Tyrant (Scars of the Wraiths #2)(18)

I never understood Roarke. He was a CWO, a Grit, and deadly. Everyone at the compound was leery of him and gave him a wide berth. But with me, he was kind.

Anstice’s voice cut through my memory and I jerked my head up to look at her. “Hannah was the love of Ryker’s life. The other half of his soul.” She paused to look at me before continuing. “His angel with one hell of a kick-ass punch, I’m told.” Anstice sighed and closed the laptop. “Ryker loved her more than anything. Now anger eats away at him. I don’t know if he’ll ever recover from the loss. Scars are much more connected to those we love than humans. It’s rare once a Scar finds his or her maite that they separate. It’s too painful to be apart.” She took my hand in hers and squeezed. “I know it must be uncomfortable for you, with him being here, but Ryker would never hold you responsible for—”

“He’s here?” I staggered backward until the backs of my knees hit the couch. Anstice reached for me. “Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Please.”

He was in this house. Ryker was here.

His anguished screams.

His raw horror.

The pained, drug-filled sound of his voice as I was forced to stand beside the table he was strapped to, pretending I was Hannah.

I put my hand over my mouth as my stomach curdled. Air. I needed air. I couldn’t breathe.

I turned and ran for the door.

“Rayne?” Anstice called.

I lost my balance and fell into the wall, my head hit a picture and it crashed to the floor, the glass shattering. I righted and kept going.

It was as if someone had a grip on my lungs and slowly squeezed until I had no breath left.

I had to get out of this place. I couldn’t stay here.





I OPENED THE DOOR to the movie room and Rayne crashed into me. “Whoa, babe.” I wrapped my arm around her trembling body.

What the f*ck? I glanced over her shoulder to the shattered glass on the floor then to Anstice and back to Rayne.

I put my hands on her shoulders and gently eased her from my embrace. Fuck, she was pale normally, but she looked even worse now. “What the hell happened?”

“I need to leave,” Rayne murmured, the flats of her palms pushing at my chest. “I have to get out of here.”

“Kilter, maybe we should call Waleron?” Anstice approached.

“No. I will ease her panic,” I said. “She’ll be fine. Go.”

“I don’t think…” I scowled and Anstice stopped. “It had something to do with Ryker being here.”

Anstice hesitated as if she was going to change her mind about leaving me alone with Rayne, but then sighed and brushed by us.

“I want to leave,” Rayne whispered. “Please, I can’t stay here.”

I stroked her hair; the instinct to soothe her too strong to ignore. “You can’t leave. You have no place to go.” Shit, maybe that wasn’t such a soothing thing to say to a woman who felt trapped. I sucked at nice.

But I’d never been one to bullshit, and I wasn’t about to start now, even if the girl needed some bullshit right about now.

“Ryker,” I said. “You avoided touching him when we were in the compound getting the straps off him. Why?” I bent slightly so I could meet her eyes. “What is it, babe?” She tried to escape my arms and I tightened my hold. “Damn it, don’t run from this.”

She went still.

Shit. I paused, hating to bare any part of me, but knew I needed to get her to confide in me. “I left you in that place when it was obvious you needed out.” I paused. “Then I heard you scream and I couldn’t get back. I f*ckin’ couldn’t get back.” I closed my eyes for a second. “I don’t make mistakes often, but with you, I did. I won’t make the same mistake. I can’t. It’s against my code.”

Eyes downcast, she said, “I want to be alone.” I reluctantly released her from my arms, but I wasn’t leaving her alone like this. Fuck that.

“Not happening, babe. I leave you alone, you’ll disappear on me.” I saw the indecision in her eyes whether to trust me or not. She pinched the sides of her pants like I’d seen her do in the air duct when I first met her. Someone else did that—Delara.

“Tell me about Ryker?” I urged.

The energy around her rose again and I knew, whatever it was, it would eat her alive with panic. Without asking—because if I did, she’d only refuse—I grabbed her hand and pulled her close again.

It took a good two minutes, which was a hell of a long time when I was impatient as f*ck, before she spoke.

“My husband’s men watched the house for months.”

“The Scar house? My house?”

She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast. “He had Roarke—”

“Who’s Roarke?” I interrupted. Fuck, I should just let her speak.

Her body tensed and I knew she was wondering how much she should tell me. Why she needed to protect anyone from that hellhole was beyond me. He’d be dead now anyway. No one survived Quill’s blasts.

“He worked for Anton. I don’t know exactly what he did though.” She took a breath and the trembling eased. “He watched the house for weeks, giving my husband reports on each of you. I don’t know what was in the reports, just that he decided on Ryker.”