Page 85 of Breaker

“We needed intel,” I explain. “We monitored both of you.”

“You mean you needed information on Delly.” Her tone suggests we just cared about Delilah. That we only included her because she was close to our target.

How wrong she is.

We didn’t need to follow Cora. To spend years discovering her favorite movies and what shampoo she used. We did because we had to know every detail about the two women we secretly desired.

Cora’s brows furrow as she moves closer to look at the images we took of them over the years. Pictures cover every inchof the wall. There are snapshots of the two walking in the park, at the beach, sneaking into a taxi to go to Rune’s club the night we met them for the first time face to face. They did that often, taking a taxi instead of the driver Rune provided, so he couldn’t track their movements.

We did, though.

We always did.

“How long has Clyde been involved in gathering information for you?” she asks, and I note that she doesn’t say stalking, much to my relief. Because that’s what we did. We tracked and stalked our prey, learning their every move and every desire until they were so ingrained in us we could predict what they would do.

And then it was time.

The night Cora finally convinced Delilah to leave her house after months of depression, we knew she’d be ready to break free. Fallon trained us well. He’s a master manipulator and a liar—and we are now, too. Reaper is terrifying in his ability to cut off emotions and act, though I’ve never seen him as passionate as he is with our girls.

“Four years,” I tell her, keeping my distance as I watch her. She’s absorbing everything, but barely reacting, and I can honestly say that’s not what I expected, though it is concerning.

That’s the thing with people, though. You can predict their actions, but you can never predict their emotions.

Cora’s stoney facade makes me worry she’s lying about being harmed, far more than the obvious hit to her face. She’s displaying clear signs of dissociation. She’s barely even here, and it’s tainting my every thought with red rage. Striker does the same thing, sort of floats away and gets lost when things are too much. Reaper notices more than the rest of us. Then again, he pays more attention.

“Why?” Cora leans in to examine a picture. My heart skips when she nears the image I’ve been dreading her seeing, but she gets distracted and moves to another one of her and Delilah in the park after the summer solstice lighting. The night we first saw them. “What information is Clyde feeding you and why?”

“Rune’s activity. And ways to get close to him.”

Her brows knit, teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, trying to understand. “What did Rune do that Clyde would betray him? He’s been with Rune forever. They’ve been friends for years.”

I take a minute to answer, deciding how much to tell her. “Rune crossed a line when he killed our brother. One even Harlow won’t step over,” I say, waiting for her to say something. When she just continues to stare at the wall, I continue, “What Rune did to our brother went far beyond seeking justice. It would make your stomach turn, Little Red. Rune’s cruelty knows no bounds.”

“Will you tell me?” she says but shakes her head when she sees my frown. “Not about your brother, but about the rest. Who you are. The connection. Why Rune? I need to understand.”

I look up at the metal ceiling, knowing I owe her this.

Cora deserves the truth.

I tell her most of it. A condensed version. I tell her some about the school and how Fallon trained us to be soldiers to use for his financial gain. The bits I explain about the wilderness only detail how Father used the land around Rune’s lodge. How he and Rune were old friends, but even that I skim over. When I tell her about Rune killing Hunter after he captured him five years ago, she scowls, interrupting me.

“Why were you storming his lodge?” she asks. “What did he do that you were going to kill him?”

Delilah’s face flashes in my mind. Cora can’t know. I can’t tell her. Not yet. Our Tiny Thing, my brave, strong girl, she’dbe so angry with me if I told Cora before she could. I know she wants to be with her when Cora finds out, so I lie.

It feels like shit. Every word like a hot coal burning my tongue as I say, “An old deal gone wrong.”

She nods, accepting this because that’s how much faith they’ve put in us. That’s how much she’s trusting me, us, right this second.

“Let me get this straight. You’re Snyder,” she says, eyes slightly dazed. “You’re….

“Ben Snyder,” I say. “The face of Snyder Incorporated.”

“Okay.” A deep beath. “And you plan to gain Runes’ trust to get into his lodge. So you’re selling him weapons.” Cora pulls at her bottom lip, thinking, then says, “Is he having large game shipped in? Like, is he hosting illegal game hunts?”

My gut lurches, uncomfortable memories assaulting me. “You could say that.”

When it’s time, and we can finally tell her the truth, I wonder if our Little Red will remember this moment and accuse me of lying like Delilah did.

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