Page 12 of Reaper Flame

“I know, I know, I understand...” the Blackbird said. I peeked around the edge of the wall to see him holding his cell away from his ear. I couldn’t hear whoever was on the other end of the line, but they must be pretty fucking unhappy to be shouting. The Blackbird sighed as the caller’s rant came to a close. “I’ve got to get back inside, but I’ll keep you posted.”

I stepped out of the shadows. “Having fun?”

The Blackbird’s eyes widened as he stashed the phone into his pocket. A flash of fear crossed over his features before his expression transformed into his usual blank mask. He would already be racing through the possibilities.How long had she been standing there? How much did she hear?Mobilizing against Hiram was a fatal offense. The question was, who was he speaking to and what was he planning?

“Why are you hiding out here?” he asked, opting to play it safe and not address what was really on his mind. “You should be getting back inside. Your new husband will be missing you.”

“Why don’t we rejoin the party together?” I suggested. A wicked smile spread over my face. I could smell fear oozing out of his pores. “Unless you have any more calls to make?”

His eyes narrowed, but he said no more. The Blackbird would have to be nicer to me in the future... if he wanted me to keep my mouth shut.

* * *

When will the night end?

I threw another shot of tequila onto the floor. This may be my wedding party, but alcohol and being stuck in a room with the most dangerous people in the country didn’t mix.

Hiram’s icy hand on the small of my back made me jump. “Are you having fun, Kitty?”

“The best fucking day of my life,” I grumbled, gesturing around at the fact I was standing alone at the corner of the bar and avoiding any attempts at conversation. Thankfully, after hours of partying, people were too busy dancing, fucking or riding a high to bother me.

“There is one thing that will make today better,” Hiram said. Like me, he was perfectly sober. He enjoyed fine wine but always kept a sharp mind in the company of others. “I have to give you my wedding present.”

Hiram’s presents were not likely to be a pair of vintage Jimmy Choo shoes or a designer handbag. He’d once gifted me the severed head of a guy who groped me. Another time, he gave me a stolen necklace he’d ripped from the neck of a woman before he slit her throat.

“I couldn’t help myself,” Hiram said, unperturbed by my silence and lack of enthusiasm. His joy made my stomach lurch. Anything that made a sadistic psychopath smile wasn’t a good sign. “Come outside.”

We weren’t the only ones heading out. The wedding party dutifully followed behind us and spilled into the parking lot. Apart from a few orgies happening in the back of cars, there were no bound victims or misshapen trash bags around.

“Look up,” Hiram ordered.

As I did, a firework screamed into the night sky. Red and yellow shots of light lit up the entire horizon, showering it with sparkles.

“That’s not my only gift,” Hiram said as the sky turned black again. “I’ve just received a call.”

“Oh?” I asked, bored and disinterested.

“The call confirmed what we’ve both been waiting for,” he said. “Red Marshall is dead.”

“What?” I stammered, turning to face Hiram and hoping I’d misheard amidst the noise. “What did you say?”

Another firework exploded above, illuminating us in a blue glow.

“Red Marshall is dead.”

My knees turned to jelly. The tiny shred of hope I held in my core shattered with a bang. Two fireworks hurtled over our heads and left burning trails behind them. Like Rocky and me, they were heading straight for destruction. The two of us fell in love as kids. We’d made stupid choices along the way but, somehow, we found our way back together. His final act on earth had been trying to protect me. He told me he loved me, and how had I repaid him? I pulled the fucking trigger. The fireworks exploded and, with them, my heart fragmented into a thousand pieces.

It didn’t matter that I didn’t intend to kill him. Death was irreversible, and nothing could change how it was my bullet that ripped through his chest. A bullet that ended his life.

With him gone, the Sevens would be out for my blood. I was no better than any of the monsters standing around me. This is where I belonged.

“Let’s go inside, Kitty,” Hiram said. I hadn’t realized everyone else had gone back into the club, and the display was over. There was no way back. “It’s time to cut the cake.”

Rocky was dead… and I killed him.

THREE

Sun shining through the windows signaled the start of a new day, but I’d already been awake for hours. After the firework display, the rest of the evening passed in a blur. I played the role of Hiram’s dutiful protégé, but my thoughts were so far away it didn’t even cross my mind to slice Giles’s hand when he insisted we cut the extravagant vanilla sponge.

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