The Reaper's Daughter (Book 1 Soldiers Series)

11

“Straighten your arm and stare down the sight,” Johnny instructed closing his fingers around Sasha’s wrist to position her arm properly. “Aim with both eyes open, breathe, and when you are ready, squeeze the trigger.” He spoke low in Sasha’s ear, his body positioned behind hers. She stared down her arm at the bottles he had lined up as targets ten feet away.

Sasha pulled the trigger and jumped when the boom filled the air. She missed her target again. They had been in the desert working on target practice for hours, and she could tell Johnny was getting frustrated by her lack of progress. He would not continue to Los Angeles until she could shoot, and she was slowing him down, she knew it.

Johnny paced kicking the dirt cursing under his breath. Calming himself, he came back to her and took the pistol. Changing the clip, he gripped the handle then aimed the bottles. “Ok new approach. The gun is part of you, an extension of your body. Like pointing your finger. When it’s life or death, you can’t afford to miss.” He said indifferently. Firing twice, he blew apart two bottles. “Now try again.” Johnny handed the pistol over to her and Sasha aimed. “Now shoot.”

Sasha pulled the trigger and missed her target. Johnny shook his head, were her life actually in jeopardy she would be dead by now, then again self-preservation was a powerful motivator. “I’m out of time and patients fire again and don’t miss.”

Sasha aimed, calmly she exhaled. Lightly squeezing the trigger, the gun discharged. The boom echoed and one of the bottles fell over. She hit it, the bullet grazed the bottle and knocked it over, it was not a direct hit, but it was close. Sasha jumped up and down proud of her accomplishment.

It was progress if she could at lease wing someone she could slow them down long enough to run. Hopefully, she ran fast. “Ok, that’s enough for tonight let’s hit the road. We’ll practice some more tomorrow.” Johnny sighed walking back toward his car. The sun was going down, and they were hungry. They would spin through a drive-thru and then hit the interstate. Los Angeles was still almost a day away.

Sasha followed Johnny; reaching the car, she offered his pistol back to him. “Keep it. Come LA you’re going to need it. You may as well get to know that one, besides the more you handle it, the less intimidated you’ll feel when holding it, it could improve your shooting. Here.” He took the gun and turned on the safety. Gripping Sasha’s arm, he turned her around, securing the barrel under her belt for easy accessibility. Johnny rearranged Sasha’s coat over the butt of the gun and opened the car door for her. “It’ll be a little uncomfortable at first but believe me in two or three days that discomfort will be a reassuring feeling. Don’t forget to turn off the safety before you shoot. That mistake could get you killed. Are you sure you don’t want to go home?”

“I’m sure; you’re not going to get rid of me so easily.” She teased.

They drove back to the city talking about the hotel they were staying in and the fast food they had picked up. The conversation was light-hearted, and Sasha decided to take advantage of his good mood to learn a little more about the man she was travelling with. “So, did you teach Jess to shoot too?” She asked casually taking a bite from her fries.

“A little, mostly I taught her to use a blade; a gun in a small town would have drawn too much attention.”

“The knife in the doorway, it was hers, right?”

“Yeah, she must have wounded one of them,” he said proudly, “I spent her entire life teaching her to defend herself with deadly force if necessary.” Johnny grinned. “She’s very good with a knife.”

“That’s a strange way for a father and daughter to spend their time.”

“Not if you knew what she’d be up against,” Johnny said half to himself.

“You knew they’d come after you?” Sasha realized.

“No, but I didn’t live this long by taking chances.” Johnny frowned his attention focused on the road.

Not wanting to push her luck Sasha leaned back against her seat admiring the sculptured man beside her. His coat tossed in the backseat due to the heat; she could view his solid arms flexing as he worked the gearshift. Sasha stared at the thorny vines wrapping his bicep. His tattoos were detailed she had to commend the artist. Her eyes focused on the twisting and knotting of the inky vines. Concentrating she began to see a pattern in the twists and bends. The winding vines spelled something she realized.

A…S…H…L…E…Y…

“Ashley?” She read aloud.

