Page 51 of Man in Queue
I cup his jaw to wordlessly coerce his eyes to mine. When I get them, I say, “I’m fine.”I’m confused as fuck, but fine nonetheless.
The devastation in his eyes cuts through me like a knife. They have the same horrifying look my eyes held when I cleaned away blood and mud from my hands the night of Luca’s accident.
I run my fingers through his beard, loving how its thickness can conceal my fingers. After tracing his plump, downturned lips, they continue their trek, only coming to a stop at his ear so I can tug his earlobe.
Alex smiles at my playfulness, the tension in his shoulders relaxing. The wide span of his lips lifts his cheeks, exposing a scar I hadn’t noticed before. It is hidden by his wiry beard and blond wisps of hair curling around his face. It is so well-concealed, I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t explored his face.
Before I can ask him about the scar, my attacker murmurs, “This is what she wants. Her goal was to force you together.”
I expect Alex’s face to cloud with the same confusion as mine. Regrettably, that reaction lies solely on my shoulders. He’s not confused. He’s more annoyed than anything.
Catching Alex’s rueful glare, the stranger mumbles, “You’re lucky she picked me. I’ve got a conscience—a wife the same age as Rae. You might not be so lucky next time.”
“Lucky? I got lucky! You fired your gun at her!” Alex’s violent roar picks up right alongside his anger. “How is that lucky?! You could have killed her!”
When the stranger shakes his head, soundlessly denying his accusation, Alex storms for him. Grayson falls from his back when Alex fists his shirt so he can drag him to within an inch of his face.
“Youneverpoint your weapon unless you’re willing to kill the person you’re aiming it at.” His hot words sizzle on the man’s flaming red cheeks. “That’s the first thing they teach you in the academy!”
My eyes rocket to Alex’s as quickly as Grayson’s.Is he saying what I think he is? Is he one of them?
Spotting my inquisitive glare Grayson yells, “Enough!” He nudges his head to me. “Take her downstairs while I sort this mess out.”
I glare at him.I’m not a baby, so he sure as hell can’t command his brother to treat me as one.
“Who wants us to be together?” My question isn’t for Alex or Grayson. It’s for the man staring at me, pleading for me to listen to him.
When his panicked eyes drift between Alex and Grayson, I plead, “You said you wanted to help me, so help me. Who made you do this?”
He only gets out a “T” sound before Grayson’s knuckles steal his words. He’s out cold in an instant, the low hang of his head giving me my third bad memory of the day.
18
“He’s not even a rookie agent?”
I throw down the file Grayson’s men put together after hauling Jay Foster’s ass to the local PD office before I plop my backside into the chair next to Grayson. Adrenaline-thickened blood is still roaring through my body, and my panic is still at an all-time high. Three inches—three motherfucking inches to the right and I would have lost Regan forever.
You have no idea how much the thought is tearing me up. Jay is lucky Grayson knocked him out before I did one of the many things running through my head. He wouldn’t be facing charges of reckless endangerment with a weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, and attempted murder charges. His family would be organizing his funeral.
Argh!I should have accepted Grayson’s offer to interrogate him in the basement at The Manor. I would have if Regan’s welfare wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. She’s been withdrawn since the attack. That’s not unusual. . . for a normal person.
Rae isn’t normal. She’s so fucking strong, she consoled me when I should have been comforting her. Her silence must center around something else, something she doesn’t want to share with me. It’s the reason she’s sat quietly in the corner of the guest living room the last three hours, as she knows there’s less chance of me breaking down her guard in public.
Call me cocky, but behind closed doors, I know she doesn’t stand a chance. Out here, being eyeballed by everyone as stunned by the turn of events as me, I take two steps back for each one I take forward.
I wait for Regan to accept the tub of frozen frosting my mom’s holding out for her before my eyes return to Grayson. He has an odd grin on his face, like he too is being bombarded with wicked memories from the vanilla scent lingering in the air.
The females in our house see frosting a little differently than us. They use it like ice-cream to combat their emotions. The more they consume when swarmed by worry, the less flighty their brains become.
We don’t consume it. We rule it. We govern with it. We use it against them as if they’re so stupid they believe an overload of sugar is the answer to everything.
It’s a pity everyone in this household underestimated Regan. It is nearly as shameful as her life being placed at risk for the good of the Bureau.
“Did Jay mention a second perp?”
Grayson shakes his head. “He’s admitted guilt to your assault and the message left in Regan’s apartment, but other than that, he’s been fairly quiet. He’s scared of the repercussions.”
“It’s her, isn’t it? Theresa put him up to this?” I ask, hearing the words he isn’t saying.
