Page 148 of Prey

She took in a stuttered breath, and when she looked at me, I knew what she was going to say before she said it.

“You should do it,” she said softly, her voice sad.

My fists clenched. “We don’t have to. We can use this to control them.”

She shook her head. “And when will it end? How far will it be before the King’s Men, beforeyou, are implicated in all this? I just want it to be over.”

She moved in closer to me and buried her face in my chest.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her, holding her close and looking at the distance.

Fuck.

26

ROMAN

It tookthree days for the news to break.

Every major news network was now focused on Mayor Gallagher and his associates. There was even a criminal investigation into all the bastard’s investments.

There had been others involved with his crimes, but there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that Gallagher was at the top.

I told the fucker I wouldn’t leak the information if he led me to Ryleigh and the Mansen brothers.

I fucking lied.

I didn’t know when he would be tried or sentenced, and at this point, I didn’t care. I did know he was currently being held in a state detention center while awaiting trial, with his assets frozen because he was considered a flight risk.

The bastard had charged and tried many brothers while working as a prosecuting attorney before he got his mayorship. So I was sure this was good news for a lot of people.

And it wasn’t like the bastard could implicate Judge Hudson, considering the man had been murdered on one of his properties.

Ryleigh burst into the apartment a few hours after the first news story was released, crying and running into my arms.

She threw herself at me, but I was prepared and caught her before she could fall.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice thick from tears.

I buried my face in her hair, taking in her sweet scent.

“You don’t ever have to thank me for that,” I said. “I would do anything for you.”

Her cries grew harder. “I know,” she said. “I know.”

I frowned. “Baby. You’re going to make yourself sick crying like this.”

“These aren’t sad tears,” she said. I shot her a look, and she smiled sheepishly at me. “Not completely, anyway.”

She was still sad. I knew it.

Her grief wouldn’t just magically disappear, and I knew things were going to be rough for a while, but it did something to me to hear her crying in bed every night when she thought I had gone to sleep.

I wanted to take away all of her pain.

Fucking wished I could carry it for her.

This was the next best thing I could do.

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