“What?” Johnny looked shocked. “What did you say?”

“Ashley, your vines they spell out Ashley. Who is Ashley?” Sasha asked curiously; only he did not answer. Johnny’s gaze diverted from her to the road trying to hide the tear in his eye. The pain was obvious in his face regardless of his attempt to hide it, and without a word, from him, Sasha knew the answer to her question. “She was Jess’ mom, wasn’t she? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… well…”

“It’s fine. It happened a long time ago.” Johnny said his voice shaky.

“You loved her?”

“I gave up everything for her.” He sighed.

The rest of the night was quiet. Sasha could tell Johnny did not want to talk any further. His mind now on lost love. She stared out her window at the stars appearing in the night sky, she had never known this Ashley, but she still found herself jealous. Ashley had stolen his heart and resided there still in death. This woman had affected Johnny emotionally on such a level that he had not loved anyone else in eighteen years. How wonderful it must have been to be loved that much. Chris had never loved her that way.

Sasha felt disappointed and defeated. The last few days she had developed feelings for this dedicated father and would have liked to see it perhaps evolve into something more; but how do you compete with a ghost? She was a passing amusement Sasha realized, and she would have to except that. He would never care for her or any other woman the way he had cared for Ashley.

They drove back to the hotel and took the takeout up to their room. They would eat and shower up before leaving. Johnny sat at the small table in the room eating his meal in silence. Sasha had lost her appetite. “I think I’m going to shower.” She said placing her food on the table beside him. She paused when Johnny reached out and took her hand. Sasha stared down at Johnny waiting for his reason for detaining her.

His dark eyes lifted and his intense gaze held hers. A faint smile on his face. “I’m sorry for being moody with you. It’s just been a long time since I’ve been around any other female outside my daughter.”

“It’s ok.” She smiled. “I understand.” She said caressing his face. Sasha leaned forward and kissed Johnny softly wishing she could take away his pain, wishing she could vanquish his memories.

His hands came up around her waist holding her and Sasha feared he might push her away once more. “You don’t know what you are getting in to.” He whispered as she kissed him once more.

Sasha’s mouth brushed over his lightly, sliding her tongue over the part of his lips. “It’s ok.” She breathed.

Sasha whimpered in shock when Johnny shot to his feet. He spun her and slammed her back up against the wall. Tugging hard he jerked her pants off, and she kicked them aside. Eager to feel him against her Sasha hastily stripped away her shirt and bra, watching him tear off his clothes. His enormous erection exposed. Long and thick, pulsing with hot pleasure. Impatient Johnny ripped the sides of her panties discarding the destroyed material.

Sasha’s hands reached for his erection, and Johnny gripped her wrists hard in one hand. Lifting her arms high above her head he supported her bottom with his spare hand lifting Sasha. Johnny had no patients, it had been almost nineteen years, and he could not wait for a second longer.

“I want you so bad this is going to take hours.” He promised, his voice increasing her pleasure. Johnny was a man of his word, their bodies entwined for hours. Making love as the night wasted away.

***

Johnny stared at the road feeling guilty. Was he betraying Ashley’s memory with Sasha? s*x was one thing, but the concern he felt and enjoyment he got from simply having Sasha around felt wrong. He should have forced her to go home, but it was hard to say no to her when he did not want her to leave. He was speeding her toward certain death, toward a world that would eat her up and expose him for the monster he once was. Ashley had loved that monster, and through that affection, she had made him a better man. Now he betrayed that love with feelings for another woman who could never love him should she learn the truth.

When they reached Los Angeles, he would fall back into that life he had tried so hard to put behind him. He would be forced to become the man he once was. He would have to to survive and to save his daughter. Sasha would see him for what he was and regret coming with him, but by then it would be too late to get out. When they reached Los Angeles, he would try again to send Sasha home. She deserved a last chance to escape the fate awaiting them. He may not have been able to get Ashley out, but he can try to prevent Sasha from falling in.

