Page 27 of Reaper Flame

“Do you like it?” Rocky asked.“What do you think?”

I opened both eyes. Towns and cities became tiny specks of light below. Up here, nothing else mattered. The Sevens. Hiram. Above the clouds, we were untouchable. We were on top of the fucking world, and even better? We were free.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed eventually, completely in awe as my fears fell away.

Before long, the pilot’s voice crackled over the air. “We’re starting the descent.”

“But we’re in the middle of nowhere,” I said, peering down. Apart from a small lit runway, there were no other lights for miles around. I’m not sure what I’d been expecting. A helipad or secret underground Batman cave, maybe? Here, there was nothing. “Are you sure?”

“We’ve still got one final journey,” Rocky said, pointing through the glass at a yellow metallic blob.

I scrunched up my nose as we got close enough for me to see the shiny Lambo waiting. “It’s not exactly inconspicuous.”

“Live a little.” Rocky laughed at his own joke. “What’s the fun of running away if you can’t do it in style? This is the first time I’ve been out in months. I’m not gonna stop until you’re safe.”

SIX

Rocky’s voice sounded far away. “Wake up, C.”

Was I still dreaming?I expected to wake up in Hiram’s penthouse in Blackthorne Towers. Resigned to my fate in a world where Rocky was dead, and I followed Hiram’s orders.

Rocky nudged me gently, making my eyes snap open like he’d jabbed my ass with a cattle prod.Shit! How could I have fallen asleep?I reached for my knife, patting down my sides, then felt panic rise in my chest as I realized I left it behind at Briarly Manor.

“Hey!” Rocky said, catching my arm. “It’s fine! You’re safe, okay?”

My shoulders sagged in relief as Rocky’s deep brown eyes watched me closely, wide with concern. His stare may be filled with worry, but it was also full of life. You know the feeling you get when you wake up and think you’re late for work, then realize you have the day off? It was like that, but a million times better — like if you were to throw in pizza, plus a string of multiple orgasms.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart and mentally curse myself for letting exhaustion take over. “Why have we stopped?”

“Because we’re here.”

Rocky opened the car door to get out.

“Here?” I looked around wildly. “Where the fuck ishere?”

We were at the edge of a mooring where a lone white yacht waited. The moonlight cast flickering shadows off the water, making the boat glitter. I gulped, pushing away myPirates of the Caribbeanfantasies. I was no boating expert, but this was no Black Pearl. It looked like a loaded tycoon’s perfect holiday location or somewhere where you’d see celebrities hiding from the paparazzi.

“Come on, C,” Rocky said, already striding down to the small wooden strip, swinging his arms with purpose. “We gotta go.”

I stumbled after him, abandoning the car. “Is the boatours?”

“You bet!” Rocky said with a grin. He waited for me to catch up and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He frowned at the goosebumps blossoming over my skin and took off his hoodie. “Put this on.”

“But you don’t even know how to steer a boat!” I said, pulling his warm hoodie tightly around me. As nice as it was, a hoodie wouldn’t keep me afloat when a yacht was sinking! Rocky knew how to grow weed and fight, but he wasn’t a sailor.

“I may not be able to sail, but we know someone who can,” he said, then smirked as he led us to the passerelle.

Lights lit up the side of the yacht, and my stomach lurched quicker than an anchor plummeting into the ocean as a shadowy figure emerged onto the deck. I craned my neck to get a closer look, but the mooring was dimly lit. Could this be another trap?

“You said you wanted an adventure,” Rocky said, pointing upwards as lights on the top deck turned on.

A man approached the silver railings and waved.

I gasped. “Q?”

I tore myself away from Rocky’s grasp and ran to greet him.After leaving Port Valentine, I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever see him again. Q’s clothes hung off him, and a navy cap contained his unruly hair. Even though the lines on his face seemed more pronounced, there was a new sparkle in his eyes. He was pleased to see me.

“It’s Captain to you,” Q said. He pulled his hands awkwardly out of his pockets to give me a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Candy.”

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