Page 102 of Reaper Flame

“You are not going without us,” she blasted. “No fucking way!”

“This isn’t a negotiation. It’s too dangerous for you and Mieko,” Zander said firmly. “I’m ordering you to stay here.”

“The Sevens are all for one and one for all.” Vixen stomped over to him and jabbed her talon into his chest. “If one goes down, we all fucking go down. Together.”

“Where is everyone?” Rocky and West strolled into the club, looking mystified as to why everyone had vaporized.

“I closed up early,” Vixen snarled. “We all have somewhere we need to be.”

West raised his eyebrows. “We?”

Rocky must have filled him in after dumping Giles in the bunker. Conversing with the Blackbird’s corpse would help sober him up, not that he’d get any responses.

“Yes,we!” she replied indignantly. She looked at West’s muscled arms, still streaked with the Blackbird’s blood like war paint. “It looks like someone started the party early.”

“Zander is right, Vix,” I said, brushing over her observation and trying not to sound patronizing. “I don’t want you two getting involved in this. It’s not your fight.”

“If it’s your fight, it’s our fight.” Mieko stepped forward. Everyone turned to stare at her in stunned silence. Her quiet voice was filled with heavy conviction. “We’re coming whether you like it or not. Arguing about it is just wasting time.”

Damn, when did the shy stripper with doe-like eyes turn into such a fucking badass?

“We’ll come prepared,” Vixen said, lifting her shirt to reveal a gun tucked under her waistband. She nodded to Mieko, who hitched up her dress to reveal a taser slipped into her garter. “I also have pepper spray.”

My mouth fell open. “Since when do you carry all that?”

Mieko smiled and winked. “We learned from the best.”

“Fine!” Zander snapped. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. “But you stay out of the way, and if there’s any sign of trouble, you leave - understood?”

“I think trouble is going to be a given,” Vixen muttered sarcastically, but Zander’s threatening glare made her relent. “Fine, that’s a deal. We’ll leave if things get too heavy, okay?”

I looked around at every face in the room, each set with determination and hunger in their eyes. We were heading into the unknown. None of us knew what we were about to face, but we were going in together. The Sevens. United.

“West will sort out our weapons.” Zander nodded at him. “You all have five minutes to get ready, then get in the limo waiting outside. We’ll go through the plan on the way.”

Who needed an army tank when a stretch limo would do?

I dashed to the costume closet to change. If I was going to kill Hiram tonight, I had to look the fucking part. A red dress, leather jacket and boots combo were perfect. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail. There’s nothing worse than hair getting in your face when you’re in the middle of a fight.

As I zipped up the knee-high black boots, my cell vibrated on the dresser. I glanced at the text flashing over the screen:‘I will be at the Maven tonight. Meet me there with the contract’.

Bryce.

Little did he know we were already planning to gatecrash.

“Are you almost ready?” Mieko popped her head in to check on me, holding a small blade in her hand. “West told me to give you this.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, not wanting to carry a knife. “Is Vixen around?”

“She’s already outside,” Mieko said. “She didn’t want Zander to change his mind...”

“Good,” I said, then showed her the text. “Are we ready to go? Is it done?”

She scanned the message and nodded. “I’ll handle it.”

“But—”

She pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear, “You can’t face Hiram and sort out Bryce, too. Leave Bryce to me. I’ll do this for Vix.”

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