Page 81 of Reaper Razed

Tank rests his hand on my leg. “Love?”

I smile at him as I immediately calm down and rest my head on his shoulder. His arm slides around me as Mr Greene leaves, and he strokes circles around my back.

“I missed you this morning!”

“You did?” I smile up at him. He just makes me feel safe and loved, and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt like this in my life.

“Open envelope number four, love.”

I slide the envelope out and open it. There are two keys on a key ring with a heart on it. I turn them over and look up at him, confused. “What are these for?”

“Our lodge is ready, love. Tomorrow after the wedding, will you come home with me?”

“Really?” I throw myself into his lap, throw my arms around him, and pinch myself again.

“What are you doing, woman?” he growls at me.

“I just don’t see how you can be real. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you. I hope I’m… enough.”

“Love. You’re my universe!”

My eyes well, and a few tears stream down my face. “Don’t cry, love. This is supposed to be a happy day.”

“Tank… I’ve never been this happy.”

The door opens, and Mr Greene walks back in. That’s everything sorted. We just need a few signatures, and your new cards will be delivered to your new address in a few days.

We sign the paperwork, and I get to write the new signature I’ve been practising. We thank Mr Greene and head back downstairs.

The girls are sitting waiting, and Tank pulls me into his arms and kisses me like he’s never gonna let me go, but after a while, he pulls away. “I will see you at the courthouse, my love!” He kisses me again and heads out as he reaches the door.

“Tank!” I run towards him and throw myself into his arms. “I love you!” And I kiss him like I’m trying to convince him I can’t live without him.

As Tank leaves, I hear a snigger behind me. “Damn, girl! That was way hot!” Ray’s fanning herself with a brochure about savings accounts, which just makes me laugh. “Open the last envelope.”

Pulling open the envelope. “It’s another address.” Typing it into the phone, we follow the map and end up at a dress store.

“This is my present to you. Let’s go. You can have whatever you want. Money is no object!” Ray pulls me into her and whispers into my ear. “I want you to have the best life can offer you. You deserve the world.”

I pull her down towards me. “I don’t know how to ever repay you for all you’ve done for me, but tonight, I need to end this. I want my wedding day to be a fresh start. A new life, a new me. Nothing left of the old one.”

Ray nods and winks. “Whatever it takes!” She pulls my pinkie into hers.

“Whatever it takes!” I repeat. She pulls me into another hug before we head into the shop.

It’s a whirlwind of trying on a million dresses, and when I try on the last one, I cry. “This is it.” I’ve followed my feelings, and I’ve never had feelings before of any nature, and this place, these people have woken something in me, and now everything is bursting out of me. I need to make sure my old life dies tonight so I can start my new life tomorrow. “This one! I want this one! It’s perfect.”

“You heard the lady. Ring us up.” Ray barks at the sales lady.

We make it back to the apartment, which is empty when we get there. Ray thought Cade was still here, but he clearly had enough of waiting. We have been out all day. I don’t know what’s going on, but Ray is not a big talker when it comes to things like that. We have something to eat, and the girls leave. It’s just me and Ray. The boys are at the lodges.

“So talk to me. What’s the plan?” Ray asks but then just sits back on the sofa.

“I want it to hurt! I want him to wish he was dead, and I want to cause that!”

“Kiddo, I’m not gonna lie. It takes a piece of you to inflict pain and then kill another person!”

“Ray, he took everything from me. There's nothing left for him to take! But he needs to die tonight, and I need to be the one to do it!”

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