The Reaper (Dark Verse, #2)

by RuNyx

She might not be safe but she mattered. She mattered to someone. And he had started to matter a great deal to her. And tomorrow, as they said, would be a new day.

The most peaceful night, much to her surprise had been in the penthouse of the man who’d sworn to kill her.

Buy yourself whatever you need. You either don’t have your card or access to your account or you would’ve done it before Amara gave you clothes.

Thank you. This is very thoughtful of you. But I’ll use my own card to buy myself what I need.

Whichever suits you. Yours or mine, doesn’t matter. As long as no more clothes need to be destroyed.

I might just have to accept more clothes from Maroni just to have you rip them off, in that case. I enjoyed that.

Buy.

Dante: Dear Morana, whatever you just told Tristan, kindly don’t again. He is just itching to go punch my father in the face and that would be very inconvenient for our plans. I don’t want to get in between whatever you two have going on but please don’t egg him on right now. I need him focused. Thank you. Dante.

Dante and I are heading out for the day. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t head to the main house until we’re back.

Yes, Mr. Caine. Of course, Mr. Caine. Anything else, Mr. Caine?

I’ll see how cheeky you are tonight.

What’s tonight?

Something that’s long overdue.

Which is?

Your mouth, wildcat.

“You assume, with your limited mind women only make two good things—wives and whores. I’m neither. What I am is a woman who has been freed from the shackles men like you had bound me to. What I am is a woman who knows that freedom thanks to two good men who've made me believe again.”

“I’m not a victim. I’m vengeance,”

“Mark my words, Mr. Maroni. I am going to make you pay—for every single scar you’ve put on Tristan; for every little hurt you inflicted on Dante; for banishing Amara from her home. And for all the girls who went missing.”

“You say you’ve never seen Tristan react until last night. Try killing me and then see what you’ll unleash on yourself. Just try it. I fucking dare you.”

But anything that brutal could not be associated with something beautiful. Or could it?

And anyway, if there was any woman who was a constant in Tristan’s life, it was you, even in your absence.”

“Where is she?”

"Where is she?"

But Morana could tell he was worried. He had a tick at the side of his cheek. “Surprising, no? The women who can attract you? I wanted to get her married to the son of one of my partners. I even had everything planned. But that little whore spread herself good for you, didn’t she?” Before she could blink, Tristan Caine was out of his chair and around the table, his one hand twisting her father’s arm behind his back and the other hand holding his face down to the table by the neck.

“Her name,”

Tristan leaned down t...

“is Mo...

Chills. Morana paused, trying to catch her breath and her stomach dropped. She observed the man she had let inside herself in more ways than one, watched his form frozen on the screen, bent over her father, his lips poised open at the last syllable of her name. Swallowing hard, she pressed 'play' again. Guns trained on him. Her father whimpered. A thrill shot down her spine as she heard him speak her name for the first time, felt the syllables wrappi...

“Call her a whore one m...

Tristan con...

“and what I did to my father will look like a child’s play compared to...

He twisted her father’s arm harder, making Gabriel Vitalio yelp out in pain. He didn’t even spare a glanc...

“Now, I’ll ask you one more time. W...

Her father’s words got jumbled because of his cheek pressed flat against the wood. Tristan eased his head a bit. “She’s dead.” Still. The stillness that took over the room made goosebumps erupt over her flesh, and she wasn’t even in the room. She waited with bated breath...

“You’re l...

Tristan spoke, his voice clear. “I’m not,” her father replied. “I gave the order myself.” Tristan slammed her father’s head into the table, harshly pulling on his thumb, the crack loud in the room. Her father yelled, one of the men fired. Tristan ducked, took out his...

“I don’t have any problems...

he told t...

“Leave now, leave alive...

She watched as the men hesitated, two of them leaving, evidently aware of his reputation. The third one, trying to be brave, held his gun up. Tristan shrugged, shot him in the shoulder, and pointed to the door with his gun. The man escaped, leaving him behind with her father alone. Tristan eased up on him and tucked his gun back in his waistband. Her father loo...

“Where is...

“Dead.” Tristan smiled, a cold, hard smile without the dimples ...

“You have nine more fingers for me to break. Then two wrists. Two elbows. Two shoulders. Six ribs I can break without damaging you internally and don’t even get me started below the wai...

He tilted his head to the side, holding her father’s hand in ...

“I have the time and patience to make you feel pain the likes of which you’ve never felt before. Pain that will make you wish you were de...

His fingers poised over the other thumb. She saw her father’s arm shaking, his jaw tight as he looked up at something much worse than dea...

“Wh...

“A cemetery behind the airport,” her father admitted. “My men have trailed her going there multiple times.” Tristan straightened, throwing away the hand, turning to leave. “Is she your weakness, Predator?” her father’s voice stopped him cold in his tracks. Her father, evidently the stupidest man on the planet, goaded Tristan instead of letting him go. “After so many years, I would’ve thought she would be the last person you would look for.” Tristan turned, raisi...

“You don’t have the balls for war, old man. You didn’t have the balls to protect your daughter when she was defenseless with a gun pointed to her head...

Her father stood up, offended for his masculinity. Seriously, how was she related to this pompous, egotistical douche of a man? “I have always protected my daughter. You were stupid to come here,” her father uttered. Tristan walked ba...