Page 9 of Reaper Flame

Seeing Giles waiting at the end of the aisle filled me with sickening fury and dread, but our so-called ‘union’ could be used to my advantage. Hiram’s twisted plan was my ticket to a confrontation with Zander. A meeting he would never get out of alive. Giles and Zander were cousins, but their bitter rivalry had gone on for years. Zander wouldn’t miss an opportunity to brag to his cousin about how he’d been first to fuck his new wife.

My cheeks heated at the memory of Zander’s touch. Zander had betrayed and used me, but my body couldn’t seem to forget how good he made me feel. Not just Zander, but West and Rocky, too. How was it fair that I couldn’t shake the memories, no matter how hard I tried? And why, in the middle of my fucking wedding, did my mind stray to how incredible it was to have all three Seven men filling me at once? Hiram was a master at brainwashing his subjects, but Zander was better. Mind-blowing orgasms blinded me to his deception... and I hated myself for how much I enjoyed it.

The priest’s voice brought me back to the present moment.

“I now declare you husband and wife,” the priest declared. “You may kiss the bride.”

Giles lurched forwards quicker than a vulture descending on its prey. As soon as his sticky upper lip grazed mine, I sunk my teeth into him as hard as I could. What better way to start wedded bliss, right?

“Fuck!” Giles staggered back. “What was that for?”

“Let me give you some advice,husband,” I snarled, wiping my mouth and smearing lipstick across the back of my hand. “If you ever try to touch me again, I will bite your tiny cock right off, chew it up, then run it over with a fucking truck. Got that?”

The crowd applauded. Hiram, still clapping, rose from his seat. While Giles tried to stem the bleeding with his sleeve, I turned my back on him and marched out of the church. Hiram followed close behind like my fucking shadow.

“You did well, Kitten,” Hiram said, catching up with me.

“I did what you asked,” I snapped. “What next?”

Hiram nodded his head towards a car screeching to a halt outside the gates. “We celebrate.”

I paced through the church grounds to get to our ride, not giving a shit that the hem of my dress was dragging through the dirt.

“Hey!” a breathy voice called after us. I didn’t stop. “Wait up!”

“This car is for the Kitten and I.” Hiram stopped and held up his hand to stop Giles from following. “You can drive with… one of our guests.”

Hiram’s driver opened the car door and, as I turned, I caught a glimpse of Giles over my shoulder. His face was whiter than my fucking dress. Hadn’t he learned his lesson after Hiram screwed him out of the Bayside Heights development?

Hiram slid into the seat next to me. Neither of us said a word as the car pulled away. Leaving Giles whimpering at the mercy of Hiram’s army of crooks was the highlight of my day so far. The bastard only had himself to blame.

“That wasn’t too painful now, was it?” Hiram asked.

“It beats having a tattoo cut out,” I replied sarcastically.

Hiram’s expression darkened, his brows lowering. “Everything I do is for your own good, Kitty. This is another one of my lessons.”

“I prefer the ones that involve acid baths,” I muttered.

“Think of it as a learning opportunity,” Hiram said, drumming his fingers against his knee. “You know I want to expand my operations to Port Valentine. It has real potential.”

“Potential?” I crossed my arms. “Couldn’t you have expanded without forcing a ring on my finger?”

This wasn’t about money. Hiram had enough cash to buy a private island and spend the rest of his days sipping Piña Coladas on a beautiful beach. Expanding into Port Valentine was about power. He couldn’t let the Sevens get away with taking me from him. It infuriated him to know I’d slipped from his control into their influence. Getting me back wasn’t enough. He needed to destroy them.

“Of course, Icouldhave,” Hiram said with a shrug, then smiled. “But where is the fun in that? I need you on the inside, and Giles has connections.”

Connections? Pfft! Giles may know the relics in Port Valentine, but the old Briarly empire was crumbling down around him and Bryce. After receiving a payment from Hiram for my safe return, Zander would be able to expand and take them down.

“If you want to expand your operations to Port Valentine, then Giles isn’t the partner you want,” I said. The guy turned into a nervous wreck whenever he faced real danger. “He’ll be of no use to you. He’s a fucking liability.”

Bryce Briarly may have primed Giles to take over the Briarly business, but he wasn’t cut out for the job. He knew nothing about what it took to earn your place or the hunger in your belly from having to fight your way to the top.

“I don’t want a partner.” Hiram chuckled to himself. “Can’t you see, Kitty? Giles is perfect because he’s disposable.”

“So you’ve lied to him,” I summarized. “What does he think he’s getting out of your ‘arrangement’?”

“Lied? No, I’m only giving him what I promised,” Hiram said, then counted the points on his fingers. “Money… resource…revenge.”

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