Page 218 of Reaper
They willnotget their hands on everything my family has worked for all these years!
A faint sound of something scraping on the cement behind me has me freezing before cautiously looking over my shoulder.
Fuck.
“You should have realized you’d never be able to outsmart us,” she says as she smirks at me before crossing her arms across her chest.
I eye her as I slowly stand and face her before cocking an eyebrow in question at her. Does she really think she’s fooling anyone with what’s she’s done?
She’s had some work done on her face to make it look more like mine. Her once dirty blond hair is now dark brown to match mine. She’s even started dressing like me, too.
Even with the changes she’s made, I know exactly who she is. I’d recognize that sneer anywhere. And with the level of hate shining through her eyes, I’m not surprised to see her here.
I shake my head. I had hoped she’d take the olive branch the club had offered her, but no. She’s going to throw it all away just so she can push me out of the picture. Even though I’d only met her that one weekend of Mae’s baby shower, she still glared daggers at me whenever she could. She may not have been after Anthony at the time, but the fact that someone other than a bunny was claimed as an Old Lady has apparently always been a sore spot for her. Even worse than the other bunnies from what I’ve heard.
“If you honestly think changing the package will change your insides, you’re even stupider than I thought. There’s no way Reaper would ever touch you, Crystal.”
She curls her lip at me. “We are going to take everything from you, including Reaper. You’re not the only one that will be given the drug. After he’s finally had a taste of me, there’s no way he’d be interested in your fried, fat ass any longer.” She pauses and a sneer pulls at her lips. “I don’t know why everyone’s so obsessed with you. Reaper. Darren. Zac. Even Richard and Kelly are obsessed with you, though theirs is a different kind of obsession. At least theirs I can get behind.” She pauses again and a dark glint shines in her eyes. “And today will be the beginning of the end for you.”
Footsteps and the click of heels signal everyone else’s arrival behind me. Looking over my shoulder, my heart squeezes when I see the briefcase Zac is holding and it’s so much bigger than I thought a week’s worth of drugs would be in. How many doses are in there? When I look up into his eyes, they promise retribution for my escape plan. My stomach twists at the excitement that lies just underneath that anger.
Shit.
Now what is he going to do?
Is he really going to give me whatever drug is in that case?
And if he succeeds, will I really lose everything that I love, including Anthony?
No.
I can’t think like that.
Anthony and the club will come for me.
Turning to face the others, but making sure not to give Crystal my back, my gaze cuts to Kelly, whose eyes are blazing with hatred at me.
“Why, Kelly? Why after all these years are you still attacking me like this? I have done nothing to provoke you and yet you come after me time and time again. Why?”
“Because you don’t deserve happiness. Not after what you’ve done.”
I frown. “What the fuck did I ever do to you? You’re the one who stepped in on my relationship with Aiden. After that, I’ve done nothing to you. You’ve been the one attacking me! Not the other way around.”
She huffs. “It started when we were kids. Every time I did well or got something special, you just had to go and one up me. Every single time. In school. For birthdays or holidays. I started dating the football quarterback. You and he ended up being prom king and queen and everyone pushed me aside. Even with Aiden, you had him first despite the fact that I told you I loved him. You ignored my feelings and just went after what you wanted.”
I shake my head. “You were the one competing with me in school, not the other way around. I never drew attention to my accomplishments or gifts. I hated that kind of attention. You were the one always bragging about what you did or got. Sometimes, you’d go on for months about the same thing!
“As for Aiden, I never knew you liked him. You just told me you had feelings for a guy but never told me who. When I asked, you always said ‘it’s a secret’. If I had known that guy was Aiden, I never would have said yes when he asked me out. That’s not the type of person I am.”
Kelly shakes her head. “No, I told you and you still went out with him.”
Understanding suddenly dawns on me. “You’re pissed that I’m happy,” I whisper, and my chest tightens painfully. “And because I’m happy and you’re not, you want to squash my happiness. You’re pissed that the man you love appears to not love you back. Or love you enough. That is, if the rumors are true in that he’s been cheating on you since returning from your honeymoon.”
Her eyes blaze brighter with hate and I know I’m right.
“Why should you be happy when I’m fucking miserable?! Why should you get everything you want when I’m stuck with someone who can’t be faithful and ignores me? Why should I have to be the one to care for those brats when I never wanted kids in the first place?”
My heart hurts at the pain etched on her face and in her eyes, even though she hasn’t been my friend for a few years now. “None of that is my fault, so why are you taking it out on me? Aiden should be the one you’re having a conversation with. Not me. You knew he was a cheater before you married him. Why are you now suddenly so surprised that he cheated on you?”
