Then, she turned to face him fully and marched toward him, as soon as she was within distance she reared her arm back and slammed her fist into his nose. Blood erupted instantly, spraying his clothes, the ground and even onto Reese.
“Holy shit!” Jack blinked. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“That was for everything you and your kind have ever done in this town!” Reese shouted, looking ready to hit him again.
“We got this,” Greg told her in a calm voice. “No more.”
Reese panted with anger and exertion, but then nodded that she understood.
Dan bent over and held himself steady with his arms on his knees and then looked up at Reese as she hurried back to him with her arms out. “I should not be excited by this, but baby, you are a badass.”
Reese grinned at him and shook her head. “No, you really should not be excited by that, weirdo.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
REESE
Her head hurt with a pain that she had never felt before. Her fist hurt too, but not as bad as her head. Even after lugging the Reaper through the graveyard and over to where David was waiting in the cruiser, she was still shaking with anger and fear.
She understood now what the Estmonds were up against. This was real. All of it was so, very real. She felt horrible for ever having doubted Dan or the others at all.
Jack and Greg opted to ride with David to make sure that he could handle the Reapers and get them put into a cell. She had no doubt that they would be back out tomorrow and they would have to face them again sometime.
She couldn’t fathom it. These people would kill the Estmonds. They almost killed her, twice now, and there was nothing they could do about it. What were they supposed to do if they didn’t kill, just keep chasing them off? There had to be another way that didn’t involve killing.
The Reapers were people. If they were monsters or something crazy like that, it would be easy to say, hell yeah, let’s vanquish them. But, no, they were actual, living breathing people who just happened to survive on souls and wanted to kill the Estmond family.
This brought so much into perspective. She couldn’t imagine the moral dilemma that this family went through on a daily basis.
Inside the house, Reese ordered Dan to sit at the kitchen table.
“I’ll get the medical kit,” Steph told them, and hurried off.
Lucy wandered in, yawning and stretching, but her eyes grew wide when she saw Reese kneeling on the floor beside Dan who was sitting in a chair, both covered in blood.
“What the hell happened?” Her eyes moved around as if the answer were right there in the kitchen. “How did I sleep through this? Darn pregnancy, it’s making me sleep so heavy.” She looked down at her stomach and frowned.
“There were Reapers out there,” Dan explained. “I’m okay. David, Greg and Jack took them all down to the station.”
“Let me see that.” Lucy strode across the kitchen and took a peek at his wound. “Oh, man, that’s pretty bad.”
“I’ve got the medical kit and the alcohol. Oh, hi Luce.”
Dan sighed. “Go back to bed Lucy, and Steph go get cleaned up. We got this.” He slid out of his hoodie and tossed it on the floor.
Steph glared. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
Dan glared back. “And tell them what, I was sliced open by a Reaper? They have to take reports on this stuff. I’d rather not have to do that.”
She set the kit on the table and slammed the alcohol down beside it. “Fine. I’ll be upstairs taking a shower.”
When they were gone, Reese let out a long breath. “Wow, always something going on with you guys.”
He rolled his eyes. “You have no idea.”
“Take off your shirt.”
Dan raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to ogle my body again?” he teased.
“You wish. I need to get a good look at that cut.”
“It will be fine, we can just clean it up.” He peeled his tee shirt off and Reese sort of wished that she hadn’t asked him to take it off. His abs were clearly visible and the muscles in his arms flexed every time he moved. She fought the urge to run her fingertips over his chest and down over his stomach.
“See.” He grinned. “I knew you were just using that as an excuse to get an eye full.”
She didn’t mean to, but a giggle escaped from between her lips. “Don’t flatter yourself. And both you and I know full well that if I want an eye full, I don’t need excuses. You would take off your clothes for me anytime I asked.”
“Okayyyy.” She heard a voice said from behind them. “Obviously the wrong time to get up for a snack.”
“James!” She turned around and found Dan’s brother standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He had obviously heard everything that had been said. “Um … we’re cleaning Dan’s cut.”
James rolled his eyes and crossed the kitchen to the refrigerator. “That is clearly what is happening.”
Dan picked up a roll of gauze and tossed it at his brother, nailing him in the side of the head. “Get out of here.”
Reese shook her head. “Do any of you have your own homes? Why are you all always here?”
James poured a glass of juice and put the carton back in the refrigerator. “We all have our own places. This is Lucy’s house now. But, we all hang out because it’s just easier when we’re all together.”
Reese straightened Dan’s arm and poured alcohol on it. He hissed as soon as the liquid made contact. “Well,” Reese told James, “It’s weird.”
James shrugged. “Eh, like we’ve never been called weird before. Come up with something original, woman.”
“Get out of here,” Dan growled at his brother.
