Keeper vs. Reaper (Graveyard Guardians Book 1)

by Jennifer Malone Wright

  Jack closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. Lucy found herself reaching over to hold his hand. She gripped it in her own, letting him know that she was there for him. He focused his gaze back onto Greg. “No, you’re right. She doesn’t care. And she is going to come for all of you full force regardless of if I’m around or not. Now, it’s not just about Lucy being the Chosen One, it’s about the fact that she didn’t get what she wanted. More Reapers will definitely be coming.”

  Greg considered this. “I won’t make decisions as far as you and Lucy, although I admit this is fuckin’ weird, but you are welcome to stay.”

  Jack nodded, but Lucy could see the look in his eye that said he wouldn’t have left anyway.

  “I think Dad’s waiting for us?” Liv changed the subject. She stood near the window facing the graveyard. “I’m pretty sure that’s him on the edge of the yard.”

  James scooted his chair out and stood. “We’d better go fill him in and let him see that Lucy is all right.” He looked at Jack. “Maybe you should hang out here.”

  Jack also stood. “If you’re worried about me and your dad and the soul eating thing, I already met him when I was here before we left.”

  “You met my dad?” Lucy asked.

  He ran his hand through his dark hair, which was all messed up from the fighting and running. She thought it made him look even sexier. Then he shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Yeah, he gave me the go ahead to … well, he told me to do what I had to do as long as I brought you back.”

  Whoa … that was a shocker, but pretty much everything that had happened within the last twenty four hours had a pretty high shock value.

  “Well…” Lucy didn’t want to make him stay in the house, so she nodded. “I guess you can come with.”

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured them, “I’m not going to go on a soul binge or anything. I’m good for a while.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes and headed for the door. “I feel so much better now,” he muttered sarcastically.

  Lucy watched Jack and realized he was, and had been, internally battling with himself. He looked like he wanted to get in Dan’s face and tell him off. Instead, he just moved closer to Lucy and said, “Look man, I understand that you have a problem with me. Believe me, I get that, but unless Lucy asks me to leave I’m staying and you’re going to have to get used to me.”

  Uh oh.

  Dan turned around slowly until he was facing Jack. “Reaper, you know nothing about my problems. The love of my life was killed by one of you mother fuckers. So excuse the hell out of me for not wanting you around at all, especially not around my sister.”

  Still battling, Jack kept his cool. Thank God. “I am not that Reaper. I am not like most Reapers, and I never have been. I helped you save your sister, but dude, you are her blood … If it came down to it, I would go through everything that we went through tonight all over again, even if you were the one who needed saving.”

  Suddenly, the tears wanted to make another appearance. He was telling her brother that her family meant just as much to him as she did. That was pretty much swoon-worthy.

  “I don’t need you to save me,” Dan shot back, then spun, shoving open the door and headed out into the night.

  Lucy squeezed Jacks hand. “Thank you.”

  Jack only let out a long breath and nodded. “Let’s go.”

  So, out into the night they went, the entire clan of Estmond Keepers and one sole Reaper. They must have made quite a sight to anyone who could see the auras, with the misty red of a Reaper enveloped by the shimmering silver of the Keepers.

  Lucy strode across the yard with Jack and her family. Indeed, she could see her father’s soul waiting at the line between where the yard ended and the graveyard began. The moment he caught sight of all his children, her included, marching toward him, his transparent face lit up with a smile.

  “Oh, thank the Lord, you’re all right,” he cried out as they approached, “all of you, thank God!”

  “We’re okay, Dad. Tired, but okay.” Lucy stepped forward, wishing that she could give him a hug. She missed that so much.

  “And you have brought your friend back with you?”

  She reached out once again for Jack’s hand and he entwined his fingers with hers. “I guess Liv explained things.”

  Her father nodded. “She did. I got the quick version, but enough to comprehend what is going on between you two.”

  “I need him to stick around for a while until we can figure it all out. It’s too hard for me to not have him near me.”

  Even as a soul, her father managed a sarcastic grin. “I would love to know what’s happening here as well.” He turned and gazed off into the cemetery for a moment and then continued. “I can’t make these decisions for my children. I also can’t tell you that I’m completely all right with a Reaper among us, but I don’t really see any other option at the moment. He helped our family tonight and that is a debt we must pay back.”

  Jack held his free hand up. “No, there is no debt. I helped with the rescue, but I would have gone by myself if I had to. Lucy will never be any part of a debt that is being repaid, ever.”

  Wow, this was just getting better and better with each passing moment.

  Her father nodded and looked to his other children. “All right then, no repayment. But, I have to agree that if this pull is as strong as Lucy and the Reaper both say it is, it’s probably more dangerous for them to be apart.”

  Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks Dad and his name is Jack.”

  “Well Jack, I would shake your hand, but …” He held up his wavering and transparent hand in explanation of his lack of manners.

  Jack interrupted him with a wave of his own. “No worries. I understand.”

