Page 18 of Reaper

Her smile falters, confusion creasing herbrow.But she meets my gaze steadily, those green eyes I've dreamed about for five years wide andearnest.

"I swear I'm not doing anything to hurt you, Reaper." The words soundconvincing.She sounds convincing. But there's something in her expression--a flicker of guilt, a shadow of secrets--that makes my bloodboil.

"Stop. Fucking. Lying." Each word falls like a bullet betweenus."I know you're working with a rat to sell us down theriver.I knoweverything."

She goes still, the color draining from herface.My hands shake with the effort of not grabbing her, of not shaking the truth out ofher.

"Just tell me the truth." My voice cracks on the lastword."For once in your life, if you even remember what that isanymore."

Sandy sucks in a sharp breath, her fingers twisting in the hem of myshirt."I wanted to tell you. Last night, Itried--"

"Don't you dare." The words explode from me, filling the smallroom."Don't you fucking dare blame any part of your betrayal onme."

"That's not what I'm saying!" She steps toward me, hands raised like she's approaching a woundedanimal.Maybe she is. "That's not what Imeant."

"Then what did you mean?" I force myself to stay still as she movescloser."What possible explanation could there be for lying to my faceagain?"

"Timer's the rat."

The words hit like a physicalblow.I stagger back, my mind refusing to process whatshe's saying.

"What?"

"Timer's been working both sides for years." Her voice steadies as she shifts into agent mode, and God, I hate how natural it looks onher."Feeding just enough intel to maintain cover while setting up the Saints for afall."

"You're lying." But even as I say it, pieces start clicking intoplace.Timer's convenient absences. His too-accurate information about rivalcrews.The way he too always seemed to know things before anyoneelse.

"He's been playing everyone." Sandy's eyes plead with me tounderstand."The Kings, the Wings, even his ownhandlers.I've spent five years building a case against him, tracking his connections to terrorist cells and weaponsdealers."

"And the Saints?" My voice sounds strange to my ownears."Where do we fit in your littleinvestigation?"

"You don't." She takes another stepcloser."That's what I've been trying to tellyou.I made a deal--Timer goes down, but the Saints stayclean.You stayfree."

A bitter laugh tears from my throat. "And I'm supposed to believe that? After everything?"

"Check my phone." She gestures to where it sits on thenightstand."The proof is all there. Photos of Timer's meetings, GPS coordinates of drops, recordingsof--"

"I don't want your fucking evidence!" The words come out as aroar."I want to know why. Why come backnow?Why let me fall for you again if you were just goingto--"

I break off, the rest of the sentence too painful tovoice.

"Because I never stopped loving you." Her voice cracks, tears spilling down hercheeks."Because when they offered me this assignment, all I could think about was keeping yousafe.Even if it meant you'd hate me when the truth cameout."

"Safe?" I laugh, but it sounds more like asob."You call this safe? Lying to my face, sleeping with me while planning to take down someone I considerfamily?"

"Timer isn't family." Steel enters hertone."He's the reason your father died in thatambush."

The world stops.

"What did you say?"

"The night your father died?" Her eyes hold mine,unflinching."Timer sold that route to the highestbidder.He's the reason they knew exactly where to hit theconvoy."

My vision blurs red. Without conscious thought, I grab the nearest object--a lamp--and hurl it against thewall.It shatters spectacularly, but the sound barely registers over the roaring in myears.

"Get out." The words come from somewhere deep and broken insideme.

"Reaper--"

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