Page 93 of Striker

How did this happen? We took them three weeks ago, and somehow in that time they’ve crawled under our skin. We’re now defying orders, we’re taking stupid chances by spending too much time with them, being too soft by allowing them to sass us at every turn, then to top it off, we started to fucking care about their wellbeing.

Then, when we tried to detach ourselves, take a step back, it just made the ache in my chest worse. It made being away from them so hard that I had to lock myself in my room most days and pray for sleep to consume me, so I’d stop thinking.

This isn’t how it was supposed to be.

Now we’re fuckingfucked. And the worst part is we did it ourselves. We made the mistake if fucking them that first night. Of bringing Cora. Of letting them close to us. Talking to them. Watching them.

“The way you all doubt me is insulting,” Reaper says shoving his hands into his pockets as he watches Cora on Viper’s lap.

My brows knit. It makes my mask pull uncomfortably around my eyes so I scratch my brow as I face him. “What do you mean?”

He shakes his head, not responding.

“What do we do when he demands we return her?” I ask. Viper says something to her, and she starts crying again, flinging her arms around his neck.

“Fuck if I know,” Reaper says. He tries to run his hand through his hair, but it lands on his balaclava and he lowers it, shoving it back into his pocket in annoyance.

Breaker catches my eye and stands up to join Reaper and me by the door. “How did we miss this?”

“I don’t think we wanted to see it,” I say, but the way Reaper exhales tells me maybe he not only saw it, he weaponized the knowledge. That maybe this was his plan when he took her.

I cock my head to the side. “You knew it was this bad, didn’t you?” I ask him, watching his reaction.

His black eyes meet mine and my heart crashes against my ribcage. I shake my head.Asshole.HewantedDelilahto know. And now? She’ll never forgive her father.

“How?” I ask. “How did you know?”

“I watched her, Strike. If you watch people, they give away their secrets.”

Breaker sighs. “I don’t know why we listen to you. You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Because you know I’m always right.” Reaper’s eyes dart to the doorway and the dark foyer beyond. Even though he’s a manipulative dick, I know he’s worried about our Princess. He may do anything, regardless of who he hurts to achieve what he wants, he may be callous, and cold, and truly dark at times, but I also know him. He may have wanted her to know about Rune’s relationship with Cora, but he doesn’t want Delilah’s pain. He’s already experienced so much of it.

But he does want Rune’s downfall.

I nudge his arm with my elbow, even though it earns me a deadly glare. “Go to her.”

He shakes his head. “No.”

We both look back at Cora. He rolls his shoulders, rocking his head from side to side. Reaper’s shoulders ease, but I can still see the tension in his body.

“You go,” Reaper says. Our eyes meet. “We all know it was going to be you who brought her to us.”

Chapter 37

Delilah

Iclutch the edgeof the toilet seat, stomach heaving again, but nothing comes up. I wish something would so I could expel this dark, putrid feeling. Expel her words from my mind. If I’d not gone back downstairs, scared they were really taking Cora back, I’d not have heard her. I’d not have heard the things Rune’s done. Heard her sobs, begging them not to take her to my father.

Cora told them everything. These men who stole us, who’ve kept us captive. And she never once told me.

Probably because she was scared that I wouldn’t believe her.

And I don’t blame her. I almost called her a liar.

I almost told my best friend, my lifeline, these last few weeks that she was lying to me about Rune. I sink to the floor and crawl out of the bathroom over to the window. Pressing my forehead to the glass, I close my eyes. Her face is all I can see.

She’s not a liar. Part of me has known for a long time something was off. I saw it in the way he’d touch her. The way he’d say her name.God.How could he?

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