Page 55 of Reaper Released

“Ray, I'm so excited to be a part of the wedding. I don't have a daughter, but I’ve always felt like you were mine, really. You know we love you. I just can’t wait to see you and Scar all dressed up. It's gonna be a beautiful wedding!”

Beauty joins us, and we all walk into the boutique. The girls try on every fucking thing imaginable. I’m having nightmares of drowning in tulle and lace, and there are bows and everything. I’m totally overwhelmed. They have tried cocktail dresses, evening gowns, ball gowns, mermaid dresses, skater dresses, sun dresses, even maxi dresses and anything else they could find, and just when I’m losing the will to live and considering stabbing myself in the eye with a stiletto, I get up to have a wander, basically to de-stress, but as I’m rummaging, I find these amazing dresses. They are perfect.

“Excuse me?” I call over to the saleswoman. “What are these on this rail?”

“Ah, these are orders ready for customers to collect or that have been cancelled.”

“Which ones are these?” I quiz, pointing at a set of dresses wrapped up.

“Bare with me. I need to grab my order form.” Coming back ten minutes later, she tells me this is a cancelled order if I want them for a discounted price, as there has already been a significant deposit left for them, I have to take the whole order, though. There are six dresses altogether, but I only need four. The girls try on the dresses, and there are enough different sizes that they fit nicely, and it’s by far cheaper to have the six. I take them as is!

As we’re heading out of the store to Steel’s truck which we’d borrowed, we’re all laughing and joking, finally feeling like this is the last hurdle as we round the corner to the truck. I walk between the wall and the truck. The girls start to climb inside and load in the dresses and shoes.

I have my back to the alley, and I’m talking to Scar as Beauty, Demi and Marie are climbing in, hearing a noise behind me. I spin around, shoving Scar to the floor. The gunshot rings out, and I grab my side. Motherfucker! I bend down and grab Scar, pulling her up and shoving her behind me, moving toward the truck's open door, using my body to shield her. I can hear her screaming as blood runs down my side but looking around the alley. I see the fucking bitch responsible.

“Oh, you made a big mistake, motherfucker. Don’t think you’re leaving this alley alive!”

The most sarcastic laugh bubbles out of her throat. “You’ve taken everything from me. I’m gonna end you, psycho!”

Reaching into my back pocket, I shove the keys to Scar, who’s sat in the back. “Climb over and get everyone the fuck out of here, now!” Scar jumps to action, shooting into the driver's seat and slamming it forward, screeching out of the alleyway and down the road!

“So, bitch tits, what's it gonna be, fast or slow?”

“What the fuck you talking about?”

“How you die.” I shrug. “Either way, one of us isn’t leaving this alley alive, and my money is on you.”

“I’m gonna end you. You took them all, Miguel, Casper and Thomas!”

“Who the fuck’s Thomas?”

“The guy whose throat you cut in the woods! I’m gonna make you pay!”

I need to keep her talking and make her mad so she gets sloppy. Time to throw a little extra pizazz in my piss-off-o-meter, especially for her. Fire away, and let’s hope I don’t get shot again. Here goes nothing.

“Ah, I thought he was called Riley, Riley Biers. You know who I mean, Victoria, don’t you?”

“His name was Thomas, you know that you fucking psycho. I’m gonna fucking kill you.” She points the gun at me, and I run full pelt at the wall. She fires, but I’ve already moved as I hit the wall about fifteen bricks up with my foot, and I propel myself off the wall, flying towards her. She has fired where I was, not where I’m gonna end up. The flicker of recognition in her eyes makes me realise that she knows she’s made a grave error in judgement. She gasps as my fist connects with her temple, and she winces and crumbles to the floor on her knees. Landing at the side of her, I jump around her back, getting her in a headlock and shaking her.

Once my grip’s seated with her head at an awkward angle, I whisper in her ear. “Any last words, motherfucker?”

“Go to hell!”

“I’ve already told you, been there, done that, invitation revoked!” Laughing, I drop sharply with a satisfactory crack, and then she’s limp, one snapped neck. Ain’t no motherfucker coming back from that. I drop her body to the floor. “You shouldn’t have underestimated me, motherfucker! That was your first mistake!” I grab my phone. “Scar, you safe?”

“Yeah, we’re around the corner, didn’t wanna leave, so I’m about three minutes away!”

“Brill. I need to disappear a body and fix this hole in my side. Can you give me a hand?”

“Already on my way!” Scar’s called ahead, and as we pull into the car park, Ares’s there, waiting.

“You!” He jabs his finger towards me. “Are gonna send me to an early grave? Can you please stop getting stabbed and shot? Steel is gonna have a fit, especially this close to the fucking wedding, Ray!”

“Hey, fuck you. It’s your psycho fucking ex who got all shooty and leary! Totally not my fault.”

“So what happened? Where is she now? I’m gonna send the guys out to retrieve her and end this!”

I lose my shit and bark out a laugh. “I’m insulted, fuck face, that you think she’s not in the back of the truck with a broken neck.”

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