Page 21 of When He Fights
Kane’s fury still glittered in his eyes, sharpening and hardening the hazel.
“We are setting a trap.We are catching an escaped criminal.We arenotkilling him.”A pause.Then Grayson added, “The only way you’d be able to respond with lethal force is if you were defending yourself.You don’t get to preplan an attack because that is literally calledpremeditation.Here in Mississippi, premeditated murder is a capital offense—it’s first-degree murder.You know what you can get for that?Other than, of course,lifein prison?You can get a lethal injection.Death pumping through your veins.You can get hell via nitrogen hypoxia.You can select the old favorite of electrocution.Or, hey, if you’re feeling really, really classic and crazy, you can throw back to a firing squad, though I don’t know if that one has been used since?—”
She’d flinched.Over and over.As each method of punishment was stated way too bluntly by Grayson.
Lethal injection.Flinch.
Nitrogen hypoxia.Flinch.
Electrocution.Flinch.
And…firing squad?Flinch.Was that even still a thing or was Grayson just trying to terrify her?Because she had no intention of getting the death penalty, and she certainly wasn’t going to have Kane go down for premeditated murder.
“He’s trying to scare you.Don’t worry.I can handle myself.”Kane squeezed her shoulders.
“I am very worried,” she whispered back.“My ex is coming to kill me.”
“Yeah, but he’ll have to go through me in order to reach you.”Low.“That’s not happening.I won’t be leaving your side at all.From here on out, consider me your shadow.”
She gazed up at him.“You’re a very big and obvious shadow.”
He smiled at her.
That smile of his stole her breath.
“Is anyone listening to me?”Grayson asked, annoyed.
Kane let her go.Stepped to the side.She got a clear view of Grayson’s disgruntled expression.
“Are you listening?”he fumed once more.“Or are the two of you way too busy whispering sweet nothings to each other?”
“Sweet nothings?”she repeated.“Is that a thing?”
Grayson’s lips thinned.
“Just getting into character,” Kane allowed.
Wait, wait, wait.What character?
“Gray told me some of his plan earlier,” Kane revealed.“The new cover story for us.”His hands curled and uncurled at his sides, but his voice was deceptively mild.“I’m down for it.”
“Fantastic.”Her gaze swept over Grayson’s figure.“What’s the plan?”The sooner they got started, the better.Because the sooner they faced this nightmare, then maybe the sooner they could end it.
Grayson hauled out one of the chairs at her kitchen table.He sprawled in it and tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop as he waited for her and Kane to join him at the table.“The last time, you went into hiding.”
Yes, she wasstillin hiding.Slowly, she sat down, too.Her fingers didn’t tap against the tabletop.Instead, her fingers strummed lightly at her side, as if she was playing her harp.She caught the nervous movement and quickly stopped.
Kane took the chair beside her.He made zero nervous or stressed gestures.Just sat.
“You were off the radar.Bouncing from shady motel to shady motel.Switching cities.”Grayson’s fingers tapped again.“He still found you.”
As if she needed the reminder.
“You don’t run this time.You don’t hide.You keep on with your life, as if everything is normal.You go about your routine.You go to work.You see your friends.You?—”
“Put a fun target on my back because I’m right out in the open?”
He didn’t deny the charge.“You let Logan see you.You let him get close.And when he comes for you, Kane will stop him.”
