7/25/2019 08 Branded by Fire Deleted Scene

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THE PARTY

(Deleted scene from Branded By Fire)

Mercy felt so deliciously loose and relaxed after her encounter ith Riley that she had the

ur!e to turn leo"ard and #ust curl u" somehere$ %t as as ell that she had a standin!date ith the omen of the "ac& that ni!ht$

'hoerin! and s"rucin! u" after her return from the den she made it to the !atherin! halfan hour late$ %t as ein! held at Annie and *ach+s house this time around,thou!h *ach

had een &ic&ed out for the duration$ Attendance fluctuated de"endin! on or&-shifts and

the !eneral mood of the "ac& and toni!ht after .ash+s successful return there ere ello/er tenty-fi/e omen in the small house filled ith the delicious smells of chocolate

coc&tails and friendshi"$

0Mercy12 Anu all ut dra!!ed her to a seat on the sofa$ 0% ha/e somethin! for you$ 'ho

me your toes$2

3rinnin! Mercy did as id$ Ten minutes later her toenails had een "ainted a /i/idsil/er-lue that !linted in the li!ht$ 0% li&e it2 she said definiti/ely$ Anu as one of her

fa/orite "eo"le ein! so infectiously !ood-natured that it as im"ossile to e in a ad

mood around her$ 0Ho+s the ay42

03or!eous$ 'ee42 The "roud mommy "ulled out a "hone ith an array of ne "hotos$

3enuinely interested Mercy s"ent se/eral minutes loo&in! at them$ 0'he+s !roin! fast$

Feels li&e only last ee& % held her and she as the si5e of a tad"ole$2

0Tell me aout it$2 Anu turned to "ut her "hone ac& into her "urse$ 0Ma&e sure you ta&e

home the rest of the "olish for touch-u"s$2

0Than&s$2 Admirin! her toes and feelin! distinctly feline in her "leasure Mercy nud!edAnu$

06here+s Annie42

0Here$2 A mar!arita as "ut into her hand$ 0Anu42

0Better not,reastfeedin!$ 3imme that "inea""le #uice$2 Ta&in! a !lass she "ic&ed u"

her a! of tric&s$ 0Time for my next /ictim$2

Mercy !lanced u" at Annie as Anu arroed her ay toard Po""y$ 0You &no ho to

thro a "arty$2

Annie !rinned$ 0% thin& *ach+s ha/in! /isions of comin! home to find drun&en na&edomen all o/er his lan$ Actually % thin& he+s ho"in! for it$ Exce"t for his sisters of

course,% ha/e strict instructions to sa/e him from that trauma y arnin! him to stay

the hell aay$2

7au!hin! Mercy too& a si" of her mar!arita and atched as Annie mo/ed to "ut the rest

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7/25/2019 08 Branded by Fire Deleted Scene

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of the drin&s on the lo tale a cou"le of feet aay$ The small runette as immediately

shan!haied y her sister-in-la 8ess and 'ascha into a heated deate that "itted Mr$

Darcy a!ainst Heathcliff$ Mercy as leanin! forard to listen to Annie+s ta&e on thin!shen Tammy a/ed to her from the other side of the room here she as ein! offered

somethin! that had her red-faced and lau!hin!$ 9urious Mercy made her ay o/er$

Her eyes almost crossed hen she sa the array of o#ects on the tale in front of the

healer$ 0Tammy12

0Hey don+t lame me$2 Tammy i"ed tears of lau!hter from the corners of her eyes$

0This is all Faith+s fault$2

The F-Psy loo&ed incredily demure hen she ansered the char!e$ 0Ho as % to &nohat 7urrr/e Motion "roduced4 6hen they said they ere sendin! me sam"les to hel"

me tune my mind for forecasts % said fine$2 'he !lanced at lon! !reen and

/ery$$$flexile 7urrr/e Toy her eyes dancin! ith lau!hter$ 0% ne/er had to orry aoutthin!s li&e this hen % as or&in! exclusi/ely for Psy com"anies$2

Mercy as tryin! to fi!ure out ho another toy or&ed hen it came u55in! to life inher hands turnin! six different colors in as many seconds efore ouncin! out of her

!ras" and across the tale to fall into Talin+s la"$ Tally too& one loo& at it and said 0Do

you thin& 9lay ould &no hat this as if % too& it home and !a/e it to him as a"resent42

'eriously nau!hty su!!estions came from all sides and y the time it as o/er Mercy

as lau!hin! so hard her stomach muscles "rotested$ This she thou!ht as life as#oy$ 'he couldn+t ima!ine a future in hich her "ac& didn+t "lay an inte!ral role$

Dar&Ri/er as "art of her soul throu!h her lood-ond to 7ucas ut her "ac&mates ere

"art of the /ery faric of her heart$