Page 77 of The Merciless

Miranda’s eyes went cold.

“You were always meant to joinus.Lia and Seth Kincaid were merely agents sent to get that jobdone.”She snapped and Ray faced her, her eyes flaring with years of hiddenrageas her body shook with the fierceness she kept leashed,

“Instead thatstupidgirl got you wanting to stepoutof the underworld.”

“Howdidit feel?” Ray interrupted, her voice shaking with fury as she tipped her chin upwards, “To kill a girl who was younger than your own daughter?”

Miranda didn’t break. But Ray didn’t relent.

“How did you do it?” she asked again and took a maniacal step forward, her mind a spiral as she looked at Miranda, “How did you get a father to murder his own daughter?”

“Like a man who murders his own wife?” Miranda asked, her lips thinning as she looked past Ray, “It’s quite easy.”

Ray heard it then and didn’t have to whirl around to see Martin De Santos run through the open void behind her. Didn’t have to turn to hear his panicked pants as he breathed out,

“It’s gone.”

Miranda closed her eyes.

“All our people. All our holdings.Everything.”

Ray didn’t smile. Couldn’t bring herself to do anything but tilt her head upwards to look at Miranda, “You–”

“Don’t get too hopeful.” She said and shrugged as she opened her eyes and gazed down at Ray, “He won’t come for you.”

Ray’s gaze narrowed, her hands fisting as Miranda leered closer.

“One way to get everyone to do as you want,” she whispered,

“You give them something better.”

Ray’s gaze flickered in a pretense of nervousness.

She would give Miranda whatever she wanted until their time came. Until they could all gethere.Miranda saw that nervousness, and jumped on it like a starving predator,

“I’ve promised Angel De Santos full control over the Ravens.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper, “He can haveeverythinghe’s worked for. I willendMartin and open up a whole new path for him.”

Ray’s gaze narrowed, aware that Miranda was speaking but Martin couldn’t hear her, “What do you think?”

Click.

Ray bit back a grin as Miranda leered closer, looking far more like a wildanimalas she snarled in her face,

“He’d befoolishto not take the opportunity.”

Swoop.

Ray’s eyes snapped over her shoulder, her brows arching as she saw the man who had captured her go down, clutching his shoulder as he howled in surprise. Miranda whirled on her feet, surprise marring her features. Ray took that as a chance to take a step back. To shift the spotlight upon someone else.

“You’ve lived with him foryearsnow,” a voice spoke up from behind her. A familiar one. Ray’s shoulders relaxed, the anxiety leaving her as she breathed out,

“And yet you don’t truly know him.”

Luke’s voice was clear, but his shadow had not yet taken form. Miranda shifted on her feet again, her movements almost hasty.

“He’ll burn you down again and again.” Luke’s voice boomed, chilling everyone but Ray to the bone, as he continued, “Until he gets what he wants.”

Ray rolled her eyes, even as a familiar warmth spread across her ribs.

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