Page 133 of Reaper Flame

“Take my number,” Juliano insisted, pushing his business card into my hands. “In case you want to reconsider.”

I tore his card into tiny pieces and let them fall like snow. Selling would be too easy. Hiram may have thought becoming his successor was my destiny, but the only person in control of my destiny was me. I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. The Sevens may have started with a strip club, growing operation and casino, but we had big plans and an even bigger pile of cash.

“We’ve made our position clear,” Rocky said. “It’s time for you to leave.”

Unless he wanted to meet the same fate as his father…

“It was a pleasure to see you again,Candy,” Juliano said. His lip curled menacingly, “And meet the Sevens.”

“Shame we can’t say the same,” I rebutted.

Juliano’s mask slipped as his features contorted in fury. A rejection wouldn’t be something a man like him would forget. Juliano regained his control, inclined his head, and made a hasty exit.

Good fucking riddance!

West raised an eyebrow at his retreating figure. “Do you make enemies wherever you go?”

“What do you mean?” I feigned surprise. “I thought I was being charming.”

West snorted. “Yeah, and we’re three Prince Charmings!”

“Hey! Speak for yourself!” Rocky made a wobbly bow and reached out to kiss my hand. “I’m at your service, Princess.”

“I’m no fucking princess.”

Those whiney bitches waited around for a guy on a horse to come and save them, but me? I could break my ass out on my own.

“You’re right,” Zander said. “You’re not a princess. You’re our fucking Queen.”

“And we love you,” Rocky said.

I looked at the three men who changed my life. My first love, who once broke my heart but would do anything to protect it. My Hulk, who saw the darkest depths of my soul and only held me closer because of it. My equal, who understood my pain and risked everything to make our future possible. A future I couldn’t imagine without them by my side.

I took a deep breath and said the words I’d been afraid to voice until now, “I love you too. All of you.”

A wide grin spread over West’s face as he took my arm and led me to his newest Porsche. “Your carriage awaits, my love.”

Life was no fairytale, and we were heading back to a strip club instead of a palace, but none of that mattered. Q once told me to snatch happiness whenever I saw it. We may not be perfect. Hell, we were far from it. The Sevens were dysfunctional, but they weremydysfunctional monsters.

I smiled. “Let’s go home.”

The four of us had walked through the darkness together and, somewhere along the way, our broken fucked up souls made a beautiful whole. Hiram’s blood may flow through my veins, but it was the Sevens who kept my heart beating.

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