Chapter 4
"Why the hell would I want to go to your place? I have my own house, infact, let me out of this car right now" Natasha snapped, her annoyance bubbling over. This guy was starting to piss her off.
"I can, if you want. But the moment you are out of my range, I won't be able to sense their presence and they'll come for you," Drogen replied, calm but firm.
"And who exactly is 'they'?" she asked, eyebrows raised in confusion, her heart pounding, was she in danger. Had she gotten involved in a dangerous game?
"The Grim Reaper Society. I broke a rule by bringing you back to life after you died, and that disrupted the flow of souls to the afterlife. They'll come for you to restore that balance."
Natasha gulped, feeling a shiver run down her spine. "And what's keeping them away right now?"
"Me," he said simply.
"Why, though?"
Drogen smirked. "I'm the strongest grim reaper there is. Even a 100 of them combined cannot defeat me"
Natasha leaned back in the seat, her hands running through her disheveled hair in frustration "I hate today." Her day started with her heading to work like every other day, why did it end with her becoming the target of some scary society that were after her soul. It would make more sense to just die peacefully than to get stuck with a grim reaper just to protect her life.
Drogen glanced at her, a hint of a smile twitching at his lips.
"Just stay within my range okay? As long as you're close by, they'll know I'm protecting you and stay away."
Natasha groaned. "So, I'm basically stuck with you?"
"Maybe, but you can decide to leave, that is if you're want to go with them to the afterlife so badly. It's actually nice over there you know" he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Get lost. You don't have to make fun of me like that. Why are you the strongest reaper anyway?" she asked, curiosity sparking.
"My specialty is collecting the souls of major sinners," Drogen said, his tone matter-of-fact. "The ones who've committed unforgivable acts tend to resist. They don't go quietly, so I was… upgraded to deal with them. If I didn't, they'd escape and turn into evil spirits. Those things feed on human souls. Trust me, you don't want one of those roaming around."
" That's a tough job you've got." Natasha muttered, impressed despite herself. "So, that woman you were choking in the garage… did she also commit major sins?"
He nodded. "Her soul reeked of it. The more sins someone's committed, the more their soul reeks when I collect it." His grip on the will tightened, his veins becoming more visible.
"What did she do, exactly?" Natasha asked, intrigued, she wanted to hear more about this twisted world. She had read tales about grim reapers, but all she knew was that they collected souls. Finally meeting one, she wanted to know more.
"Can't spill all the details, princess. Some things are best left unsaid, besides, we're here" he replied, as they pulled into an underground garage and parked. He stepped out of the car, and she followed him into the building.
"This is where you live?" She looked around, trying to absorb the sleek, luxurious setting.
"Yes," he replied as they stepped into the elevator.
"If you can afford a penthouse, you must be loaded," she said with a mischievous smile.
He shrugged. "I don't just live here. I own the whole building."
Natasha's jaw dropped, and without missing a beat, she yanked out her hair ribbon, letting her blonde hair fall around her shoulders. She undid a few buttons of her shirt to show more of her boobs, putting on her most seductive smile as she curled her left toe, although she still looked an absolute mess with all the blood stains and tattered clothes.
"What are you doing?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"My mom always told me, Natasha, work hard, find a rich man and settle down. So, what do you say, baby? How about you marry me? Who knows, maybe you'll fall in love with me and break your curse." She leaned in, giving him a teasing smirk.
Drogen's face remained stone-cold. "Sorry to disappoint you but you're not my type."
Natasha huffed, cheeks pink with embarrassment as she pulled away and quickly buttoned her shirt. "Ouch! You didn't have to put it that way, And just so you know, you're not my type either." she replied as she adjusted her hair, trying to look the least better.
A soft ding announced their arrival, and Drogen stepped out of the elevator, Natasha trailing behind.
"Hey, wait, lend me your phone! I need to let my mom know I'm not coming home tonight," she called after him. With a flick of his fingers, a phone appeared in her hand.
She stared at it for a second before shaking her head. "Show-off," she muttered, dialing her mom.
"Hi, Mom! I'll be staying over at Gracie's place tonight… we've got some work to finish," she lied smoothly.
"Alright, dear. Tell Gracie I said hi," her mother replied, Natasha bid farewell and hung up with a sigh of relief.
"You're a pretty good liar for someone so innocent-looking," Drogen remarked with a smirk.
"Oh, right, because I should've told her I'm spending the night at a grim reaper's house" she shot back.
He just grinned, not answering, as they reached his door. He opened it, and they both stepped inside.
"Listen—don't touch anything. Is that cle...?"
He wasn't even finished speaking when a vase came crashing down, shattering across the floor.
"Ssoorry," Natasha dragged, giving him an innocent look.
Drogen pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice dangerously low. "NATASHA."
She flinched but couldn't stop the grin tugging at her lips. "You said not to touch anything. You didn't say anything about accidentally knocking something over."
He shot her a murderous glare, this woman was really something.