Page 37 of Viper

I glance around at all the dresses and shiny little tops and those tight leggings Delilah always wears when she meets Cora for a walk in the park. Panic eats at my chest at how out of place I am.

“Just looking,” I say. My voice draws Cora’s attention, but thankfully Delilah tugs at her again and they move deeper into the store.

Fuck, I’m an idiot.This was reckless.

I give the clerk a wink and back out of the store, breezing past the two security guards, then stalk down the street.

They should be put down for how easily I accessed the women. They’ve become negligent in their duties. Rune has gotten careless over the years as well. Too confident.

The asshole thinks he’s untouchable.

I wish I could see the sick bastard's expression when he realizes what we’ve done.

Looking both ways, I dart between cars and step up onto the sidewalk. When I shift my focus back toward where we parked, I spot him. I shake my head at the fucker’s hypocrisy. With his legs sprawled out in that arrogant, sexy way, hair shimmering onyx in the daylight, anyone within a hundred yardscan’t help but look at him. Even in jeans and a dirt-smeared T-shirt, he’s so incredibly handsome it should be illegal.

He lifts a hand and waves, then pops something in his mouth and chews. My eyes drop to his lap, and I see the little box.

When I reach him, I snatch up thepetit foursfrom his lap and glare at him. “Why the fuck are you out here? Someone could see you.”

“And someone could see you,” he says, eyes locked on the storefront down the street.

“Yeah, but”—I gesture to his face—“that mug of yours is pretty distinct.”

He points to himself. “This face?” he smirks. “I can’t help it. I was born with this face.”

My retort dies on my lips when the two women step out of the store and head back this way. From this distance, I can make out their features, and my chest does that stabbing thing again. Reaper shifts, leaning forward and propping his forearms on his thighs.

“We’re just training her, right? Not touching?” I ask. “AndjustDelilah?”

They pass us, guards at their backs, completely unaware of the predators watching them from across the street. When they disappear into another store, I glance at Reaper.

He drops his head and leans back on the bench, crossing his arms but doesn’t answer my question.

We can look, but we can’t touch.

Except not touching feels harder and harder with each passing hour.

Chapter 13

Viper

Shedoesn’tfightmeas I drag her through the bay doors. She remains silent, just like she did the entire drive here. Our strong girl, the one I watched walk with her head held high back into the hands of our enemies, said nothing. She just swiped at those fucking tears that won’t stop. Each one that slides down her cheek drives another splinter into my chest.

She’s still trying to be brave. After everything he did. All those years and years and fucking years.

After allwe’vedone to her. The secrets and lies and promises we had no right to make.

At some point she’s going to explode. Completely deconstruct and fall apart. I only hope that when she does, her rage explodes outward instead of swallowing her whole.

Behind us, Breaker closes the door, the metal rattling loudly through the room. I glare at him, barely registering Cora’s fingers clawing at my grip. His confession burns through me every time I think about it. Even though I want to throttle him for being so careless, I don’t. His guilt is punishment enough.And I know it’s not his fault. Not really. He acted out the same way I would have.

No. What Breaker did was tame. I would have acted on impulse and rage and the desire to avenge her after that asshole, Zane, insulted her.

Put hishandson her.

A writhing destructiveness courses through my veins and I can’t seem to gather any self control. The second she started crying, a dull, throbbing noise started in my head, and I lost the ability to breathe. Think. All I hear is that noise. The same constant, awful, hideous sound that takes me back to that clearing. It pushes my mind back further to that dark room, and I can’t seem to get my head together. To make it stop. To makemyselfstop. Tame this hideous feeling inside me, because I know Rune hurt her.

Again.