e's

ad shoulders filled the doorway, the kind of solid, controlled power that didn't need

the threshold. Every instinct screamed

ure, crossed to the bar, and pulled out a bottle of whisky. The glass clinked once, sharp in the silence

ath le

w tha

o meet him f

inally stood in front of Spencer McCartney and made him answer for what he did to my mother. In those

lain to one of the most dangerous men I'd ever researched that I wasn't his wife.

d at me. The silence stretched long and heavy. There wa

he

is voice was flat. "My boys tol

justice crashed into the reality of the man sitting in front of me. None of it made sense. But

s came out rushed, thin. "Your m

dn't heard me. Slow. Unbothered. The ang

er husband. He had to know his own

ice cracked. "You should know your wife bett

nce pressed harder

, irritation flaring throug

Only that cold,

nside me. I stepped

past today if I don't get back to her. Just let me leave. Please.

he air from my lungs. His eyes locked on mine-terrifying. The pressure of his fingers was enough to make every breath a struggle. Terror flooded me in a hot, shaking wave. M

g you're insane. Fine. Keep that up, and I'll have a doctor declare you mentally unfit and lock you up in the farthest psychiatr

fly to my throat, the

need you

lood-lodged some

he need

of fear-deeper than the fear of his hand around

ing. Long enough for my vision to blur at the edges and my knees to start giving out. The room tilted. I cou

hing hard, one hand pressed

through the air like a b

ed up

control in the way he stood over me. T

't let hi

with a trembling hand, and dragged in a painful

just...

es nar

ock, and my voice w

a c-c

. "What did you

"And a coward." The words came out broken, desperate, forced past the raw ach

hind his eyes. I knew things were about to get worse, but I couldn't stop. N

king," he said. Quie

inger trembling so badly i

ough. "So what if your family has influence? People hear you

gry that wasn't just irritation. It looked

d at me. Tears burned at the edges of my vision aga

just a sick bully who put his hands on the throat of

he room felt co

s. Hard. Not bruising yet, but close

d absolute. "You are my wife. And I'm