Page 16 of Reaper Flame

“Spare me the fucking compliments, Giles,” I snapped, cutting him off and sliding into the backseat. His presence and fake ass remarks only made me more annoyed at the thought of having to spend the day with him. “Save them for when you’re licking Hiram’s ass.”

Giles slipped in next to me.

“Are you ready to go, Kitten?” our driver asked, paying no attention to Giles. He knew who was really in charge.

“Yes,” I replied. Well, as ready as you could ever be to gatecrash the funeral of someone you killed.

“I almost forgot,” Giles said, ruffling around in his jacket pocket, “I have something for you.”

“You can keep your gifts,” I snapped. “You need the money more than I do.”

Giles scowled as he presented a small jewelry box. “Hiram thought it was a good idea.”

A ring with a huge diamond was nestled inside. It was flashier than the wedding bands we exchanged at the ceremony. Diamonds weren’t my favorite stone. With their ridiculous price tag and bloody history, I didn’t get the hype.

“Fine,” I retorted, sliding the ring on and holding it out in front of me. It fitted perfectly but didn’t feel natural. The rock weighed my hand down like a freaking anchor. “I’m sure the Sevens will love it.”

“How do you feel about seeing the Sevens again?” Giles asked, spraying me with spit as he said the ‘Sevens’ aloud.

I shot him a twisted smile. “The real question is, how are they going to feel about seeingus?”

We may be going to Port Valentine to help Giles find an old family relic, but that wasn’t the only thing I was looking forward to. Zander was guaranteed to be there. I wanted to take the traitorous bastard out. He’d ripped my heart out, and I was going to do the same.

* * *

“Are you sure we shouldn’t get out now?” Giles whined for the thousandth time.

We’d been sat in the car outside the cemetery for an hour, and he’d done nothing but moan like a fucking toddler. Next time, I’d bring along a pacifier.

“Have you listened to a word I’ve been saying?” I snapped. “We have to make an entrance.”

Hell, I’d love nothing more than to escape being trapped in a confined space with the British asshole, but we had to wait for the perfect moment. We needed to take everyone off-guard. We’d parked across the street, giving us the best view of the attendees waiting outside the chapel for the proceedings to begin. We weren’t alone. Hiram’s henchmen were prowling the area disguised as joggers and dog-walkers. Hiram didn’t trust us enough to work unsupervised.

So far, none of the main players had arrived.

“Come on!” Giles moaned. Without Hiram around, he was turning into a total diva. “How much longer?”

I waved my hand to shut him up and jabbed a finger at an approaching vehicle. “Look!”

It was starting.

Even though the car had tinted windows, I instinctively ducked as a hearse rolled by. Seeing a coffin surrounded by flowers made everything more real. Rocky’s body was in there… only a pane of glass away. The closest I’d ever be to him again.

Giles watched me closely. “Are you... you know, okay?”

What kind of question was that? We were on a fucking job, not a therapy retreat to talk about our emotions. He had to get his shit together.

“I’ve never been better,” I snarled.

Two cars followed the hearse. Both of them were part of the Sevens’ fleet. I’d been waiting for this moment since I rejoined Hiram. Seeing all the Sevens together in one place. A lump formed in my throat as my brain corrected itself. Well, the ones who were left...

We watched as the hearse and cars came to a stop. Vixen and Mieko got out of the first car, together hand-in-hand. Vixen’s hair was dyed black all over and didn’t have her usual wild streaks. Her mascara dripped down her face and made her look like a gothic model.

Mieko looked even more concerned than usual. Her eyes flitted nervously around the milling crowd. She whispered a few words in Vixen’s ear, and I imagined she was reassuring her that everything would be okay. For my own selfish reasons, I secretly hoped the two of them wouldn’t still be together. I didn’t want to hurt them — especially Mieko — but I wouldn’t hesitate if they stood in my way.

West stepped out of the second car. I’d forgotten how ruggedly attractive he was. The last time I saw him, he was lying in a hospital bed rigged up to machines. He’d made a perfect recovery and looked more muscular and angry than ever. His sunglasses and black suit made him look like a special agent.

How did I think that a guy like him could seriously have been interested in me?

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