Page 16 of Bloody Seven

"We were inducted our freshman year of college. It's an elite group of men who take orders from those above them, and it's all extremely complicated. Essentially, we are assigned a woman to win over so we can pull their fortune into our control. We marry who they tell us to. It's a legacy that most of us are born into."

"That doesn't make any sense. I don't have any money or fortune, so why would Drew be with me if that were the case?"

"That's what you don't understand. He wasn't supposed to be with you. He went against The Collection. They had him killed."

No, I can't let myself believe that's true. I step away from Corbin and press my hands to my head, with the knife safely pointed away from my face. That would mean Drew died because of me. That makes this all so much worse than I originally thought.

"Lust was supposed to be easy!" I scream, letting the tears flood down my face.

"What are you talking about?" Corbin asks gently.

I'm tired of hearing him, feeling him, being near him. He messed all of this up. I wasn't supposed to catch feelings for the person I was meant to kill, and he most certainly wasn't supposed to be connected to Drew.

"I don't want to hear any more!" I yell, backing away and dropping the knife.

"Poppy!" he calls out, but I keep moving.

Just as I get to the door and lean down to grab my boots, his hand reaches out to grab my wrist. "Just talk to me," he pleads, and I notice he's still naked from last night.

"I don't want to!" I say, yanking my hand away. "Drew died because of me. I made him a promise, and I fully intend to follow through with it. Whatever stupid society you're talking about makes no difference. He's dead, and it's my job to get vengeance."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense to YOU," I sneer, opening the door. My head turns to give him one last glance. "Thank you for helping me remember what my priorities are. Do not follow me or try to find me." With that, I walk out of the door, stumbling as I pull my boots on.

"Poppy, stop!" he tries, but I don't care to hear what he has to say. It doesn't matter, and he can't exactly follow me while he's naked.

I rush out of the building with a fury building inside me. Is that how he was able to get such a nice apartment in the city? Surely owning a fucking sandwich shop isn't going to bring in the amount of money it would take to pay rent at this kind of place.

All of the red flags begin to fall into place as I step out to the street. It's nearly sunrise, and I have no clue where I am, but I pull out my phone and find I'm not that far from my hotel.

Without another thought, I hail a cab, give them the address, and get the fuck out of here before Corbin has a chance to try and come after me. I need my morning ritual of reflection before I can piece together what my next steps are going to be because this shit just got a hell of a lot more complicated.

Chapter 7

Poppy

The hotel comes into view, and I find myself starting to relax even though my mind is still racing. I politely thank the driver before striding up to my room. The first thing I do is strip myself of my clothing and head directly to the shower.

I can't believe I was weak enough to let another man touch me. I actually thought it was a good idea too, which makes it so much fucking worse. The water heats up, burning my skin as my mind tries to reconcile what I've learned this morning.

Drew was part of a secret society whose mission is to marry women in order to gain their fortunes. It doesn't seem like him at all. We were together for two years. He would have told me if he were part of some secret society. If he kept that from me, what else was he hiding?

I close my eyes, letting the water pour down my face. It feels like a warm embrace, and I find myself thinking about Corbin. How did someone of no consequence find a way to invade my thoughts so much in such a short amount of time?

I grab the small container of body wash and pour it onto my washcloth, scrubbing every bit of his scent off of me. Heis nothing more than a one-night mistake. It will never happen again, and I will never see him again.

As soon as my shower is over, I dress and make myself a cup of coffee before heading to the balcony to watch the sunrise, just like I did yesterday. The colors aren't as prominent today, and I find myself thinking about how that aligns with my outlook beginning to fade. Yesterday seemed so bright but today feels dull. I watch as the sun crests over the horizon, officially beginning the day. Valentine’s Day.

The last of my coffee is cold as I drink it down and take one last glance at the city’s landscape before stepping inside. I have a few errands to run before I can come back here and wait until dark to complete my kill.

After changing into a casual pair of leggings, a black sweater, and a long black jacket, I head to the door to put my boots on. The next thing I know, I'm walking down the streets of Manhattan, similar to yesterday.

I opt to go in the opposite direction of my hotel today to avoid any chance of running into Corbin. As big as this city is, fate has a tendency to have a sick sense of humor, and I’m not willing to test it.

My first stop is with a small florist before I attempt to find another bagel shop. I slip inside to grab a small bundle of red roses and bring them to my nose, taking delight in the sweet smell.

"Those are beautiful," a woman says, interrupting my moment.

---