Page 34 of The Reaper's Vice

Orion drags his gaze lazily to me, settling uneasily on the line of my scar. “What on earth would give you that idea?”

I scoff. “You literally just said you were!”

He frowns, rearing back like I just told him I shit fairy dust. “I would never say something so heinous. I’m an officer of the law, Brandy, and I take my job extremely seriously.”

Is this guy for real?“If it was just a joke, you can say that, dude.”

His eyes narrow dangerously as I utter the last word, but his expression is carefully schooled a moment later, leaving me to believe I imagined it. “Trust me, if I told a joke as disturbing as that, I’d own up to it. I’m terribly sorry if I’ve given you a negative impression of me.”

My head swims at the formality of his tone—so different from the beastly thing I heard growling in my ear a minute ago. “You… I don’t… never mind.” I cross my arms and fix my eyes forward again.

Did he really not say that?My head hurts as I try to recall the interaction. So many things become distorted as I experience them that I fear I might have actually hallucinated the whole thing.

We stand in silence for the next few minutes, but when our coffees are placed on the counter, neither moves forward to grab it. Orion turns to me, an unsettling smile plastered on his handsome face.

“It was nice to see you again, Brandy.” Faster than I can blink, he grabs my coffee and pushes it into my hand, his fingertips grazing mine slightly.

My eyes widen at the gentle hum of electricity that flows between us, but just as soon as it starts, Orion pulls away.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small white business card, eyes blazing as he shoves it toward me. “Here. In case you run into trouble.”

I raise my brow, refusing to take the card. “Isn’t that what 911 is for?”

He just laughs. “You’re a smart girl. You know how things work in this city.” His smile drops to reveal the face of a sincere man—an honest man. “By the time any officer would answer the call, there’d be no hope for you if something bad happened. And bad things arealwayshappening in Moriton.”

With a huff, I snatch the card from his hand, and that smile of his returns. “It was nice to meet you…Brandy.”

My hands shake slightly as I look down at the card, though there’s nothing insidious etched onto its face. Just a name and a number—like he said.

With a scowl, I shove the card deep into my pocket to forget about, then hasten toward the exit. I try to keep my mind from the hauntingly beautiful man—from the strange aura swirling from his frame—but every time I try, that smile embeds deeper into my psyche until it’s the only thing I see when I close my eyes.

For the rest of the day, I try to ignore how it makes me feel. Try to convince myself that I’m not curious about the mysterious stranger. That even if I am, it makes no difference—I’ll never see him again.

Yet his presence lingers long after he’s gone.

13

ORION

“OLIVER’S BRAINS”

My cock strainsagainst the confines of my black jeans as thoughts of Seraphina fill my mind. Her flowing silver hair, her untrusting eyes, her perfect pink lips—always pouting and ready for a cock.

The last thought sends me into a mindless rage, and I click on the videos saved to my phone, a frown pulling at my brows as Seraphina’s perfect figure comes into view. It’s not the sight of her that’s causing distress—it’s the five other men in the room with her, their eyes hungry as they strip the clothes from her body.

A few days ago, I was able to retrieve the security footage of the Neon Flamingo on the night Seraphina met up with her client. Oh, I know all about it—how she whores herself out to anything with a stuffed wallet, how her lips twist in a simpering smile as she accepts their cocks.

How shelikesit.

My fist tightens around the phone as I reach down to release my cock, rubbing forcefully as the ginger-haired fuck presses his disgusting worm of a dick past Seraphina’s lips.

That should bemycock. Mine and mine only.

I touch myself to the thought of Seraphina, tears falling from her eyes as I fuck the back of her throat, as I make her regret the things she’s put me through.

I should stay away from her. I should forget all about the silver vixen. But every time I try, my blood boils, my skin crawls with ants, and I can’t.

God, I’m fucked in the head.

---