The Reaper's Angel

Chapter 5:

Chapter 5:

An irritating beeping noise awoke me out of a deep sleep. My head was pounding. Overwhelming nausea hit me. I felt as if I was hung over. The memories of what had happened flooding into my mind. 

My eyes opened only to be blinded by the light ahead. After blinking a few times, I adjusted my eyes before looking around. The white walls of the hospital room lacked anything except for a painting of a beach on the wall. A vase of bright red roses sat on the table next to me. 

What surprised me was in the chair next to my bed, sat a familiar figure in a leather cut. Reaper was fast asleep, a switchblade in his hand. Outside the door, I could hear my father speaking to someone. 

Reaching out, I touched Reaper waking him up. “Hey,” I said, my voice cracking. 

“Hey,” he looks me over. “How are you feeling?”

“Everything sore.”

“Will be for a while. You were shot twice.” he says, cursing to himself quietly. “Christ, Angel, what happened?”

“I was walking home. A guy blocked my path. Tried to walk around him, then a van came. I tried running but they shot me.” I rubbed my temple, trying to remember every detail. Everything was drawing a blank. “That's all I remember right now.” 

“Don't push yourself. Focus on getting better.” He reached out, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. 

Something popped into my mind. “The others said that if you stuck around you'd get arrested. You're here though.” 

“You've been out for a few days, Angel. They took me in when they found me covered in your blood. Was there over night before they released me. Been here ever since.” 

“Why?” I asked. 

“My fault you got shot. Someone had to protect you,” he says. 

Before I could argue that it wasn't his fault, my father comes rushing into the room. He starts fussing over me, making sure that I wasn't in any pain or anything. 

“I'm fine, Dad.” I tell him. 

“You're far from fine!” he says. “Dani, you were shot twice. Twice! Getting shot once doesn't classify as fine!”

With a sigh, I knew that I would never win this. They had already pumped me full of meds so the only thing I felt was a little sore. Once I was weened off the meds would be when the pain hit me. Until then I was perfectly fine. 

Dad turns to Reaper. “You! I thought I told you to get out of here.” 

“I'm here to keep her safe.” he said, hands up in surrender. It really didn't help that he had forgotten to put down the switchblade. 

The shine of the metal caught my father's eyes. “You came to threaten her when she was already in the hospital?” he seethed. 

“Listen, I wouldn't harm your daughter. I came here because she's in danger.”

“Only because of you!”

“It wasn't because of him!” I shouted, hoping to interrupt their argument. 

They both turned to me. Shock was visible in both of their faces. Reaper slid back down into his seat. I hadn't even realized that he had stood up. My father takes notice, sitting himself down on the edge of my bed. 

“What do you mean it wasn't because of me?” Reaper asks. 

I shrug. “I don't know. When I told them I didn't know anything about you or the Devil's Riders, he just laughed in my face. He said it wasn't about any of you. Before I had the chance to find out more that's when you showed up.” 

“He was there?” Dad asked in surprised. Had the cops not told him that Reaper was the one who had found me?

We didn't get to talk any more. A few nurses came in to check me over. Reaper hadn't stopped staring at me. Silently, he got up and left the room, phone in hand. Dad stood by my side. Occasionally he would ask the nurses a few questions about how I was healing. 

After a few tests, they left my father and I alone. We stared at each other for a moment. He was worried about me. Worry filled his eyes. At this fate, he would look a lot older than his fifty-two years. He'd aged a lot since Mom died. Keeping in everything just aged him more. 

“You should go live with your aunt for a while,” he says, breaking the silence. 

“What?” I ask. 

“If you're there, I will know you'll be safe. You'll be far away from them.” By them I knew that he really meant Reaper. “Dani, you've been shot at not once but three times in only a matter of weeks. Two bullets have hit you. I can't just sit back and watch as you get hurt.” 

“Dad, I'm not going anywhere.” I inform him. “If it hadn't been for Reaper I would have been dead. He saved my life not only once but twice. Can't you see past your hatred to see that maybe he isn't the bad guy?”

He shook his head. “I won't force you to go, but I urge you to really think about it. He may have saved you, that doesn't make him a good guy. Don't be confused for a moment to think that he is a perfect knight in shining armor.” 

Dad leaves the room, slamming the door shut. He was mad. If he had it his way, I would be as far away from Reaper as I could. I wasn't a little girl anymore. He had to see that. Despite what he thought, I knew the dangers of all of the Devil's Riders. They all had a reputation that dripped red, most couldn't be proved though. 

I wasn't going to leave. Running away wasn't my style. 

Laying here, I thought back to what the Hispanic had said to me. If Reaper or the Devil's Angels weren't the reason that I had been taken, then what was? As far as I know, I hadn't involved myself in anything illegal. My father was a preacher so that ruled him out as well. 

Perhaps they had been mistaken, I decided. Yes, that was it. They had confused me with someone else. That had to be it. Right?

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