Page 162 of Breaker

Yeah. I know.

“Listen to me, Baby Girl,” Reaper says, making her look back at him. He cups her jaw, and I swear I can feel from here how her body eases into his gentle touch. Just like she does for me. “I need you to be brave for me, okay?”

Cora nods slightly, but I think she’d agree to anything right now considering the way she’s looking at him.

Reap licks his lips and her eyes fall to his mouth. Her lips part. “I need someone on the inside. Someone strong. Someone I can trust.”

She nods again, eyes darting between his. Onyx on emerald. Dark against vibrant light.

“Do you understand?” His thumb traces her bottom lip. “I don’t want to let you go, but I have to.”

“Why?” she whispers, her body tensing again, snapping back to clarity. Another tear slips out.

Reaper swipes it away. “Can you be brave for me? Can you just trust me?”

“But, I don’t want to go back to him.” Her chin quivers. My heart cracks, my mind splintering at the sight of her pain. “You know what he’ll do to me if I go back.”

Reaper grips her shoulders. “You do not let him touch you. Do you understand me?”

More tears slip out, but our sweet girl nods. “Okay.”

“Do everything you’re told, and things will be okay,” he says, hands dropping to grasp hers. “Rune is not to touch you. No one is ever allowed to touch you ever again. You are our girl.” He brushes her fingers against his lips as a sob wracks her entire body. “You are my Baby Girl, do you understand?”

Cora’s entire face crumbles like my heart. I lean forward to grip her knee squeezing. She looks my way.

“Say it,” I tell her, desperate for her to understand.

“I’m yours.”

“If he touches you, you do everything in your power to hurt him,” Reaper says, his features contorting, agony written in every hard line. “You kick. You scream. Youhurthim. You fight for yourself. Even if you have to kill him.“ Reaper cups her jaw and leans in, placing a light kiss to her lips. “I promise, it will be okay. We will come for you. We will not let you go. Your ours.”

When she bursts into tears, throwing her arms around his neck, I bolt from my seat needing to do something to stop this searing pain lancing through every atom. Her fear, her pain, her fucking bravery, makes me feel so small. I’ve been faced with so many terrible things in my life, things I’ve never shared with anyone, but seeing her this terrified and trying to be strong shadows the demons I’ve faced. Cora knows what it feels like to be used. Beaten. That gut wrenching feeling of having hands on you that you never consented to. To be told your worth was between your legs and every vile thing done to your body was of your own making.

“Cora.” I snatch her away from Reaper and drag her close, my need to have her near me,hearme, making me restless. “We will come for you. I promise on my life. We will come for you.”

Her green eyes, those eyes that feel so much like home meet mine. “You promise?”

“I promise,” Reaper and I say at the same time.

I kiss her forehead. Cora swipes at her cheeks. Straightens her back. Our little warrior, preparing herself for battle. I pat her back side, letting her go.

Reaper takes her hand and kisses her fingers again. “Wait in the parlor. Father will be here soon. When he arrives, do everything he commands and do not say a word.”

A slow, deep intake of air and she walks from the room without looking back.

Pulling his mask back over his head, he turns my way. When Cora has left the room, Reaper reaches between my legsand grips my balls, squeezing just hard enough that I clench my teeth and put my hands up, surrendering.

“Fuck, man,” I hiss.

“Do not breathe a word about this,” Reaper whispers. “Not a fucking word to anyone what I said. Not Breaker. Not Striker. No one.”

Okay, I hiss as he squeezes my sac tighter. I nod my head, the pain mixing with that fucked up erotic zing, curling it up with pleasure. “Fuck man. Let me go before you have a bigger problem on your hands.”

Reaper releases me and steps back, still glaring with those black eyes that seem to eat the light in the room when he’s pissed. I glance over my shoulder, making sure Cora can’t hear us.

“Why didn’t you tell her?” I ask adjusting myself. “Why we have to send her back?”

“Because then she won’t fucking do anything about it,” Reaper grates, lifting his chin toward the doorway. “If she goes, thinking we’re going to rescue her and stop this marriage, then she won’t fight it herself. We need her to find a way to stop this because we can’t.”

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