Page 39 of Striker

“Hope you’re hungry, Sweetheart,” Viper says, lowering his large frame into a chair across the table from us.

Reaper taps the tabletop again. My eyes snap to his hand. “Hands on the table, palms flat,” he says, and that’s when I notice the wooden ruler, like the old ones used in schools, laying on the table next to his hand.

My brows knit, but I place my hands on the cool surface, palms flat, fingers splayed out.

“Good girl,” Breaker says and I feel his praise rumble through my back.

Reaper picks up a block of cheese and holds it up. “Open.”

“I don’t think so,” I snap when I realize his plan. “I can feed myself.”

Shifting, I lift my hands, but before I can pull them away, Reaper snatches the ruler and slaps it across my fingers.

“What the fuck!” I pull my hands back, pressing my fingers to my mouth, glaring up at him.

“Hands on the table,” Striker says and I turn to look at him. He’s dead serious, not even phased by the fact Reaper just rapped my knuckles with a fucking ruler. Like this is normal. He cocks his head to the side as he taps the tabletop. “Listen.”

“Fucking psychos,” I mumble. Hesitantly, I lay my hands back down, watching the ruler in Reaper’s hand for any signs of movement. Breaker’s hips tilt, and his huge cock digs into my backside, letting me know he very much likes me sitting here. Or maybe he likes the entire situation.

“Good girl,” Viper praises when my hands are flat on the table.

Reaper holds up the cheese again, and I turn my head.

“I canfuckingfeed myself.”

With a low growl, Reaper lurches forward, his black eyes flashing dangerously, and grips my cheeks, squeezing hardenough to force my lips apart. “When I can trust you with a fork, you’ll get the privilege of feeding yourself. Now open.”

I attempt to jerk away, but his grip just tightens painfully. When I move to lift my hands to fight him off, I remember the sharp smack of the ruler and keep them in place. Before I can protest further, he shoves the bit of cheese in my mouth and covers my lips, releasing his grip on my face just enough for him to snap my jaw shut like I’m a dog getting a pill.

“Chew and swallow,” he orders, a dark edge in his voice.

Shit. Ireallypissed him off last night.

As I chew, he picks up the ruler again, daring me to lift my hands. I leave them flat on the surface, knowing he’d love the excuse to smack my knuckles again. After I swallow, I open my mouth to show him, making Viper chuckle.

“Such a brat,” Reaper says and picks up another bite. My eyes drop to the bulge in his pants as he taps the food on my bottom lip. This time, though, I open. He shoves it roughly into my mouth, like he can’t stop his hatred of me from spilling out. I smile sweetly as I chew, making his own black glare turn deadly.

I’m not stupid. The sick gleam in his eye tells me he’ll hold me down and force the food in my mouth if I continue to fight, but that doesn’t mean I will sit quietly and let him bully me. He warned me not to push him too far and from the intense gleam in his eye, I believe he’s capable of hurting me, maybe even would love the chance, but last night taught me one thing.

He remembers me just as much as I remember him.

Chewing, I eye him. I know I should be terrified of him, of all of them, but I’m not. I’ve grown up around dangerous men. Men who’ve murdered people. Men like the ones who shot my mother. If Reaper didn’t hurt me after I nearly broke the window in the room, then I know I’m at least physically safe.

Maybe not mentally.

Hell, maybe I’mnotentirely physically safe. They may want me alive, but that doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t harm me.

He killed my father’s guards in cold blood, after all.

My heart falls to my stomach. Manuel. He was a good man, a good bodyguard, and a dedicated soldier for my father.

The food sticks in my throat as I swallow. Curling my fingers into the wood table, I ask Reaper, “Do you even feel any remorse?”

“No,” is Reaper’s response.

“About what?” is what Striker asks, and the other two remain quiet.

With a scowl, I lock eyes with Reaper, his skull mask taunting me, just as he did when he punished me with the ruler. “For killing Manuel.”

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