SWNOVELS Fear The Reapers: Chapter 6
We checked into a desolate motel on the outskirts of town. We were on a time crunch, so I washed up, dressed my wound as best as I could, and filled Alex in on the plan I haphazardly slapped together.
“You’re seriously out of your mind!” Alex screamed, pacing outside of our motel room’s bathroom. “We don’t even know how long they’ll keep you.”
She was probably right, maybe I was out of my mind, but living in fear for the rest of our lives wasn’t an option. If we tried to escape, all we would do is run. The Reapers were powerful men and would stop at nothing until they found us. We needed freedom and if it meant working off this debt to be free, then so be it. I could handle working for The Reapers for however long it took to get us out of their grasp for good.
“Do you have a death wish or something?” She griped, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Seriously, you don’t even know where to go.”
I flashed her the thick card I swiped from Malcolm as I layered on some red lipstick. It was a business card for Alessandro’s, some fancy ass Italian place uptown, with the word “midnight” scribbled in Malcolm’s chicken scratch writing. No way in hell would Malcolm ever be able to afford to eat at a place like that, not-to-mention they wouldn’t be open at that hour. Whatever was happening at midnight was business.
“This has to be the drop-off location.” I said, sliding her the card and giving myself a once over in the mirror. “It isn’t up for debate, I have to do this.”
My tight black jeans left little to the imagination. Combined with my heeled leather booties and I looked like a total badass. The flimsy black corset top I wore once on Halloween may have been over-the-top, but I threw it on under my thin leather jacket, anyway. I needed to make sure I looked like someone they wouldn’t refuse.
“I’m not letting you go.” She insisted, shaking her head as tears welled in her eyes. “You can’t leave me, I can’t-” Her words choked on a sob as tears streamed down her quivering chin. “We stay together. That’s the rule.”
“I know,” I said, stoning my own features and being strong for her, “but it’ll only be temporary. I’ll check in with you when I can and it’ll be over before we know it. This could be our chance at freedom.”
“Yeah… but at what cost?” She whispered.
I didn’t want to think about what was going to happen to me. All I would focus on was keeping her as far away from this shit as possible. I couldn’t let her know how terrified I truly was, because the thought of what they’d do to her scared me more.
I gave her all the cash I had saved up over the last couple of years and made her promise to finish out school and avoid running into Malcolm at all costs. As far as he knew, we had run away for good. We would be okay as long as we stuck to the plan.
Hopefully.