By dawn Johnny could not see straight he was tired. Sasha had slept for a few hours and offered to drive. Taking over while he slept she managed to get them a few hours closer to their destination. They stopped before they reached the California border to eat and get in some target practice. They filled up the gas tank then debated getting a room for the night. So close to his goal Johnny decided against it and treated Sasha to a coffee at an all-night diner.

She sat across the table from him cradling her hot mug between her palms. Johnny was quiet he had something on his mind, something he wanted to say and did not know how to start. It was as if she could read his mind. “No.” She saved him the trouble of starting.

“No?”

“I won’t go home. We’re so close, and you want me to leave, I won’t, and if you try to make me, I’ll follow you anyway.” She smiled.

Johnny leaned forward his arms on the table. His shoulders slumped, and his head hung. “Sasha, if you come with me you will regret it. Not only is it suicidal but… you’re going to learn things about me. You’re going to see a side of me that may frighten you. You’re getting in over your head, and I’m afraid you’re going to regret your decision to come with me. Once this begins… there is no way out. In the end, someone will be hauled out in a body bag, and it may very well be us. This is your last chance to get out.”

Sasha did not bat an eye once with indecision. “When do we leave?”

She was incredible, unyielding to his reason, her mind was set, and he could do nothing to change it. “Ok then, let me prepare you if you show fear or signs of intimidation they will eat you alive. These people are dangerous and sadistic. They kill for fun; they would blow away their mother for serving them burnt toast. Loyalties can be bought, trust no one but yourself. If you have to draw your weapon to defend yourself, shoot to kill, make no mistake if you miss… they won’t…

“They get off on violence, depravity; they have no morals, no values, on ethics. Some of the things you hear or see will shock you, but pretend it’s nothing. If they don’t feel that you fit in, they won’t hesitate to shoot you and share a beer while using your carcass for a footrest. When you go in there, you have to look and act the part. You’re not a school teacher, you’re a badass b***h, and if you can’t pull it off, they’ll kill us right off the bat. Last chance to go home.”

Sasha considered the ramifications of her choice. “I’ve come this far with you; I’m even learning to fire a gun…when do we leave?”

Johnny gave up there was no reasoning with a woman. “Ok, then you’ll need a name,” Johnny said leaning back in his seat contemplating a suitable name for the innocent looking woman before him.

“I have a name.” Sasha pointed out.

“You need a street name; all of the big bad guys have one. Besides, you don’t want to give them your real name should you ever get out, you don’t want them to find you easily.”

Sasha cringed at his point; an alias was the way to go. “Do you have a street name?” She asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Reap.” He said predicting her next question and unsure he wanted to explain his name. “As in the Reaper.”

“Why did you choose that?”

“You don’t choose your name you earn it. Someone else picks it for you.”

“Why do they call you Reap?” She reworded her previous question.

“You ever hear that saying, you can’t beat the Reaper?” She nodded. “I was a hitman for the Soldiers,” Johnny confessed. “I was young, but I never missed my mark, and I never left enough evidence to get booked. No matter how far they ran, or how well they hid, if they were marked, I found them. They say I swept in and out like death himself.”

A hitman.

Murder for hire. Her expression revealed that she had not expected his confession, then again with his combat skills and the way he handled weapons perhaps she should have. Johnny had led a normal law-abiding life for several years. At one point he had made a conscious decision to leave that life of blood and bullets behind him. She shrugged it off deciding he could not be as bad as he tried to convince her he was.

“What should my name be?” She asked lightly, sipping her drink.

He stared at her for a long moment. Did she even listen to him? Did she not care? He looked at Sasha and took a moment to deliberate. “Angel.”

“And if someone inquires as to how I came by that name?” She smiled flirtatiously taking his choice of names for her as a compliment.

“You can say it’s because you’re my Angel.” He grinned lifting his coffee to his lips. “You wouldn’t be lying.”

“Why Johnny are you flirting with me?”

“No, if I were I’d already have your pants off.” He teased placing his now empty cup on the table. “Now let’s order something to go and get back on the road. I want to reach LA and get some word on how Jess is. God only knows what those people are doing to my baby.”