James polished off his juice and set the glass next to the sink. “Fine. I’m going back to bed. Have fun with that.” He gestured to Dan’s arm and strode out of the kitchen.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to go get stitches. This is going to leave a super nasty scar. Even with stitches it’s going to be pretty visible.”
“I’m sure,” he told her. “But I could really use a drink right now. Like really fucking bad.”
Reese had been sure this was coming, so it was no surprise. She was more surprised that he didn’t just go for it and use his flask or find something on his own. He was fighting the urge and that showed that he was trying, at least.
“Let’s just get this cleaned and then we can go back to my place.” She skirted the comment about booze because she figured it was easiest that way. Talking about it might just make him want it more.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” He closed his eyes when she opened the wound and poured some of the alcohol in.
“I own a bar in a redneck town, do you honestly think that I’ve never treated a knife wound before?”
“Sorry, miss know it all.”
“Shush now and let me nurse you.”
“Where is your uniform nurse Reese?”
She slapped at him lightly and then continued what she was doing, but she did it with a smile on her face, even after what they had been through.
As Dan drove them back to her place, she sat sideways in the seat so that she could look at him. As she stared at him, she realized that she had fallen for him. She wasn’t sure when it happened or why, but it happened.
How was it possible that she fell in love with this broken and torn man who pined for his dead fiancé, this man who was an alcoholic and had a million pounds of baggage.
If you didn’t know his secret, it would appear that he had nothing to show for his life. But he was one of the bravest, big hearted, strongest and most amazing people she had ever met. Reese knew it, she could feel it in her bones that Daniel Estmond would sacrifice his life to save hers if he had to.
Not that she would ever want him to do that, but the fact that he would, spoke volumes to her.
As soon as they stepped inside and the apartment door was closed, she set her keys down on
the table beside the door and then turned to Dan. He seemed to anticipate the embrace and welcomed her into his arms.
She hugged his chest and then stood on her tiptoes so her lips could reach his. The first touch of their lips was soft, just a whisper as her lips brushed against his. She ran her hands down the length of his biceps and then back up again where she gripped the collar of his coat and gently began to tug it down.
He released her from his strong arms only long enough to let the coat slip away from his body. Then, his hands were on her back again, pressing her tightly up against him. She began to kiss him with a passion that could not be mistaken, she wanted him to know that she was hungry for him.
He stepped forward a couple paces, walking her into the door and there was literally zero space left between them. Her body was flush against his, but he bent and gripped one of her legs in each of his hands, lifting her up so that he was between her legs. Her arms went around his neck, helping to stabilize her in place.
She nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth and kissed his lips, then his neck, teased his ear with her tongue. She was ready, more than ready.
“Reese …” His voice was low and hoarse. “We … maybe we should stop here.”
She did stop, but only long enough to look him in the eye and tell him, “I’d kind of like to keep going.”
He kissed her lightly. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “How in the world would you be taking advantage of me? I’m not drunk or emotional, or anything like that. I’m a big girl who knows what she wants and right now, that is you.”
“I just …”
“Look Dan, if anything, I’m the one taking advantage of you. You’re the guy with the baggage and the problems. So, if you want to play that game, we can. Otherwise, take me to my room and have your way with me.”
He didn’t respond by saying anything. He slammed her against the wall, grinding his hips upward so that she could feel his erection, hard between her legs. Their lips met in a frenzy of passion, kissing and nipping and biting.
Then, he lifted her away from the door and carried her to her room, kissing down her neck the whole way. Once they were in her room, he tossed her down onto the bed and stared down at her.
Reese watched as, without hesitation, he removed his shirt and then bent down, helping her remove hers. Then he began removing his pants and she shimmied out of her jeans as fast as she possibly could, not once taking her eyes off of his amazing body.
Once her jeans were off, she sat on the bed, holding herself up with her hands behind her. Dan’s eyes slid over her body. She had on matching teal green bra and panties that had lace edging of the same color. He drank her in, his dark eyes glazed over with lust. “My god, you are amazing.” He bent down and she scooted backward a bit so that his knees were between her legs.
He began by kissing her neck, then moved downward over her chest. Her breathing hitched as he cupped a breast and pulled the fabric of her bra aside, grazing his thumb over her hardened nipple.
“I want to go slow for our first time,” he whispered against her ear.
Her fingertips slid down his back and around his middle, then down over his thighs. “I’m not sure I want to go slow,” she told him. Her body felt like it was going to combust if she didn’t have him inside her soon.
“There are perks to not moving fast.” As the words spilled from his lips, his fingertip traced down the side of her body all the way to her upper thigh, then around and he slid his finger across the silky fabric between her legs. “Oh, you tease,” she groaned, thrusting her hips upward.
He grinned. “That isn’t teasing. This, would be teasing.” He pushed her panties aside and suddenly he had found the most sensitive spot that existed on her body. “Oh, yes,” she panted as he made circles and rubbed his fingertip over the area. “That … that is definitely teasing.”
