Page 83 of Reaper Flame

Mieko paused, then said, “I think I have an idea.”

“I don’t want this to come between you!” I said quickly.

“I want to help, Candy,” Mieko said, her voice strong and determined. Her decision was made. “I want to get the woman I love answers, and if she ends up hating me for it, then so be it, but we can’t do nothing. Give me the contract, and I’ll do the rest.”

I passed her the paper, and she tucked it inside her purse for safekeeping. When I first met Mieko, she reminded me of a wide-eyed doe. She was too afraid to stand up for herself or what she believed in. Her inner strength had now come to the surface and she would do whatever it takes for someone she loved.

“What’s your plan?” I asked.

“She has to sign so many delivery notes on a Thursday. She wouldn’t even notice if I…” Mieko played with her hair, “distracted… her. If a lawyer happened to be dropping off the delivery, she wouldn’t even have to know.”

“Since when are you a mastermind?”

“I’ve learned a thing or two over the past few months.” Mieko shrugged, then looked at me earnestly. “Do you think we’re doing the right thing?”

“Honestly? I don’t know,” I admitted. Who even knew what the right thing was anymore? “Zander may be too stubborn to back down and accept cash, but if this is the only chance they’ll get to find out what happened to their mom, I’ll take the consequences.”

Mieko played with her engagement ring and smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “Let’s hope she still wants to marry me after this.”

* * *

After waving Mieko and Vixen off on their date night, Zander pulled me aside as I returned to the dance floor. Since our meeting with Bryce, I’d tried to avoid him, and my mind was still whirring through the plans that Mieko and I had set in motion. There was no time to question whether we were doing the right thing or not.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Zander said, creeping up behind me. His breath on my neck sent a shiver down my spine.

I turned to face him and planted my hands on my hips. “Is it a crime to want some space?”

“What else did my father say after Vixen left?” Zander pressed. “You said you argued, but did he say anything else?”

“You know, just the usual Bryce being an asshole,” I lied. “He reminded me about how much he loved my wedding to your charming cousin. Your father never misses an opportunity to gloat.”

“He didn’t say more about why he wanted Vixen to be his heir?” Zander continued.

I shook my head. “It looks like he’s finally losing it.”

“But he hates Vixen,” he pondered aloud. “Why name her?”

“Because he knows you wouldn’t accept it, and he wants to get back at Giles,” I said. “And because he cared about that fucking manor more than anything else, including his own family.”

Zander frowned, still deep in thought. Behind his gorgeous face, his mind was working overtime.

“His ego is bruised,” I went on. “This is his way to punish Giles for stepping out of line. What better way to do that than offer what he has to one of the people Giles hates most?”

He still looked skeptical but nodded. “Perhaps.”

“Maybe she should take the money?” I suggested. Although I already knew what his answer would be, it didn’t stop me from hoping for a positive response. If we didn’t have to trick Vixen into signing, it’d be easier for everyone. “Surely, it’s the least Bryce could do after all he’s done over the years?”

Zander’s expression turned stony. “We will take nothing from him. Ever. I built the Sevens from nothing, and my father will never be part of that.”

I’d get nowhere trying to persuade Zander with my charm. His problems with his father ran too deep. Some cracks couldn’t be healed. Even if Zander knew why I wanted Vixen to take Bryce’s money - finding out the truth about their mom after all these years - he was too proud to let that be a justification. I could only hope he and Vixen would understand the reasons behind me and Mieko’s intentions when they learned the truth.

“What have you been up to?” I asked, steering the subject away from dangerous territory. “You’ve been spending a lot of time in your office.”

“I reached out to some of my associates in law enforcement,” he said. “Penelope’s body has been released to her family. They received a generous payment to keep the cause of her death a secret. The coroner reported it as a suicide.”

Yet again, money was enough to conceal a crime. From the stories I heard, Penelope’s parents pinned their hopes on her marrying rich to correct their own carelessness with money. She’d finally given them what they wanted in her death. Did they care about their bank balance more than getting justice for their only child? If it was someone I cared about, I’d make sure someone paid in blood.

“That’s typical of Giles,” I muttered. “Thinking that money can fix everything.”

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