Fuck, maybe her mind had broken. It wouldn’t be the first time Victor Orpheus had shattered someone.
Something deep within Ryker twisted at the thought.
Before he could do something fucking idiotic, like reach out and touch her, Ryker tightened his grip on the black box. Thankful for something to hold, he forced his blank mask to remain in place.
“Care to fill me in on what’s so amusing?” He kept his voice low and calm, the same one he’d use for a random informant and not his potentially broken wife.
A choked half-laugh, half-gasp came from Brynleigh and she slowly dragged her eyes to his.
“She’ll kill me.”
Another laugh. This one was encased in ice, and it sent chills crawling down his spine. Or maybe it was her words.
“You don’t know that,” he said carefully.
“Oh, I do.” She chuckled darkly, and a few shadows slipped from her palms. “This is your grand scheme? You couldn’t kill me, so you decided to get my Maker to do it?”
Now, it was Ryker’s turn to wince. He hated hearing her talk about dying. “She won’t kill you.”
But the words sounded weak, even to his ears.
Brynleigh stared at him in utter disbelief. “Putting aside the ridiculousassumption that Jelisette wouldn’t kill me—because she would—what’s your plan?”
Shadows flickered through her eyes, and she laughed again.
“Am I supposed to waltz in there and say, ‘Hey, Jelisette, long time, no see. Where have I been? Oh, I’ve just been in a fucking dungeon, getting tortured because you sent Zanri to kill my new husband, and he was understandably pissed, but I’m out now, and we’re all good. Anyways, got any work for me?’” Brynleigh raised a brow. “How do you fucking think that will work out for me?”
Anger flashed through her eyes as ifshewas furious athim. As if he was the one ruining everything.
Thatwas absolutely ridiculous. Ryker was trying to help Brynleigh, and she was the one who’d destroyed everything they’d built.
Another crack appeared in his mask, and his nostrils flared. He clenched his jaw, and his fists furled.
“You’ll have to figure it out,” he ground out. “There must be something you can say that will keep Jelisette from killing you.”
Another long moment, another laugh.
He didn’t respond.
What did she think would happen when she concocted her plan? Did she honestly think she could just murder the son of a Representative and get away with it?
Eventually, the laughter died off, and she blinked.
“Fuck me, you’re serious.” Brynleigh shook her head, her eyes wide in disbelief. “This is… you want me to double cross my Maker?”
She had to. There was no other way he could help her.
“Yes.”
Brynleigh opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.
Worse. He felt worse than before. How was that possible?
“This is… You should’ve just killed me yesterday,” she whispered. “That would’ve been kinder than this.”
Kind.
As if she understood the meaning of the word.