He continued on, but suddenly included slipping a finger inside her. She bucked her hips upward in shock and pleasure, and was met with another finger. He pushed his two fingers in and out of her, at the same time using his thumb on her clitoris.
“Now this,” he leaned down and dropped a kiss on her lips, “is a perk to going slow. I love seeing you like this.”
She moved her hips to the rhythm with his fingers until he withdrew them. She sat up quickly, and practically tore at his boxers in order to get them off. She needed him, needed him now.
He was more than happy to help her remove them and once they were off, her eyes were in the direct line of vision to see what awaited her. She throbbed with the ache of wanting him inside her.
Spreading her legs wide, he lay over her and pressed his body flat against her so that they were completely skin on skin. “Reese …” he whispered against her ear and then, her whole body exploded with pleasure as he slid into her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
DAN
He woke to a throbbing headache and a throbbing shoulder. Aside from the fact that everything hurt, he felt pretty damn good. Beside him, Reese lay on her side, facing him, the sheet low around her waist and her breasts free.
For so long, he’d felt like being with another woman would be betraying Anna. He hadn’t wanted to either, so it wasn’t as if he had intentionally abstained. He just hadn’t wanted anyone else.
These feelings he had for Reese had come out of nowhere, that much was certain. But, it was also certain that they were real. Somewhere in between the bar fight and last night, he had fallen in love with her.
He traced his finger over her cheek and down her shoulder. At the touch, her eyes fluttered open and she found him staring at her. “Morning,” she whispered.
“Good morning.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Do you mind if I use the shower?”
She snuggled against her pillow and her hand found his, holding it against her cheek. “Go ahead. Be careful of your shoulder. I’ll redress the wound when you get out.”
“I’ll be careful,” he assured her, gently taking his hand back from her.
He peeled back the covers and sat up. As he did, his stomach rolled. Holy crap, was he coming down with something. After a shaky and unstable walk across the bedroom, he made it to the bathroom and flipped the shower knob over as hot as it would go. He adjusted it once it was pouring out steam and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
He tried to clean up, but it felt like it took forever. After he soaped up his body and washed his hair, he slid down the cool tiles on the back wall of the shower and sat there, letting the water run over him.
“Dan,” Reese called into the bathroom. “Are you okay? You’re taking longer than normal.”
“Yeah,” he managed to croak out just as Reese yanked open the shower door. “Oh, my god, are you all right?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m sick.” He felt cold, but hot at the same time. How was that even possible?
Reese stripped off her robe that she had put on at some point and tossed it on the floor. Then, naked, she climbed into the shower with him. She curled up beside him on the floor and wrapped her arms around him. “You do realize that you haven’t had a drink in like two days, right?”
“What?” He didn’t understand. “Well, I want one now.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I think this is alcohol withdrawal.”
“It sucks. I want to go back to drinking now.” His whole body shook as he spoke and he buried his head against her chest. “I’m sorry.”
She chuckled but just a little. “Don’t ever tell me that you are sorry for this. I will be here no matter how rough it gets.”
“Reese.”
“What?”
“How long will this last?”
“I don’t know. I hear that it’s different for everyone. I’m pretty sure for most it’s a few days to a week. Some people get some of the symptoms, some get all. It’s horrible for some and others get a tiny headache. It just depends.”
“Shit.�
� He pressed the back of his head into the tile.
Reese scooted even closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I know. I know. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be here,” she promised.
“No, you have to go to work.” He would feel bad if she stayed home and missed out on work because of him.
She shook her head. “Sorry, that isn’t going to happen. I’m closing the bar today.”
“That’s stupid,” he stammered. “You need to work.”
“I’m a big girl,” Reese assured him. “I own the place. I can close whenever I want.”
He lowered his head. “I don’t want you to miss work because of me.”
“Stop that.” She gripped his hand. “You are important to me, so of course I’m going to stay with you and you are not going to feel guilty about that. Feel happy that you have someone who wants to stay and help you through it. Okay?”
He nodded. Understanding that she was right about the mindset. He needed to be more grateful for the things he did have in life.
They sat there with the water raining down on them until it ran cold. Then, Reese shut it off and helped him get dry. After that she brought him out to the living room and made him a bed on the couch. “There you go.” Do you need to call anyone from your work and let them know you will be out for a while?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.” Eric hadn’t called, but he probably would eventually.
Reese handed him his phone. “You need to call. This might get worse, so I’d do it now while you can.”
“Fine.” He accepted the phone and made the call. Eric wasn’t too upset, which was surprising. He set the phone on the coffee table and then lay back, covering his clammy forehead with his hands.
The days passed slowly and felt like forever at times. His symptoms did get worse, not better. He’d truly hoped that he would be one of the few where the symptoms were quick and painless. He learned quickly, though, that being a functioning alcoholic does not mean that you will experience less withdrawal.
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