Page 29 of The Merciless

Raylene Walker had made herself home in those memories.

Angel inched closer, and her quiet gaze lolled to his. He tried to, really did, but couldn’t hide that flicker of absoluteragelight in his eyes. The thought of seeing Ray like that, the meresightof her on the ground mourning a sister she hadn’t evenknownhad died–

It destroyed everything he’d ever conjured up.

This Seth, or whoever he was, he better hope he wasn’t fucking alive.

“Hey,” her whisper drew him out of these thoughts, and he looked up to find her expression soft. To find that knowing smile on her face, “You don’t have to do anything.”

Angel shook at the words.

“I’ve already done him enough harm to last a lifetime.” She said, and Angel’s brow arched in question. Ray’s hands landed on his, warm and blistered. He laced his fingers through hers immediately, rubbing at the roughness of her skin as she answered his question, “I might’ve killed his brother to find out what happened to Lia.”

Angel’s shoulders stiffened, a small smile betraying his actions as her hold tightened on his. Her head tilted, those eyes on his lips as she continued,

“He came after me first. I just used him instead of Seth.” She took a pause and pursed her lips, frowning, “Probably not a great decision considering June was his wife.”

Angel blinked, “Wait,” he began, pulling away to look at her face, “You’re telling me she was married to Seth’s brother?”

Ray nodded, “What luck right?” she scoffed, “Cole Kincaid. Brother of Seth Kincaid. Both known for their notorious connections to the underworld. Seth might blame me all he wants, but it was because of him I got involved in the business in the first place.”

She turned away from him, shifting on the carpet,

“When Ma got to know, things got worse. But this time she couldn’t just up and leave. Lia was on the line, and she wasn’t her daughter or my sister biologically. So, while Ma fought to keep him away from us, I fought to keep everyone away from her.”

Angel waited for her to continue, but only saw her shoulders shake. Felt her curl further into herself, faster than he could reach her. So, he scrambled his thoughts, and came up with the best possible explanation for his insane life,

“I was five.” He began and her head whirled to his. Angel could help a smile as he saw the gears in her head turn at imagining all the possibilities that could continue with that statement. He just shifted closer and placed a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair as he continued, “And I was sitting up in my room when I heard this loud sound. It echoed throughout our empty house, and I was too young then. I got scared easy.”

He looked down as he continued, his hand dropping as he recalled the scene as clear as day, “And I went downstairs and saw this telephone first.” He said, “We had a landline at home just in case. And it was broken that day, with the handset on the ground. Right in the pool of blood.”

His head drooped further, and he shut his eyes as he continued. He told her about how his mother had reached out to him. How his young mind hadn’t been able to understand athingthat day. How she’d told him to become the son his father had always wanted so he would stay off his ass. How later when his father had actually come in, he’d pointed a gun in his direction, and he’d smiled at him.

Actually fuckingsmiled.

A soft sound left Ray’s throat at his words. He looked up at her, his eyes haunted by the same trauma. By the same devils.

“When I grew up, I finally gathered enough guts to find out more about her. She–” his breath caught. It was then he felt the light ball of dread in his gut. Felt it hurt the inside of his lungs. Ray’s body inched closer, her warmth coming closer and giving him enough air to continue, “She’d married him out of love. But was originally meant to kill him the first time she saw him,” he smiled, his hand going up to his necklace, “This was her origin.Herpeople.” He scoffed,

“Martin De Santos erased them from the fucking map.”

Angel held the glass shard then, its red hues shining with years of memories. He looked up at Ray, something in his chest breaking at the sheer understanding in her eyes. In the way she tightened her hold on his hand. And suddenlyeverythingwas crystal clear.

He blinked and moved. He knew her eyes were on him when he tugged the necklace off his neck and held the long glass shard in his hands. Rubbed its hard edge just once before grabbing its ends and bending it hard enough to break.

“What–” came her outrageous response as it snapped in his hands, Angel blinked down at the two red pieces, waiting for the fear, thepainto strike.

It didn’t.

With a small smile, Angel fished out a black band he’d found back at the hospital. Had sworn that day he would share this part of himself with her the next time he saw her. She didn’t say a word as he worked carefully.

He wrapped the glass carefully with the black band and tightened it enough for it to stay put. Angel breathed out, a calmness settling in him as he put his own back on his neck. The glass came with its own sort of comfort.

He wanted to share the same withher.

Angel looked up at Raylene Walker, straight in the eye when she rose her own gaze and tilted her head in confusion. He could swear Ray was barely breathing when he leaned forward and tied the band around her neck. Let the glass hang right between her collar bones, in that dip of her skin.

Her fingers rose to touch the glass, her fingers turning the glass carefully. Something in him fractured at it’s sight. It fractured and rebuilt into something new. Something stronger.

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