“Because you’re here.”
What in the crazy reapers does that mean?
Before I can ask, he turns and whisks toward the door, motioning for me to follow. “Now come on. We don’t have a lot of time.”
I rush after him, my boots thudding against the floor. “Where are we going exactly?”
He casts a quick glance over his shoulder. “To meet Heartley, the maddening. And then we’re going into the city to track down a cyborg.”
“Oh.” I don’t know which is worse, my partner possessing the ability to drive me to the brink of insanity, or that fact that I have to go into the city with reaper blood in my system.
“Don’t worry, you’ll do great.” Leader gives me a soft pat on the arm and an enthusiastic smile. “If I didn’t think so, then I wouldn’t let you out.”
I may have believed him if the voice in my mind didn’t whisper ominous warnings.
Don’t trust him. If you do, your life will only end in tragedy. You’re not ready. You’ll never be.
End in tragedy? Hasn’t my life already ended? I think to myself. My parents cursed me and now I’m a reaper. What could be more tragic than that?
The voice laughs. Oh Remi, is that what you believe? Because there’s so much more to what happened to you. So, so much more.
Chapter 3
Ava
I’m in over my head. Way, way over my head. But I can’t back out. At least, according to my grandma.
“No matter what happens, don’t back out, Ava,” she said before I left the house. “If you back out then we will get kicked out. And if we get kicked out then you, me, and Larry are all gonna end up living on the streets.”
Like I really give a shit if Larry, my grandma’s on and off again boyfriend, ends up homeless. The guy is a straight up asshole, always has been since my grandma brought him into our lives years ago. When I was a child, he constantly yelled at me, even for things that weren’t my fault. His beer was warm. The house was too dusty. The neighbors were bugging him. I don’t know how he convinced himself that those things were somehow being caused by me. The only explanation he ever gave me was, “You’re the devil’s child—cursed—and one day you’re gonna find that out.” When I asked him what he meant, he told me to ask my grandma. So I did. My grandma insisted Larry was drunk and just babbling nonsense and while she seemed a bit squirrely, I chose to believe her. I mean, what other choice did I have? She’s the only family I have left, has been since the day my parents died in a car accident. Sure, she wasn’t always the best grandma ever, like the time she forgot me at the park or the carnival or the grocery store. But at least she took me to those places with her. Although, sometimes I wondered if she wished I wasn’t around, since she was always forgetting me. Sometimes I wished for a better life, one where I was remembered. That was when I was younger, though. Now I’ve realized wishing is ridiculous. That it doesn’t matter if I’m remembered. In fact, being forgotten can come in handy sometimes. Like, right now.
In exactly one hour, I’ll be eighteen, an official adult. But once again, my grandma forgot it’s my birthday. I’m glad, though. Because if she had remembered then I’d be at home, listening to her explain that she didn’t get me any presents or cake, but we could hang out and watch television together, just like we’ve done for every other one of my birthdays. Which would be fine except Larry would probably be there, and for the last few years or so, Larry has gotten too handsy with me.
“You’re a pretty lookin’ girl,” he told me one day when I was about fifteen. Then he tried to cop a feel. It was the first and last time I ever wore a dress. And the day I went from not liking Larry to utterly fucking hating him.
When I told my grandma about the incident, she dismissed me, calling me a liar.
“I went through too much to get Larry,” she said. “He’d never do something like that to me.”
“What do you mean you went through too much to get Larry?” I questioned. “I thought he hit on you in a bar and you guys fell madly in love within minutes.” I’d mentally rolled my eyes at the last part; always did whenever I heard their love story that I never fully believed.
Her eyes briefly widened but then she collected herself. “Go clean your room, Ava, and do your homework or whatever the hell kids your age are supposed to be doing.”
My heart hurt that she was dismissing what Larry did to me, but I was pissed off too. “What’re you going to do about Larry?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I think the real question is what am I gonna do with you? Because I can’t have another woman seducing my man.”
I gritted my teeth. “I didn’t seduce him.”
She eyed me over. “Oh yeah, then why are you wearing that short dress?”
The dress went to my knees, so I didn’t understand what the hell she was talking about. It didn’t really matter, though. “What I’m wearing has nothing to do with what happened. No guy should ever touch a girl without her permission and he didn’t have my permission.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure he didn’t.”
Fuming and hurt more than I’ll ever admit, I turned and stomped toward my room.
“And Ava,” she called out. “If I ever hear about anything happening between Larry and you again, you won’t be welcome in my house anymore, got it?”
“Got it,” I gritted out.
It was the last time I openly spoke with my grandma. From then on, I avoided her at all costs and it felt like she did the same with me. I also avoided being in the house as much as I could, crashing on couches or park benches. But sometimes I had to go home, and whenever I did, Larry was there, waiting to remind me that my grandma cared more about him than me. Which made him think he owned me.
One day, I’m going to make both of them pay, I think to myself as I weave my way through the crowded bar I entered using my fake ID. I try not to touch as many people as possible—because I fucking hate being touched—as I make my way to the back doors. Once I’m outside, my grandma gave me specific instructions on what to do next.
First, a guy is going to wander down the alleyway to make a drug drop near the far back dumpster. He’ll leave the drugs u
nderneath a crate. I’ll have exactly one minute to grab the drugs and get the hell out of dodge before the person who bought the drugs shows up.
So, yeah, basically I’m about to steal from a drug dealer, which yes, I know, isn’t very smart. But not only did my grandma threaten me with all three of us being homeless if I didn’t do this, but she also said she’d get rid of everything I owned, including the few photos I have of my parents. That was what really did me over.
So, here I am about to rob a drug dealer. It’s not the first time I’ve stolen or anything, but definitely the first time I’ve stolen from this sketchy of a person.
I sigh as I reach the back door of the bar. One day I’m going to say goodbye to this shitty life and take off. Then my grandma and Larry won’t have me around to get money for them after they’ve spent all of their finances on drugs, whores, strip clubs—the list is endless.
I crack the door open and peer outside, checking that no one is around. Once I’m positive the coast is clear, I slip out the door and step outside underneath the starry night sky. The air is a bit chilly so I pull my leather jacket tighter around me before hurrying toward the dumpsters. Puddles splash underneath my clunky boots and the chains hooked to my black skinny jeans jingle as I quicken my pace to a jog. When I hear the sound of a voice, I jump behind the nearest dumpster and crouch down in the shadows. Then I hold my breath and freakin’ hope to hell I don’t get caught.
My heart is thudding in my chest as someone approaches the other side of the dumpster I’m hiding behind. Whoever they are, is taking loud, calculated steps. Seriously, what’re they doing? Auditioning for the marching band?
As the footsteps grow louder, my nerves double. What happens if they saw me sneak back here? What happens if I get caught? My grandma said not to back out no matter what and I rarely do, but how can I not back out if the drug dealer straight up figures out what I’m up to? Then again, he might kill me and then I won’t have to make the choice. Wouldn’t that be a way to go? Dying behind a dumpster, beside rotting garbage and what I’m pretty sure is a dead cat…