Breaker nods, looking away. “And it’s my fault.”
The floor seems to shift beneath my feet. That day a week ago rushes to the forefront of my mind. Her face, scared but determined to be strong as she walked from the room and right back into the devil's hands. Right where we sent her.
WhereIallowed her to go, knowing what Rune is capable of.
My brothers don’t know what I know.
What Clyde knows.
“He hurt her,” I state, my gut churning with tarry darkness. I swallow and look up at the ceiling, praying she’s okay. “How bad?”
Breaker doesn’t answer and I press my eyes closed, a faint, but chaotic noise building in my head.
Reaper.
Christ.This will break him in ways he can’t come back from.
We fucking did this. Fucking sent her back here and now…
“What did he do?” I ask, focusing back on Breaker. His eyes fall to his feet. I suck in a breath, the churning in my gut turning solid and heavy like heavy stones.
Molten rage floods my veins, scorching through me as violently as lava. My vision narrows to pinpricks of light. Images of the past scratch at my mind, threatening to destroy every ounce of reason. I’m at the door before I register moving. Breaker’s fingers dig into my bicep, spinning me around.
“Where are you going?” he asks. “You know damn well we can’t touch Rune.”
“I’m not going to Rune. I’m going to get our girl.”
Chapter 11
Cora
“Getyourfuckingassback in the house before I drag you in there.”
I ignore Clyde as he tears down his pristine driveway after me. Keys clutched tight, I march toward his SUV. My sneaker catches on a raised stone paver and I stumble, my hand smacking down on the driver door to catch myself, shocked he’s allowed an uneven stone to mar his perfect landscaping.
“You know there is no other choice,” I say over my shoulder, pressing the button to unlock the doors. The beep makes my pulse spike. “Either you take me or I’m stealing your car.”
“Goddammit, girl,” Clyde bellows, his long legs closing the distance between us. “Now is not the time to test me.”
I whirl around, slapping away his hand before he can grab me. We’ve wasted the entire morning hiding in separate rooms after we exhausted his stash of bullets. Doingnothing. We haven’t made a plan. Haven’t talked beyond his cryptic bullshit about killing Rune.
The only thing I know, thanks to Breaker, is that they plan to get close to Rune, posing as the Snyder Group, but even that’s been delayed thanks to Breaker’s fit of rage.
So, in the meantime, Reaper needs information. That is why I’m here.
“Now is the perfect time to keep me close to Rune,” I say.
“Back inside, Cora.” Clyde points toward his stark white monstrosity of a house. His jaw twitches, veins bulging at his temple. “I didn’t just stop myself from murdering that bastard so you could run back to him.”
When he lunges for the keys, I twist away, tucking them behind my back. Growling out my response. “I have to go to him, Clyde! I work for him. He—”
“He hurts you!” His roar hits me like a physical blow. I stumble back, my back pressing to the car door. Clyde’s eyes go wide, then he squeezes them shut, chest heaving.“He fucking hurts you, Cora.”
I slump against the car, my chest concaving. I can’t imagine what he must be feeling. Betrayed. Scared. Delly and I are the two things he goes completely insane over. I lost count of how many times he’s beaten the crap out of some random man who tried to date Delly.
He turns away, staring at his perfect landscaping, his gaze locked on the birds of paradise and skinny palms lining the driveway, before looking back at me. That dangerous gleam I saw earlier returns and he grates out, “You will never be alone with him again.”
I keep my tone flat, my shoulders stiffening. “If Rune suspects anything’s different, you’re dead.”
