Page 18 of Reaper Flame

“Don’t speak to my wife like that,” Giles piped up. “We came to pay our respects—”

“Your wife?” Penelope’s high-pitched shrill voice cut in, making me wince. “You marriedher?!”

I’d almost forgotten Giles was standing by my side, but everyone suddenly acknowledged his presence. West’s expression turned furious and his momentary lapse in concentration was all it took for Vixen to knee him in the groin and wriggle herself free.

She barreled forward. I didn’t move as she crashed into me and knocked me to the ground, bearing her talons like weapons. Searing pain spread over my face as her claws sank into my cheek. I didn’t blame her for being angry. If the situation was reversed, I’d be going for fatal wounds over a catfight. I would let her get in a few more swipes before she forced me to break her arm.It’s what Rocky would have wanted.

“You’re the reason Red is dead,” she shouted as tears streamed down her cheeks. “You should never have come into our fucking lives!”

Vixen tried to throw a punch, but I rolled away to dodge her fist. I’d tried to teach Vixen how to defend herself when we lived together, but I never thought to tell her she actually had toseewhen aiming.

Before she got the chance to try again, Mieko and West hauled her off of me. I stood, fluffing up my hair and smoothing down my dress as if nothing happened.

“How can you even look at yourself?” Vixen hissed. “He trusted you and you fucking shot him! You just couldn’t wait to get back to your old life, could you?”

“Maybe it’s best you leave, Candy,” Mieko whispered.

Icouldtry to explain to them what happened. Icouldapologize and say I never meant to hurt him, but I wouldn’t. What difference would it make? It wouldn’t bring him back. It was easier if she hated me. If they all hated me.

“You shouldn’t have come,” West said, looking straight through me like a ghost. His eyes were empty. Hollow. A shell of the person I thought I knew.

His cold indifference shocked me. Where was his fire? Where was the beast who lived inside him? It would have been better if he tried to kill me or threw insults my way. Anything would be better thanthis. He met me with nothing but emptiness, like I was a fucking stranger. Had I really meant so little to him?

“At least we bothered to show up,” Giles said. “Where is my cousin today?”

“That is none of your concern, Briarly,” West growled.

“Why don’t we all catch up at the afterparty?” Giles suggested. “It was an open invitation, after all.”

“We’ll see you there,” I said before they could answer, then turned on my heel and flipped my hair so hard that I almost gave myself whiplash.The motion covered up the disappointment I needed to hide. West didn’t let me down, I did. I’d been stupid to think I’d belonged with the Sevens, and I was paying the price.

There was no turning back. The battle lines were officially drawn, and I wouldn’t leave Port Valentine without Zander’s head.

FOUR

My cell rang as soon as we stormed from the chapel. Hiram wanted answers. I picked up and said, “Part one is done. We’re on our way.”

Causing a scene was the first step. If Vixen’s reaction was anything to go by, then the wake would devolve into full-blown chaos — especially if Zander was around. His not attending Rocky’s funeral confirmed everything I knew to be true. Didn’t West and Vixen see through Zander’s bullshit? He only cared about himself. The egotistical psychopath couldn’t spare an hour out of his day to pay his fucking respects!

“I’ll see you at the manor,” Hiram snapped, hanging up.

Returning to Port Valentine was surreal. A few months ago, I thought of this town as home and the Sevens as my family. But, now, being here was a painful reminder of something I would never have or get again. It would be a day of retribution, and I was here for answers.

After allowing the funeral-goers a head-start, our drive to Briarly Manor seemed to take forever. Giles made the ride even more unbearable by muttering unimaginative death threats against West under his breath. If he was going to make threats, couldn’t he try to be a little more creative? Besides, he shouldn’t be surprised. I’d already warned him what she was like after watching Penelope throw herself at West every time they were in the same room.

I decided to talk, hoping it may reduce the chances of him doing something stupid. “So, you really cared about her, huh?”

Giles didn’t see past her smooth skin, long legs, and bouncy hair. He should be happy he’d gotten a lucky escape from that bitch of a gold digger.

“No!” he said, too quickly. “It doesn’t matter.”

“She’s not worth it,” I said.

“Doesn’t it bother you seeing the two of them all over each other?” he asked. “You were engaged.”

Pfft, my engagement to West was no different to my new marriage. Phony. I followed Zander’s orders because I stupidly bought into him and the Sevens’ vow of unbreakable loyalty. In reality, Zander’s real motivation was to get what he wanted, whatever the consequences.

“The only thing I care about is getting revenge for what he did to me,” I said, trying to scrub the image of West and Penelope from my mind. It shouldn’t bother me. It couldn’t. “The sooner you learn to stop caring, the better.”

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