Page 63 of Breaker

The irony doesn’t escape me.

I lean back, adjusting my helmet, my boot on the paved drive, crossing my arms over my chest, my eyes on the house across the street. With a glance over my shoulder, I check the windows of the house behind me, to make sure no lights have come on. I think it’s vacant but have no idea if any staff or security keep an eye on the grounds.

A light blinking on across the street snags my attention. I lean forward, gripping the handlebars. Even though I can’t see inside, I can see movement through the cracks in the drapes. Lights pop on, one after another on the first floor. After several minutes, lights flood the second floor, then the third.

We never bothered getting a diagram of the estate since neither woman ever came to the house, so I have no idea which room she’s in right now. Cora kept the property up, but this is the first time she’s stepped foot in her parents old house since we’ve been watching her.

My skin itches, my chest constricting. While I’m grateful for Harlow’s dedication to protect our girl, he’s also making it hard to access her. And fuck I want to get my hands on her. Makesure she’s safe. Unharmed after spending three nights in that house with Rune.

My phone pings. I pull it from my pocket and check the camera’s we installed around the perimeter of Rune’s property, years ago. We were never able to get any inside, but thanks to the many camera’s we placed, I can now track who comes and goes.

He’s returning home.

He has no security team left, which I’m hoping we can use to our advantage, but I’m still having to resort to using our old system to keep track of everyone. Thanks to the camera I have overlooking the front gate, I see his driver pulling the SUV into the circular drive, and parking near the steep steps. I managed to put a tracker on his vehicle that I think won’t be discovered if his driver does a sweep of the car, but it was still a risk. One I’m willing to take even though Rune hasn’t changed his routine much.

Watching them for four years means I have everyone’s schedule memorized.

Except for the last few days, no one is doing what they usually do. Rune returned late to his home, then left about an hour later. He’s not been gone long and since he’s back, I can only assume he dropped by the office and came right home.

Cora’s only left the house to go to the office then returns to Rune’s every evening. Tonight is the first time she’s gone anywhere after sunset.

And it’s killing me. I want to know what she’s doing in her childhood home.

What would she even want in there? After hearing what her mother did, it’s understandable she’s avoided the house all these years, but something happened that’s made her come here.

Something with Rune.

Ithadto be Rune.

I rub the knot in my chest, trying to keep my shit together. Everything in me screams to march to the door, rip it down and drag her away from this nightmare.

I’ve debated just breaking in so I can at least get close enough to find out why she’s dragged Harlow to this house of horrors, but I have no idea what type of security system the house has, if it’s even armed, and no way of hacking into it since I don’t have my laptop. That’s even if I could. I’m decent with software, but better at extracting information from people.

Right when I’m about to abandon my bike and jump the wall, the front door opens and Cora marches out. She has that determined lilt to her step, like when she’s decided something and is going to see it through to the end, even if it kills her.

Yeah. I know what determined march. I’ve watch her long enough to know she’s up to something. Clyde walks out a minute later, stopping to lock the door, a garment bag slung over his arm. She climbs into the SUV. He pulls his phone from his pocket, types, then re-pockets it before sliding into the car.

I shrink back into the shadows, as headlights sweep over the street. When the taillights become tiny dots. I maneuver my bike out of the driveway. My phone pings and I pull it out to read the screen.

Fear, anger, pure red rage makes my heart hammer.

Fuck

Reaper is going to fucking kill me.

Fallon may actually shoot me.

Viper is not ready.

Striker…

Fuck.

I take a deep breath as I reread the text. My gut roils with desperate fear. What I’m about to do is going to set everything into motion and there’s no going back.

One last glance at the text and I know I what I have to do.

Chapter 21

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