Keeper vs. Reaper (Graveyard Guardians Book 1)

by Jennifer Malone Wright

  “You know why I’m here.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I do, but that doesn’t mean it’s not creepy.”

  Shit. It was creepy. “Sorry,” was all that he could think to say.

  “No need to be sorry, just stop trying to feed me this bullshit about keeping me safe when you’re putting yourself at risk too.”

  He hadn’t really thought about it that way. All he knew was that he had to make sure that she was all right. He didn’t care about himself. The fact that someone else might was not factored in.

  “So who’s the guy?”

  She didn’t pretend to be surprised. “That’s my best friend.”

  “Ah, well, that’s a pretty good benefit for being friends.” He broke a small branch off one of the trees and fiddled with it.

  “Shut up, he’s like a brother.”

  Jack smiled, unable to keep his expression serious. “Yeah, that doesn’t make it better.”

  “Dammit, you know what I mean.” She threw her hands up in frustration. “It’s nothing.”

  He picked some of the little leaves off of the branch and dropped them absent-mindedly to the floor of the woods. “I’m so happy to see how you view that sort of thing.”

  Jack could not believe what was coming out of his mouth. What was he, sixteen? And to top it off, he’d slept with several women in town already and he was giving her a lecture on kissing her best friend.

  “You sound jealous?” she countered, her eyes wide and questioning.

  He tossed the whole branch down to the ground. “Of course I’m jealous. I told you what was going on with me. I told you how these feelings were fucking me up! I don’t want to see another man touch you ever again, regardless of if it’s to hurt you or to fuck you, it’s all the same to me.”

  He expected her to realize just how fucking nuts he was and get the hell away from him. To his surprise, her reaction was completely the opposite. Her eyes softened and she came toward him so that there was only about a foot of space between them. “I was trying to see if kissing him would get you out of my head,” she admitted.

  He had been ready to tell her that he didn’t want to hear any more about it, but her last words stopped him. “You wh … did it work?”

  She shook her head, her red hair swaying with the movement. “No, it made it worse.”

  “Worse?”

  “It only made me feel bad for using him. I realize that, even though the only time you and I kissed, you were trying to prove a point … but, it was still a kiss that felt like it was meant to be … it was perfect in every way.”

  Stonewalled. He couldn’t find the words to respond, mostly because he felt the same way.

  She continued since he stayed silent. “So, there are a few things I want to know. One, do you believe that people are meant to be together? Like … um … soul mates or fated partners? Second, if this,” she gestured to herself and to him, “doesn’t go away and space doesn’t get rid of it, what will we do?”

  He closed his eyes, trying to picture a life without Lucy in it. Not that she was in it to begin with. He barely knew her, and had only spent moments with her, yet it wrenched his heart to even think of never seeing her again.

  When he opened his eyes, his gaze locked with hers. “No, I have never believed that every person had someone who was meant for them. And for the second question, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “Jack, that bridge is right in front of us.”

  She was right. He leaned against a tree and wiped his hand across his forehead. God, it was fucking hot outside. He couldn’t wait to get out of the heat and into some air conditioning. “I know.”

  Lucy pushed twigs and rocks around in the dirt with her toe. “This is weird, and I feel like a dumbass even saying this, but maybe you should think about leaving now.”

  He totally should. Yup, pack his shit and go. “I can’t. It wouldn’t feel right until we take care of the guy who’s after you.”

  “We talked about this before. If the one who attacked me is taken out, the Empress of the Reapers will only send another and another after that. She won’t quit until I am gone. It’s not going to stop, Jack.”

  “I am not just going to leave you here to die. I won’t do that.”

  “But, you came here to kill me.”

  He felt his heart speed up a few beats. “Things have changed. If anyone else even comes close to you now, it will be them who dies.”

  “It’s time to try and end this, Jack. I can’t concentrate on anything but you, and that’s not good.”

  She wanted him to leave and he knew that he should, but damn if it wasn’t harder than he expected to actually do it. “Is this what you really want?”

  For a moment she only stood there staring into his eyes and then she offered him a slight nod. “Yes. It is.”

  “Well, if that is the way you want it, then I’ll be gone in the morning.” Even as he said the words it felt so wrong. For one, he never gave in when there was something he wanted and for two, he had never felt so much emotion for a woman and now he was just going to leave her to die. But, it was what she wanted and she needed to focus on keeping herself safe.

  “It has to be this way. Both of us keep putting ourselves at risk in the name of the other, and that is what is going to get us killed.”

  He turned away from her and looked off into the woods. “I said I would be gone by morning.” He knew that he sounded angry and didn’t care.

  “We both know this is the right thing to do.”

  “Yeah, I know, but it doesn’t feel right.”

  An awkward silence filled the space between them. “I’m sorry,” Lucy blurted, like she had to say something … anything to rid them of the silence.

  Jack tilted his head wondering why the hell she was apologizing. “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t need to be sorry,” he told her in a low voice. “You should probably go back inside though.”

  She was still pushing the debris around with the tip of her shoe. “Yeah, probably.”

