Clyde’s head drops back, afternoon sunlight catching the silver threading through his black hair. He looks so tired. Exhausted and weighed down with this new knowledge.
“You don’t have to like this, but I have to stay in Rune’s good graces,” I say. “He’s already suspicious that the men turned me against him. I need him to trust me. Reaper needs me close to him so I can—”
“Reaper?” His head snaps back down. “You’re fucking kidding?”
“No,” I say, placing my hands on my hips, the keys digging into my side. “You know damn well I’m the only one who can get access to anything Rune might have.”
His laugh is bitter. “Did you forget who’s been feeding Reaper intel for years?”
“Precisely.” I wrench the car door open. “All the more reason to keep his eyes off you and on me.”
Clyde’s fingers dig into my arm, yanking me backward. “You don’t know what he’s capable of, stupid girl.”
I snatch my arm away, my pulse jumps, becoming erratic and my cheeks heat.
How dare he? After finding me raped and battered on my floor, he really thinks I haven’t experienced Rune at his worst?
Stepping close, I get in his face, making sure he can see the fury in my eyes. “No?” I spit the word like venom, jabbing my finger into his chest. “I know exactly what Rune is capable of. I’m his punching bag, his fuck toy, hisproperty.”
“You stupid girl.” Clyde’s laugh is bitter, almost cruel. “Rune is worse than you could ever imagine.”
“Worse than fucking me over his desk?” I hiss, the words sour in my mouth. “Worse than punching my face after he came in my mouth?”
Clyde shrinks back, blinking like he’s been hit in the gut, not just from the heaviness of my words but from the level of anger that I’ve reached.
“Rune is a fucking nightmare I’ve lived with day in and day out,” I say. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“He’s a sick monster, Cora. Amurderer.”
“If only I could ask my mother about that,” I snap. “Oh right, I can’t. Because he killed her.”
Clyde takes a step back, his dark eyes scanning my face.
“Stop looking so shocked,” I say, climbing into the vehicle. I grab the handle, pulling the door shut but stop and say, “You have secrets, but so do I.”
He grabs the car door before I can close it, glaring at me. I narrow my eyes at him, mimicking his suspicious stare.
He drops his hand. “Zane told Breaker about your little deal.”
Of course, he did. Zane probably started crying the second Breaker showed up.
“My deal with Zane saved my ass,” I say. “At least I did something to stop the arrangement, unlike you.”
Low blow on my part, and it hits its mark. Clyde winces, then lets out a heavy sigh. “Do you know what your mother did?”
“Do you?” I ask.
His jaw tightens, and he looks down at his feet. My heart sinks. Of course Clyde knows what my mother did. He may have been the one to kill her on Rune’s order.
“Fine,” he rumbles, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’ll take you to Rune. You can get your fucking intel for Reaper so you can report back to that psycho—”
“Don’t you dare say anything about him.” I lean forward, pointing in his face. “He is not the enemy.”
His jaw tightens, lips thinning like he’s holding back everything he really wants to say, then grips my arm and yanks me out of the car.
“Get in the passenger seat,” he says. “You’re a shit driver, so I’m taking the wheel.”
He climbs in and slams the door. I stalk over to the passenger side and climb in, slamming the door a tad too hard.
