Page 106 of Striker

I have a feeling this was all planned. Every minute detail to get me on their side.

But to do what?

I don’t know because Reaper left me here over an hour ago and I can’t even think straight to guess at what they want. Because they want something. There’s a reason they did all this.

Revenge.

Maybe.

My heart picks up pace, imagining Cora’s face when she thought she was going back.

Blood is thicker than water.

My mother was wrong.

Rune may be my father, but Cora ismine.

“Tiny Thing.”

I jerk at the sound of Breaker’s voice behind me, but don’t turn around. When I don’t move, I hear him walk up, then feel his large hand land on my shoulder.

“You’re not screaming,” he says. “Or cursing or crying.”

I shake my head.

“You’re processing.”

“Screaming and crying won’t change what—” I swallow around the bile rising in my throat. “Reaper showed me. I heard Cora.”

It’s not like I don’t want to scream and cry. Tear at my hair and skin. But I shed enough tears hours ago and Rune doesn’t deserve any more of my tears. And I don’t want to cry anymore for Cora. She’d hate to see me crying, and besides, tears won’t change what happened. She doesn’t need my sadness. Cora needs my anger. My fuckingrage. Cora needs my thirst for vengeance.

For the first time, I truly understand Reaper. Viper. Breaker. Striker. My father killed their brother.

They want revenge. They want Rune to pay for taking something from them. Something valuable that they loved.

I want to hurt him for hurting Cora. For destroying my trust and cutting away at my best friend and my life support after my mother was killed.

For hurting the woman I love.

My father….

No. The man Icalledmy father, the man he pretended to be, would never do this.

Runeis a liar and thief. He’s lied to me most of my life. He stole Cora’s innocence. The same man who would come tuck me in at night, kiss my cheeks, and whisper promises to always protect me, was murdering people for sport. Then, after promising to protect Cora, was forcing her to fuck him. Forcing an innocent woman to bend to his will, all while keeping me trapped so that no man would do to me what he was doing to her.

The man who hunted those people? He doesn't deserve any tears.

Than man deserves….

My breathes seize.

I sit upright, running my fingers through my hair, squeezing at the roots. My mind flashes on all the meetings we attended. The chain of hotels along the west coast we just purchased and all the money Cora and I hid. My stomach twists.

Cora and I have always known we were hiding criminal activity, but I justified it, telling myself Rune wasn’t that bad. Not like the gangsters in movies. He was my father. He had a good heart even if it was broken after my mother died.

I convinced myself Rune was a good man, deep down, despite knowing he wasn’t.

I’m no better than him.

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