Page 7 of Reaper Flame

This is what I had to do now.

Let Hiram win... this time.

Not fighting back didn’t make me weak. I tried to channel Crystal’s bravery and turn myself into a fucking warrior. It’d make me come back stronger, even if it meant I’d be leaving with a ring on my finger…

“What are we waiting for?” I asked, holding my head high and throwing my shoulders back. “You want me to get married, so let’s fucking do this.”

We made our way up the church path in silence. Guards circled the perimeter, working under strict instructions to kill any wedding crashers. Was Hiram worried about someone showing up? Would the Sevens have heard about my wedding? Would they even care?

STOP IT, CANDY!

The three Seven men were part of my old life. A life I’d never get back. A life I traded to protect them only to find out it was all a fucking lie. Now, I had to face the unknown and whoever was waiting at the end of the aisle.

The church door wailed as Hiram pushed it open, and we stepped inside. The guests rose from their seats as haunting music filled the vast space.

Do not think of it as an aisle. Think ofit as a motherfucking catwalk.

Hiram held my arm and guided me. Even though my dress had its own gravitational pull, I felt naked without any weapons. How was it fair that I was the only unarmed person at my fucking wedding?

The aisle seemed to stretch on forever. Leering guests cheered as I passed, but my eyes were fixed on the figure waiting for me. The groom kept his back turned, not that he needed to worry about bad luck, it was already a fucking guarantee. Besides, his unfashionable powder blue suit was begging for me to tear it to shreds and not in a ‘can’t wait to rip your clothes off’ kinda way. Behind him, a priest stood clutching the Bible and muttering prayers under his breath. Hopefully, one of them was for me…

The music halted, and my soon-to-be husband turned to face me for the first time. This was the moment Hiram had been waiting for. The moment I fully understood how much he wanted to punish me.

“I believe you two have already met,” Hiram said as all the air drained out of my lungs.

Giles Briarly stared back at me wearing his token shit-eating grin because, today, I was about to become his wife.

TWO

“Hello, Kitten,” Giles drawled in his annoying British accent. His eyes slid down my body and landed on my chest. “Have you missed me?”

“Like a hole in the head,” I hissed, spinning to face Hiram. My eyes burned through him in furious accusation while he remained emotionless and regarded us with cold indifference. “Giles fucking Briarly?! You can’t be serious!”

“Oh, I am,” Hiram replied, narrowing his eyes. “Deadly.”

It made sense he’d pick a suitor with no backbone, but Giles? Sure, he’d roll over to satisfy Hiram’s whims, but only because he didn’t have a fucking spine! Why would he choosehim? There must be better choices!

I last saw Giles and Bryce in the warehouse on the night I left Port Valentine. We left Giles trembling on the floor with no investment and the Briarly empire hurtling towards financial ruin. What had changed since then? What was Hiram’s end game?

“Don’t tell me you’re disappointed?” Giles cocked his head to the side.Disappointmentwas the understatement of the fucking millennium! Death row would be preferable to spending a lifetime with a sack of shit like him. “We all want the same thing, Kitty.”

“You don’t look suicidal to me,” I snapped, loud enough for our wedding guests to hear. They were watching our every move. It was only fair we gave them a show, right?

Laughter burst from the pews. Giles shifted uncomfortably, loosening his tie as a flush crept up his neck. He wasn’t used to mixing with criminals like Hiram’s nearest and dearest. His social scene usually involved drinking champagne while schmoozing royalty and politicians.

“Careful, Kitty…” Hiram warned, digging his fingers into my arm and leaning in closer, so no one else could hear what he said next, “or this won’t be a wedding, it’ll be a funeral.”

Would a coffin be so bad? At least shutting the casket would block out the smug face of my soon-to-be husband.

Hiram stood straighter and released his hold on my arm. He kissed my cheek stiffly, making me shiver. He’d never shown me any real affection before, and I couldn’t decide whether it was genuine or for the benefit of the audience. Whatever his motive, it put me even more on edge.

“Remember what I said,” Hiram said. “Play nice.”

This is just another act, Candy.

All you have to do is get into character.

You’ve played roles before…

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