  There it was again, the awkward silence. “It…” she began and then paused, “I want to tell you it was nice to meet you, but it hasn’t been exactly the most awesome of meetings. But, I feel like you deserve more than a ‘cool, I’ll see ya later.’ You know?”

  “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” he told her. He did, indeed, understand what she was talking about because he felt the same way. Knowing that she was going to walk away, and he was going to go pack his things and leave town, seemed impossible.

  She gave him a little smile and turned toward the opening in the trees. “I’d better get back before someone notices that I’m gone. Jack, it has not been a pleasure meeting you, but I am glad that I know not every Reaper is the heartless being that we have always thought they were.”

  But he was, before he met Lucy, he was heartless. She didn’t know what she was talking about. “I’m happy to hear that,” he told her coldly. “I can’t say I’ve been exactly thrilled with our unexpected situation either, but it sure has been a learning experience, if anything.”

  Lucy nodded, her eyes never straying from his. “Well … goodbye … Jack.” Then, she turned and stepped toward the opening of the trees.

  No, no, no. There was no way it was ending like this. “Fuck it.” He lunged forward and grabbed her arm, turning her quickly so that she was facing him. Then, his arm snaked around her, crushing her body to his. Without giving her anytime to resist, he lowered his head until his lips found hers.

  She responded immediately, her lips parting to let his tongue urgently meet with hers. She let out a soft moan and her arms went around his neck.

  He didn’t know how long they kissed, but he could have stayed like that forever. Even with the heat and the danger all around them, he didn’t care, she was fucking perfect.

  She was first to come up for air, pulling away and taking a deep breath.

  “Was that the type of g
oodbye you were looking for?” he teased as he stared down into her dark brown eyes.

  She smiled. “Something like that.”

  They still had their arms around each other, both unwilling to release the other.

  “I’m sorry,” he told her. “I couldn’t let you go without doing that.”

  She shook her head so vigorously that her hair swayed around her shoulders. “Don’t be sorry. Never be sorry for that. That was the most epic kiss I have ever had in my life.”

  A perfect goodbye, he thought.

  “All right, then I’m not sorry.” He leaned down and nipped at her lip. “But you really need to go inside now.”

  “I know,” she whispered. But, instead of pulling away, she stood on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his again. The kiss was slow, less urgent than before. The kind of kiss that built up until they were both panting with desire for each other when they parted.

  “Lucy,” he gasped and then pulled away quicker than he would have liked.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing … nothing is wrong at all.” Yeah, nothing except that he was getting a fucking hard on. “It’s pretty much exactly the opposite of wrong.”

  “God dammit!” She cursed and spun around. She looked out in the direction of her house while Jack stared at her back and tried to get his lower half to calm the fuck down. When she turned back to him, his heart sunk. Her eyes had welled with tears which were escaping from the corners and sliding down her cheeks. “I have to go, Jack. I … I have to go.”

  “Lucy!” He stepped forward to stop her. She had anticipated this and moved backward, out of his reach.

  “Thank you … thank you … for this.” She wiped her cheek, then spun on her toes and ran.

  “Lucy, wait!” he followed her to the edge of the trees and then stopped abruptly before he stepped out into the open, he couldn’t go chasing her across the yard to her house. So, instead, he watched her run aimlessly across the yard until she disappeared from his sight.

  That was probably the last time he would see her, and he was stuck with the image of her running from him in tears.

  “Mother fucker!” He charged forward and kicked an innocent tree. “Dammit!” He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Hitting and kicking shit, like a two year old throwing a fit because he didn’t get what he wanted, wasn’t going to help matters any.

  Breathe in … breathe out.

  Lather, rinse, repeat.

  All right. Now, he needed to get the hell out of the heat before he passed the fuck out. His truck was parked down near the bridge, so he jogged most of the way back to it, even though he felt like he was on the brink of heat stroke.

  Once he got to the truck, he fired it up and headed back to the house.

  He could not wait to pack up and get out of this hell hole of a town that had managed to ruin his life in a matter of days.

  Mother fucker, Aiden thought as he crouched down in his own little section of the woods around the farmhouse. It was no wonder that Jack had saved that Keeper.

  He had been scouting the area, hoping to see how many Keepers were in and out of the house, and whether the Chosen One was confined to house.

  Yeah, there he was, minding his own business when he saw the young Keeper step out of the house, close the door softly behind her, and jog across the yard where she suddenly disappeared into the woods.

  He was curious about what she was doing, but also thinking that maybe the whole kidnapping idea was going to be easier than he had originally thought it was going to be. As quietly as he could, he moved over the rough terrain until he could once again see the Keeper.

  He spotted her red hair and the silver shimmering around her instantly. There was someone with her, though. Someone she had sneaked out of the house to meet in secret. It felt like it took forever until she finally moved to the side and he saw who it was.

  “You son of a bitch,” Aiden mumbled under his breath.

  There was Jack, talking to that Keeper. He couldn’t believe his eyes, and it wasn’t because he was talking to the Keeper, probably warning her about the impending attack. It was the look in Jack’s eyes.

