moment was completely different.
“
Say
it again.
”

“
I love you.
”

“
Again,
”
I demanded as I kissed down
her neck.

Her giggles made my heart grow twice in
size.
“
I
love you.
”
Her
whispered words shot straight to my cock. I ground against her. A throat
clearing brought me out of my Sunshine haze as I looked around to find Logan
smiling like a proud sister and Colton with his stupid ass smirk.

“
About time brother,
”
was all Colton said as he
offered me his hand. I gladly took it as Logan and Sunshine hugged.

“
Back to business brothers,
”
Knox said as he walked down
the hall.

“
Talk to me,
”
Colton directed as he
tucked Logan back into his side.