Page 70 of Striker

Sometimes I hate it when Reaper’s right. Theyarestronger together.

He was right to keep them apart for so long. Our lives would have been a fucking nightmare if they’d spent this first week here plotting against us and attempting to escape.

Although chasing thembothdown would have been fun.

But keeping them apart meant we could focus on each of them individually. And in turn, they focused on us.

“Open, Kitten,” he says again.

“No.” She slaps his hand away. Reaper goes motionless. Viper’s eyes grow wide. Breaker looks my way, as if making sure I’ll intervene.

Reaper grips her cheeks and shoves the food into her mouth. I expect Cora to sit up and scream in outrage, so I’m surprised when she chuckles, picking up her food again.

“This is insane,” she says, taking a large bite and smiling as she chews. “You guys realize this, right? This is completely nuts.”

It is. We know damn well Delilah won’t use any weapon on us. She’s not afraid of us or even wants to harm us at this point. Even though Reaper would never admit it, we’re only doing this because he was nearly pulling his hair out whenever I retrieved her plates and the food was barely touched.

And because it’s an excuse to be near her. Touch her.

God, we’re fucked.

Reaper picks up the napkin, wiping his hands. Delilah tracks his every single movement like he’s a predator and she just stumbled into his den.

When he leans over and grabs the fork off the tray, handing it to her, her blue eyes dart to me.

Looks like this predator just invited her in.

Reaper, it seems, thinks they’re ready.

“Trust me with a fork now?” she asks.

“No,” Breaker says, lifting her off his lap to stand. “I’m pretty sure Reaper will never trust you with anything that canbe used to stab him, but I doubt you want Cora witnessing what happens when you don’t listen.”

“What happens?” Cora asks Delilah, eyes wide. She looks at each of us, then up to Reaper. “What happens if we don’t listen?”

He tucks a curl behind her ear. “To you, nothing Baby Girl. You’d never try to stab me.”

Viper leans forward, crossing his arms over the table, watching in rapt fascination as Reaper picks up Cora’s sandwich and tears a piece off, offering it to her. She leans forward, and grips his wrist, enclosing her mouth around his fingers, sucking on the tips as she takes the bite. Reaper runs his thumb over her bottom lip when she backs away, looking up at him with a smirk.

We all pretend we don’t notice. Viper suddenly becomes interested in his hands. Breaker situates Princess back in her chair, handing her the fork again, but catches my eye when he passes by.

Seems they haven’t been watching the camera’s as intently as I have.

Reaperhatesbeing touched. The only time he’ll allowanyoneto touch him is during sex. We know better than to even sit too close to him for too long because he’ll either end up moving or glare holes through our skin until we’re uncomfortable enough to move.

But he touches lets her touch himconstantly.

Seems these two women have slipped under his armor.

I don’t have to wonder when it happened.

I know the exact date.

***

After the girls eat, Cora goes up to their room and Delilah walks back to the garden. She spent most of the last few days out here, walking around, picking little flowers she leaves in a water glass on the dining room table. Even when it rained a day ago, she stood out here, face to the sky, cold rain pelting her skin. I wonder what she thinks it was washing away.

I stand in the doorway watching her pick flowers, adjusting my mask, wishing I could just take the fucking thing off. But it’s too soon.

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