Reaper's Vow by Sarah McCarty Read Free Book Online Page B

side. They were too far away for him to discern if the child was hers, but their coloring was similar. He reached for her energy. Before he could touch it, he felt the rise in Isaiah’s.
Fuck
. Isaiah
could
sense his tests. That was going to complicate things. He settled back to observing.
    Miranda went about her business with calm efficiency. From what he could tell, she wasn’t one for idle chitchat. She said “hi” to no one, and no one said “hi” to her. But there were no signs of animosity. It was simply as if the others were respecting her wishes. Interesting. A woman who wanted to be left alone.
    It was definitely going to take a little while to figure out the ways of this place, but as much as he’d anticipated looking down on anything Isaiah did, Cole was grudgingly impressed. There was mud, of course, because it’d just rained and the ground had been dug up, but there wasn’t filth. Everything had its place. Everyone had his job. Whatever Jones was doing, it was organized, including changing Addy. Cole didn’t like change. Especially in the ones he loved. And he especially didn’t like it in Addy. She’d always relied on him, and her rituals. She’d built them slowly and steadily over time, and Addy being here was . . . he shook his head. All wrong.
    The temperature dropped as the sun set. As dusk fell, Jones crossed the compound, coming toward Cole with long, firm strides. The man might be crazy, but he was confident. Cole stood. There was an air of tension about the other man. As he got closer, he took off his hat and ran his hand through his thick brown hair. Cole always remembered Jones’s hair as being too long, but it was neatly trimmed now. Addy’s doing, no doubt.
    Son of a bitch. Cole didn’t want to accept Jones in Addy’s life.
    Reese’s voice echoed in his mind.
Like it or not, she loves him. So why don’t you give him a chance?
Cole shook his head. Didn’t look like he was going to have a choice.
    â€œYou ready to listen?” Isaiah asked.
    â€œIt depends on whether you’re ready to talk,” Cole answered.
    â€œI’d rather kick your ass out of here and get back to my life.”
    That was honest enough. Cole took out fresh makings. “If any ass kicking’s going to be going on, I’m going to be the one doing it.”
    Isaiah’s attention was on the makings. “Uh-huh.”
    â€œFrom the way you’re looking, I’m guessing you haven’t had a smoke in a while.”
    Isaiah shrugged. “It pisses Addy off.”
    Cole passed over his makings.
    Isaiah’s lips quirked and took them. He set about rolling the cigarette with his usual efficiency. “You don’t know your cousin too well if you think being mad at me is her foot out the door.”
    Cole sighed. “Used to know her.” He passed Isaiah a sulfur. “It seems she’s changed some, though.”
    â€œFor the better.”
    Cole looked at him and took a drag of his cigarette. “Yeah, well, that would be according to you, and you’ve got an interest in me seeing her as happy.”
    Isaiah lit his smoke. “She is happy.”
    â€œBut she’s not safe.” Cole hazarded a guess.
    Isaiah took a drag of his own cigarette and blew the smoke out, looking up at the hills and the ridges as if he could see what was coming in the landscape.
    â€œNo, she’s not.”
    â€œAnd why would that be?”
    â€œReapers have laws.”
    â€œAnd one of these laws affects my cousin?”
    Jones nodded again, took another drag of his cigarette. “One of the laws is, Reapers are forbidden to take up with human women.”
    That sounded serious.
    â€œWhat’s the penalty for breaking that law?”
    â€œDeath.”
    â€œTo you?”
    â€œTo both.”
    â€œShit. And they sent somebody out after you?”
    â€œThere’ve been a