  “Just mind yourself, Reaper. We are far from alone and if you make one wrong move with my daughter or my family, I’m calling in more Keepers.”

  “Yes sir,” Jack acknowledged him with a nod.

  “Now, tell me everything about what happened during the rescue.”

  The siblings took turns explaining to their father what had happened when they broke into the Empress’s mansion. She did notice that the other’s put in good words for Jack, all except Dan and Ethan, who took every opportunity to make a case for Jack not to be around.

  After the story was told once again, Greg Sr. furrowed his brows with worry. “This is not good.”

  His eldest son nodded in agreement. “We know Dad, we all need to get showers and rest, and then tomorrow we are going to go over planning for Reaper attacks.”

  “And what do you think of this girl and what has been foreseen for the Reapers. Do we think there is truth in it?”

  Hannah yawned and then answered. “I highly doubt that she would have even been in that place if there weren’t any truth in it. She obviously knew that the Empress was a Reaper, and I’m fairly certain that she could see the auras.”

  Jack agreed with her. “Yeah, she could see them. When we tried to get her to come with us she didn’t want to at first, because I was there. She called me ‘one of them.’”

  Greg Sr. smiled. “Well, you are ‘one of them,’ so I don’t blame her. Too bad she didn’t stay with you guys.” He paused and eyed all of his children carefully. “All right, we are going to discuss this tomorrow. You guys look awful.” He waved them off toward the house. “I love you all, glad you’re safe, now go get some rest.”

  The goodnights took another few minutes and then everyone headed back into the house. On the way in, as the first light began to make its way into the sky, Lucy realized that she was getting used to having her father around again. When it was time for him to cross over, it was going to be even harder than losing him the first time.

  Back inside, Steph, James, Dan and Liv all said they wanted to go home to get their showers and rest, but that they would be back as soon as they could. Greg, Hannah and Ethan opted to stay, although Ethan didn’t seem happy about it.

  Lucy c
ornered him in the kitchen when Jack left her alone for a minute to use the bathroom. “Why don’t you just go home if you’re going to be a dick?”

  “I’m not being a dick, Lucy, I’m being careful,” he shot back at her.

  She felt her spine straighten in defense. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You know what it means.”

  “The fuck I do.”

  “These feelings aren’t even real and your letting this guy sleep in your room for fucks sake. You don’t even know him.”

  Their eyes were locked in confrontation and she wasn’t going to back down. “Well, I want to know him, Okay. I’m an adult, Ethan … like I told you before, I can have him in my room if I want.”

  “Well, sorry then, I’m sticking around just in case. I don’t trust him.”

  “Dammit, Ethan. That isn’t what this is about and you know it.”

  “It is about that, but yeah, it’s also about you and me. So fucking what?” He spread his arms wide. “Fucking sue me for caring about you.”

  “Ugh!” Lucy almost stomped her foot she was so frustrated with him.

  “Go ahead.” He stepped away from her. “Go ahead and do what you want, just don’t think that I’m leaving you alone with him.”

  “Greg’s here, I’m not alone.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

  She rolled hers back. “Yeah, I do.”

  He turned and started to walk out of the kitchen. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be in James’ room. Don’t do anything I have to listen to all fucking day. I need to get some sleep.” He pushed out the door.

  “Well, get some ear plugs then!” she called after him as the kitchen door swung back and forth. “

  She turned around and pounded a fist into the counter top. “Dammit,” she whispered to herself. She hated it when Ethan’s feelings were hurt. No matter what, he would always be a best friend to her … but, it seemed like he would always want her as more than a friend.

  She heard a cough, like someone clearing their throat, and spun around to see who dared invade her moment of breakdown.

  Jack stood there, leaning against the doorjamb, staring at her with a glint in his deep, dark eyes. “So, what is this I hear about ear plugs and not getting sleep?”

  His red headed Keeper spun around to face him. Her eyes wide with shock and her mouth hanging open. After the surprise had passed, she gathered herself together and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

  God she was adorable.

  And when the fuck did he start using the word adorable. “I don’t know who didn’t hear it,” he told her with a smile.

  “I…” Her sentence trailed off as he strode across the kitchen to where she stood at the counter.

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured her, “I’m not taking that as an invitation.” He placed his fingers under her chin and gently lifted until she was staring up at him.

  “What if it is an invitation?” she boldly asked.

  He lowered his head until his lips gently touched hers. Damn, her lips were so fucking soft. He stepped forward again, backing her into the edge of the counter. Her lips parted, letting his tongue graze tenderly over hers.

  She moaned a little beneath his lips and wound her arms around his neck, pulling his body even closer, so that their bodies were pressed up against each other.

  Oh fuck. He had to get her out of this kitchen. Right fucking now. He broke away from the kiss, breathing heavily and already feeling the intensity of how much he wanted her. He reached down and grabbed her legs, pulling her up so that she could wrap her legs around him. “Where’s your room?” he whispered.

  She nipped his ear and whispered back. “Out the kitchen door and up the stairs, third door on the left.” She kissed him again, this time with more urgency. Somehow, he managed to get out the kitchen door while holding her and kissing her.

