Page 43 of Reaper Flame

“The Sevens are your family,” I replied dismissively. “I’m not going to make you choose.”

“There is no choice,” Rocky said. “I also meant what I said last night.”

I played dumb. Rocky dropping the L-bomb had been playing on my mind, but I tried not to think about it. Especially when I didn’t know how I felt. When I thought I’d killed him, it felt like a massive fucking hole had blasted straight through my heart. Was the inexplicable pain love? And, if it was, was that something I wanted?

“The Sevens are my family,” Rocky continued, daring to reach out and take my hand. His eyes met mine with a burning intensity that took my breath away. “But you are the one I love. I know what life is like without you. Even for them, I couldn’t live like that. Not again.”

“You might not have to,” I said, breaking eye contact and shaking my hand out of his grasp to cross my arms over my chest. “If we’re trying to take down Hiram, we’ll be lucky to get out alive.”

Our blissful reunion yesterday had turned into a nightmare. My feelings were raw, my thoughts a mess, and I had no fucking idea how to process everything. At least in Blackthorne Towers, I knew my place and where I stood. Here? I knew nothing! How could I come to terms with knowing someone I trusted had betrayed me because they believed it was for the greater good? Plus, adding into the mix a pouty ass Hulk and your childhood sweetheart coming back from the dead was enough to fuck with anyone’s head!

“Hey!” Vixen’s voice boomed and interrupted our conversation, sparing us from having to talk about the future. A future Rocky and I might never have. “Leave Candy alone, Red! We are having a girls’ night, and no assholes are allowed!”

“I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” Rocky said, getting up then paused. He turned to wink at me over his shoulder. “Have fun.”

Yeah, like painting my nails and having a pillow fight were going to help…

I scowled as he opened the door and squeezed past Vixen, who waved around a bottle of Russian vodka. Behind her, Mieko grinned apologetically and screwed up her nose to say, ‘sorry, I couldn’t stop her’. There’s no arguing with Vixen when she sets her mind to something.

“You can either sit on your own all night or drink enough vodka to sink this fucking boat,” Vixen addressed me with the command of a drill sergeant. “What’s it going to be?”

“We have chocolate,” Mieko said with a bright smile. “And ice cream.”

I may not be happy to be on board, but Mieko knew my guilty pleasures and how I couldn’t resist a sugar bribe.

“I’ll also drag you by your fucking hair if I have to,” Vixen threatened.

“Most girls’ nights don’t start with the threat of scalping,” I muttered sarcastically.

“What Vixen means,” Mieko said, putting her hand on Vixen’s arm to silence her, “is we’ve missed you.”

Vixen shrugged like she didn’t give a shit, but the way her stare burned into me said otherwise. “Are you coming or what?”

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes. It couldn’t be any worse than when the three of us had to burn a body. “But only because you have ice cream.”

Since my arrival, I hadn’t explored the yacht properly as I’d either been on the deck or... in bed. Following Vixen through the narrow corridor made me appreciate how vast its insides were. The carpets were plush, the walls lined with sleek white paneling, and paintings added sharp pops of color. Q must have skimmed a heap of cash to afford a boat like this.

“Red and West are sharing,” Vixen explained, pointing at a door as we passed. “You should see West trying to squeeze on the top bunk.”

I snickered at the thought of the big man crammed onto a bunk bed. It’d be a miracle if Rocky didn’t get squashed by a falling bed as he slept. We went into the living area. It resembled a villain headquarters in a James Bond movie. A large white leather sofa and two chairs took up most of the space, along with a wooden mini-bar and a massive fold-down projector. A zebra shag rug, silver candelabras and a chandelier-type light fitting gave the room an added sleek vibe.

“What do you think?” Vixen extended her arms and twirled around. “It’s insane, right?”

I nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Growing up in a group home, the lavish lifestyles of the rich and famous were something I only saw on the covers of glossy magazines I didn’t have the money to buy.

Q appeared behind us, and Vixen spun around to face him.

“No men allowed!” she shrieked.

“Hey, it’s my boat!” Q objected. Yeah, like a small technicality would stop a control freak bitch from getting her way.

“And I’m the one who has spent the last month turning it into something that doesn’t resemble a dingy man cave,” Vixen pointed out, propping her hands on her hips in a power pose. “Beat it.”

“Fine,” Q grumbled reluctantly, shuffling back down the corridor like a kid being sent back to bed.

I frowned in confusion. “You’ve been preparing this place for a month?”

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