Page 92 of Deadfall

“It won’t help your situation to kill me.”

My words had a devastating effect on her. More than I anticipated.

The rage warped into grief and she nodded. “You’re right.”

She turned the gun to her own head and the room grew frigid. Everything in me revolted against the sight of her finger wrapped around the trigger. She wasn’t bluffing. I took another step toward her.

“No—” I barked. “Whatever Mahoney did—don’t give him this—”

“Shut up!” She cried.

I took another slow step. “If you do this, he will win.”

Tears streaked down her cheeks, and the look of devastation on her face caused panic to course through my veins. My throat felt thick, but I couldn’t go mute—not when she was this close to destruction.

“Put the gun down.”

“I–I can’t–” Her words were broken.

Her eyes fluttered and I lunged. The shot went off as I pressed her into the wall. I yanked the firearm out of her hand and shot the security camera before I tossed the gun across the space. She struggled in my arms. Her knee came up in an attempt to catch me in the balls, but I shoved my own between her thighs. Despite the situation, the press of my body against hers did terrible things to my self-control, not to mention the heat of her caused my anger to flare hot. She was mine, and how dare she try and take herself away from me.

“Don’t you ever,” I shoved my arm against her chest. “Ever, fucking do that again.”

Emersyn’s eyes widened at the panic in my words. I could see the confusion that warred with the rage and grief. Tears clustered on her lashes, and we were both breathing heavily like we’d just run a marathon. Her hands gripped my forearm hard enough to bruise, while her heart thrashed in her chest.

My other hand held the side of her face, my fingers anchored in her hair like if I let her go, I’d lose her again, maybe forever. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go. But, I knew I couldn’t come on as strong as I wanted. She didn’t know me—she didn’t trust me.

So instead, we breathed together. I watched the anger as it bled into grief, and my chest ached at what she’d lost even if I didn’t know the whole of it.

41

EMERSYN

Oh god, I’d almost done it.

I couldn’t seem to get myself under control. I was so fucking angry and now that Griffin had me shoved against the wall with no outlet for my aggression, the grief consumed me. I tried to steady my breathing, I tried to stop the tears that choked me, but their faces were still so vivid. The smells, the touches—the hugs I’d wished years for—it all was still so raw, and Griffin wasn’t letting me hide.

I’d failed them.

“Leave me alone,” I gasped.

Why was he even here?

“Let me help you,” he said urgently.

“I don’t need help,” I snarled.

“You’re not alone anymore,” Griffin said gently.

“Oh fuck off—” My words stuttered as I scoffed.

“If nothing else, just breathe with me for a minute. Can you do that?”

He shifted his arm off my chest, but the hand in my hair was still firm. I took a deep breath that rattled my lungs, and my body trembled from shock.

“That’s it,” he murmured. “Again.”

His thumb brushed below my ear gently—once, then twice and I hated how it made me want to collapse into him—how it made me feel a sense of safety. I tried to move my head away, but he growled low like I was a skittish animal—