Page 82 of The Merciless

And then proceeded to take a menacing step forward in his father’s direction. Had the audacity to shoot her a wink before doing it as well.

Ray scoffed and took a step back, compressing the urge to jump into his arms and hide somewhere deep in her chest as she turned her head to look around for Miranda. Her gaze narrowed when she saw the red hair glint from the shadows. Ray didn’t wait. Just turned to Akash who was standing a few feet away and dipped her chin.

Cover me.

Akash was beside her in an instant and watched her back like a hawk as she crossed the arena, getting closer and closer to Miranda. Close enough to see her whispering to a woman she couldn’t recognize. And close enough to be further away from Angel once again. Her pace slowed as she neared her. One wrong move and Miranda would be gone once again.One wrong move and they could all lose–

Boom.

The sound wasn’t quiet. No, it was adangerousrumble that cracked the air. Ray’s brows furrowed in confusion as she and Akash stopped. Theyalldid. And snapped their gazes upwards. Ray’s eyes flared wide when she saw the smoke that rose in the night sky and that one piece of ceiling creak. Saw it inch downward.No,she thought in surprise as it rendered herfrozen.

Creak,it went and Ray’s heart stopped, all breath knocked from her lungs.Creak,it went again, a desperate sort of sound of bricks rubbing against one another.Please,she prayed as she saw the debris fall upon them like snow,please don’t–

A single brick tipped from the edge of the ceiling.

Absolutesilencespread through the arena, everyone stopping. Everyone pausing.

Ray sawthat brick fall.

And watched as the entire slab of ceiling followed it’s course of motion.

It all happened so fast. Soquick. Adesperatescream left her throat, maybe Akash’s name. Or Angel’s. Or Neera’s, Irene’s, Myra’s,she didn’t fucking know.Just screamed out a name as a part of the mansion camepouringdown on them. Her gaze snapped to her left and she saw Akash, standingtooclose to where it would land. A gasp left her throat then, and without thinking, without barelybreathing,Ray willed her entire strength to throw herself upon Akash’s figure.

Maybe he’d seen it coming.

Because when the piece of concrete came crashing down and when the tremors rocked the earth, he’d wrapped her in his embrace.

Had jumped further away from the concrete.

A mist of dust flew over their heads then and for a momenteverything went silent.

And suddenly, all they could hear was nothing.

Not even the sounds of their beating hearts.

19

She’d killed them.Herpeople.Her men and women. She’d murdered them with her own hands.

Miranda Andrews was unsalvageable.

Ray coughed through the dust, her mind awhirlwindof emotions as she braced a hand atop something hard. A groan rumbled under her, the sound going through her as she blinked her eyes open. Her vision blurred for a second, a mix of brown and black andredflooding it as she registereda hand against the back of her head.Akash,she realized and widened her eyes in an attempt to see if he was alright or not. Her world tilted, a faint ringing in her ears as she pushed herself upwards to look down at him.

Her breath caught at the bruises and redbloodmarring the side of his face.No, no, no.He couldn’t be injured. Not like this.Not ever.

“Calm down,” she saw him rasp and leaned down with a sharp inhale to angle his head sideways. Akash followed her movement, not arguing but groaning nonetheless,

“You’re fine.” She whispered, her hands shaking as Akash’s eyes shot up, the black in themmenacing.Ray’s brows contorted as he removed his hand from the back of her head,

“Of course I’m fine,” he said dryly as Ray moved to get off him, “Don’t pull that shit on me, Raylene Walker.”

Ray blinked.

“You shouldn’t have–”

She didn’t knowhowshe heard it.

With the dust still swirling around and with the few shouts of pain echoing in the wind. But the voice came like a tsunami,

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