Page 67 of The Merciless

Be careful. She’s dangerous. Don’t provoke her.

It was why he’d come prepared. His shadows were ready to strike at his orders, standing silently in the meanwhile. It gave him the confidence, thesatisfactionof all of it playing right in the palm of his hands.

Martin’s eyes seemed togleamas he watched her, gauging her reaction as Seth’s words rang soundly in his head.

And never, fucking ever, back Raylene Walker into a corner.

Tap.

“Looking for someone?”

Raylene’s entire body stilled, her feet freezing on his table as a satisfied grin stretched his lips wider. As he took another step forward and braced a hand on the gun hanging from his hip. Martin knew he shouldn’t, but really,really wanted to,

“Lost someone important now?”

Martin watched with fascination, as if a scientist were watching his monstrous creation, as Raylene’s eyes snapped open. Those golden hues were razor sharp, cutting rightthroughhim as she sleekly removed her feet off his table and placed her elbows in their place. Martin paused in his steps as she leaned forward onto her arms, the blade in her gaze sharpening as a slow smile curved herlips. One that sent goosebumps trailing down his spine.

His stomach twisted when she tilted her head to one end, looking at him as though she weren’t surrounded byhismen. As if she weren’t inhisterritory and didn’t have a dozen guns pointed straight at her head. No, Raylene looked as though she owned this fucking place.

Martin’s nostril flared. But the smile on her lips only spread,

“I don’t lose things, Martin.” Ray purred back and jerked up from her seat suddenly. The chair fell back with a hugebang!

The movement and the sound surprised him enough to rip out his gun and point it straight at her heart. The sounds of the guns clicking into action filled the air, and Martin’s smile dimmed at the way her brows rose in amusement.

This girl,he cursed and tightened his hold on the metal of his gun,she’s dangerous.

“You’re alone in this Raylene Walker.” He announced and nudged his chin for his men to move out of their shadows. The people in black armor moved, not making a single sound as they stepped in her direction carefully. Raylene’s grin only widened though, the action making the hammering of his heart louder as well.That’s it,he wanted to scream,step into the trap like the rat you are.

“I know.” she responded, her words cutting smoothly through his thoughts as she blinked innocently at him, “But why shouldn’t that be enough?”

All the hooded people,hismen paused for an entire second. Waiting. Afraid. Even Martin stilled, not knowing what was coming when–

Raylene jerked forward suddenly, her handsslammingdown on the glass table. A loudthudechoed through the air as Martin stumbled back in surprise, almost dropping his gun as he did so. The sheer fear set the pit in his stomach, tumbling into a gnawing action, the blood in his veins fuckingpoundingwhen he finally forced himself to look up.

And stilled when he found her standing in the same place. Simply with her hands braced on the glass table and a gun placed right against her forehead and grinned at him maniacally,

“Boo.”

Blood rushed into his ears, theragerising like a fucking tidal wave.How dare she?Martin’s eyes flared wide, the blood washing onto his skin as he slammed his fist against the concrete wall androared,

“GET HER OUT OF MYFUCKINGSIGHT!”

Raylene began laughing when his men shuffled forward and grabbed her arms, twisted them behind her back, and checked her for any weapons roughly.

The sound of her laughter only climbed up his back, scratching like a damned nail on a wall as she threw her head back and laughed louder. Martin growled low when his people caught at her hands and shoved her forward without letting go of her.

“OhMartin,”she wheezed when she was made to stop beside him, “When will you all learn?”

He was going tofucking kill her.

Martin turned to her with a lethal glare,

“You will die tonight, Raylene Walker.” He began and wanted to smile when Raylene’s laughs ceased.

And he was about to continue when she threw her head back and let out another roar of laughter, shaking in the hands of the man holding her. He shook her roughly enough for her hair to come loose from her ponytail, but she never stopped laughing. Martin’s fingers curled into tight fists, the anger clouding his vision enough for him to see onlyred.

“You will see Angel. And both of you willwatcheach other die.” Martin forced his tone to calm, “Amazing, isn’t it? Death by the same handsyouforced years back.”

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