  He had known Jack a long time, and not once had he ever seen him look like he was in love. Not fucking once. He knew every expression the bastard had, and never had this particular one ever appeared.

  He watched carefully, wondering what they could possibly be talking about, and then his mind managed to be blown for the second time in the same day when she turned to leave and Jack grabbed her, pulling her back and laying a romance novel kiss on her.

  What. The. Fuck.

  How in the hell were they kissing in the first place? That should hurt like a bastard. Neither of them appeared to feel the burn which should have been forcing them apart. No, the two of them looked like they were three seconds away from ripping off their clothes and going at it.

  God, he really hoped they didn’t do that.

  Annnnnd they were still kissing. Shit, he was starting to feel uncomfortable watching them, like watching porn alone, hoping like hell that no one catches you. Yeah, it was that feeling.

  Finally, they tore themselves away from each other. Well, for like two seconds, and then they were making out again.

  What the hell was he going to do about Jack? Shit, it was one thing for him to be insubordinate to his mother, but this … this brought pissing off your mom to a whole new level.

  The next thing he knew they were talking again, she turned away from him, looking in the direction of her house and then, before he knew it, she bolted. She ran over the expanse leading up to her house and then disappeared.

  He should have followed her, to see where she went, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his best friend. Jack stood there with his arm out, fingers reaching for the woman who was running from him.

  He turned and kicked a tree, taking out his feelings on the forest. When he finally turned to give the farmhouse one last look, the only thing Aiden saw was what looked like the pieces of a broken heart reflecting in Jack’s eyes.

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Aiden shook his head and scurried off further into the woods where he wouldn’t be seen. Jack was taking a huge risk, standing around in the woods like that where people could see him. If Aiden could see him then the Keepers would be able to as well.

  After he backed off into the woods a bit, he circled around until he could get a view on the farmhouse again. There she was. The little Keeper was standing up against the house by the side door. Sunlight glinted off the tears which stained her face and her hands were gripping her hair, like she wanted to rip it out.

  Shit, whatever had just happened between her and Jack had to have been pretty serious, because they both looked pretty tore up about it.

  Well, as much as it pained him to see Jack suffer, he had a job to do.

  His eyes stayed with her as her sobbing ebbed and she took a few long, deep breaths. After she had finally calmed herself a bit, she gazed toward the graveyard. Slowly, she pushed herself off the wall and then headed that way.

  He followed along with the cover of the trees which edged their entire property.

  She stayed on the trails walking slowly and moving her gaze back and forth. “Dad, where are you?” he heard her call out. “Come on, I know you’re here somewhere.” She kept walking, trudging up the hill. “Please … Daddy, I need you.”

  “Lucy!” someone called out and her head swung toward the voice. Her expectant expression fell when she realized it wasn’t her father. A red headed Keeper came running up the path. “Lucy, what the hell are you doing out here? No one knew where you were.”

  “I’m fine,” she told him when he was close enough that she didn’t have to yell. “I just want to talk to Dad … alone.”

  “Luce, you can’t be out here by yourself.”

  She nodded. “I know, it’s not safe.” Her voice was mocking and she used air quotes to emphasize her irritation. “Dammit, Greg, I just want some f
ucking privacy. All right?”

  He tilted his head and scrutinized her more closely. “You’ve been crying.”

  “Just go away.”

  “Why were you crying?”

  “Greg! Go away … please.”

  “Lucy, what the hell is going on?”

  She set her hands on her hips and looked up at him defiantly. “I am having some personal issues and I need some space.”

  For a moment, he said nothing. He merely looked her over as he appeared to be thinking about what the right decision was. “All right,” he said finally. “I’ll leave you alone but I’ll be watching from the house.”

  A shimmering blue mist appeared beside them. The molecules gathered, solidifying into the form of an old man in a Hawaiian button up shirt and Khaki shorts. “I’ll take care of her.” the old man soul said.

  Both Lucy and Greg quickly turned their heads toward the soul, who must have been their father.

  “Dad!” Lucy’s solemn expression perked up.

  Her brother on the other hand wasn’t quite so happy. “Dad, no offense but I don’t think that you are quite equipped to take care of her if something were to happen.”

  Aiden watched with interest, Maybe this Keeper was the only one in the house besides the Chosen One. This would be the perfect time to take action. He could probably take both the brother and the sister, but no more. He might not have another opportunity if what he had heard was correct and they were keeping her pretty much prisoner in the house.

  “I can take care of my own daughter, Jr.,” the old man scolded his son sternly.

  Greg shook his head. “Dad…”

  “I know she needs to be watched, but give the girl some space. Just go over by the house or something.”

  Time to rock and roll. Aiden reached into his pocket and found his gloves. He slipped them on so that the burn wouldn’t hinder him when he touched the Keepers, he would have that over them at least. Then, he pulled out his gun.

  Normally, he preferred to be a bit more old-fashioned when fighting Keepers, but that was on his average soul hunts. This was an assignment that needed to be taken care of ASAP, and he couldn’t risk losing in hand-to-hand combat.