Page 140 of Pretty Little Threats

She cranes her head, eyes widening. “Dare! Remy is working for my dad.”

My gaze skips to the man I call my best friend before I stop a few feet away from where he and Joseph stand. His barrel is pointed at me, and I keep my gun trained on him.

“Remington,” I growl.

He smirks. “Darian.”

“Shoot him,” Joseph says with all the confidence of a man who thinks he owns the world.

“Nah,” Remy says, holstering his gun and grabbing Joseph.

“What is this?” Joseph shouts. “I’m paying you.”

Remy chuckles, but it isn’t a friendly sound. “What can I say? I found a better job.” He shoves him to the ground, pinning him with his leg and wrenching his arms behind his back.

It was stupid of Joseph to think that Remy would betray me. It was even dumber to pay him five million to get the job done. After I already had the locations of Joseph’s warehouses, he called in Remy to come take care of Rose. Thanks to Remy playing along with Joseph’s game, that call expedited me finding her.

“Hiring my best friend was your first mistake.” My attention moves back to Rose. There’s a bruise blooming on her cheek. My blood boils. “But your second mistake was thinking you’d kill my wife.”

A relieved sob wrenches out of Rose, and I already start imagining all the ways I’m going to make Joe pay.

“Dare,” she whispers.

But he can wait. “Hey, princess,” I murmur. My focus moves back to the marks covering her cheek, but she lifts her chin, refusing to hide the truth this time. Good girl. “He hurt you.”

“He did,” she confesses.

“I’m going to make him regret it,” I promise. “But you can’t hate me for it.”

Her attention moves to her dad, who is sputtering and trying to push Remy’s leg off his throat. That man has hurt more people than should be allowed. Every second he’s alive is a waste of oxygen, but I can’t make a move until I know Rose is okay with it.

More than I want Joseph dead, I want her.

“Rose.”

Those hazel eyes wash over my face. She licks her lips. “I won’t hate you.”

Her eyes bounce between mine as I storm toward her. It takes ten seconds to get her untied, and then I pull her out of the chair and into my arms. She sucks in a breath, trembling in my embrace.

God, this woman.

My chest swells with pride and I hold her tight. She wraps her legs and arms around my body, clinging to me. I breathe her in, ignoring everything but that distinct amber musk of my wife. It’s been days since I’ve had it around, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it. Or the feel of her body against mine.

Something warm settles into the empty space she left when she walked out of my house. Her presence makes me whole. Her touch reminds me that I’m human. Her lips brush over my neck and tears splash against my skin.

“I was so scared you’d never forgive me,” she confesses.

“I’ve got you now, Rose. You’re safe.” I run my hand up and down her back. The way her body shakes, even as I’m holding her, like she’s still terrified, has me glaring in Joseph’s direction. Remy still has his hands pinned behind his back. “You have a new family now,” I inform her and Joseph.

“You can fucking have her,” Joseph spits.

Rose stiffens in my arms.

“I wasn’t asking your permission.” I lean back and look Rose in the eye. “I’ll be home soon.”

“Okay,” she murmurs.

“You’re dead to me, Rose! As dead as your mother! You’re nothing without me, you hear me? Nothing.” Joseph’s words come in pants and huffs, strangled by the pain he’s already in.

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