Chapter 6

The reaper, ever the gossip, couldn't resist sneaking off to watch Gavin's reaction. He vanished in a blur before I could even remind him that the house had surveillance cameras. Gavin sat on the living room couch. His injured arm was already bandaged. His phone screen glowed, displaying Samuel's latest post—two plane tickets to the coast, and a photo of a hand with a cartoon bandage stuck over a small cut. The air around Gavin turned heavy, the pressure in the room dropping like a storm about to break. The phone hit the marble floor, shattering into pieces. Vanessa screamed and threw herself into his arms. Her voice turned syrupy as her fingers traced the edge of his wrapped arm. "Gavin, don't be angry. I told you a long time ago—She's not the kind of woman you can control." Her lips brushed close to his ear, her breath warm. "Does it hurt? Let me make it better… Just like before." Her mouth drifted toward his, and her hand began sliding down to his belt. Gavin suddenly turne