  He broke away from the kiss long enough to pause in the living room and look for the stairs. Spotting them near the front door, he practically ran toward them with Lucy kissing his neck. The stairs were even harder, but he made it up those fuckers and found the third door on the right.

  The door was open so he strode right in, kicked it shut behind him and then fell onto the bed, crushing her beneath him. “Tell me to stop,” he asked her, his voice gravelly. “Tell me to stop and I will.”

  She shook her head against his lips and arched her back. “I don’t want you to stop.”

  He couldn’t get enough of her. He kissed her lips, her neck, and the exposed area of her breasts. Then, he forced himself up, kneeling before her so that he sat between her open legs, looking down at the phenomenal woman before him.

  Her legs were bent at the knee and her skin was almost glowing with a sexual sheen. Her lips were parted, pink and swollen from kissing. He met her eyes and silently questioned her. She gave him a nod without hesitating.

  Then, he went to work on her jeans. He pulled the button loose and lowered the zipper. She gasped and thrust her hips up, as if the mere thought of being naked before him was enough to cause an orgasm.

  Taking the waistband in both hands he tried desperately not to simply rip them off of her, lowering them with excruciatingly slow movement. Once those jeans were down over her ass, it was his turn to gasp. She wore black lacy panties that stood out against her pale skin, and were fucking sexy as hell.

  “Still ok, with this?”

  Her eyes darkened with frustration. “Stop asking me that. I want this and I am not made of glass.” With that, she reached down and pulled at the bottom of her tank, revealing her perfectly soft stomach and then, as the tank went over her head, a matching black lace bra which encased the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen in his life.

  Whoosh, the jeans came off … all the way.

  He was on top of her again and her fingers were clawing at his pants, unbuttoning and pushing them down. With one hand, he helped her get them off, and then used his leg to kick them off all the way. His boxer briefs came off the same way.

  Lucy’s legs snaked up around his back and her back arched as if she were unconsciously trying to get as close to him as possible. He ran one hand up the side of her torso and over the mound of her breast. He pushed the fabric away, found her nipple and swept over it with his thumb, feeling her stiffen at his touch.

  This was insane and he had no idea how it could be happening, but it was and he wasn’t about to give it up for anything … unless she told him to stop.

  His other hand crept around to her back and flicked the snap of her bra open. With a little bit of jiggling, which he didn’t mind at all, she helped slide the bra straps down her arms.

  Staring down at her, he took in every inch of bare skin, then lowered his head and began to kiss every part of her that he could get his lips on. She pushed at him, turning to the side and rolling so that their positions were switched and he was now on his back.

  She looked down at him, a slight smile twitching at her lips and then began to lower her panties.

  Oh, holy fuck. He hadn’t thought he could get any harder, but … yeah, it happened. She maneuvered out of her panties and then leaned down to kiss him again, staying just far enough over him that their bodies weren’t quite touching.

  Holy fucking hell. He groaned and rolled his hips, wanting to be inside of her more than he’d ever wanted anyone.

  She pulled her lips away from his and looked into his eyes, still panting from the sexual tension.

  Suddenly, and surprisingly, he was hit with a conscience. This was the heat of the moment. What if she woke up tomorrow and regretted being with him? He had to make sure she knew what she was doing.

  “I could have your soul right now,” he told her “I could take it without you even knowing I was doing it.” His breathing was heavy too. But she had to know … she had to know that he wasn’t safe. He was a Reaper and she a Keeper, the two species which were born enemies.

 
; He knew these facts, but for some reason that couldn’t be explained, this woman was his and he knew it. This moment sealed his fate … there would never be another woman for him if it wasn’t her.

  Her eyes didn’t stray from his, not even once and she whispered, “I think you already have my soul.”

  That was it. He pulled her down to him and kissed her with more passion than he’d ever kissed anyone. She moaned softly and then reached down until she found the rock hard length of him. She gripped him in her hand and stroked, up and down, rubbing the tip with her thumb.

  What in the hell was she doing, trying to make him come before he even got inside her. Well, fuckin’ two could play at that game. He caught her around the waist and threw her off to the side, then moved over until he was the one on top. She gasped in surprise, but then relaxed against the bedding. He braced himself above her so that their bodies were several inches apart.

  Slowly, he lowered his head until their lips touched. He kissed her, long and hard, trying to let her know how much he wanted her. When he broke away, he didn’t take time to catch his breath, he went right to kissing her neck. Then, he moved down to her collar bone trailing his tongue over the prominent bone. Next he moved lower and found her breasts. He reached up and cupped one with his right hand, simultaneously using his tongue on the left one. He flicked her nipple gently with his tongue and then circled around it.

  While he would have loved to have stayed in that spot all night, he had better, far more enjoyable plans for her.

  He continued his trail of kisses down over her belly, and then down one thigh. She opened her legs wider to accommodate, so he switched back and forth between both her inner thighs, kissing his way to the sweet spot.