Page 67 of When He Defends
She could feel the anger rising beneath her skin. Emerson was sure her cheeks had to be darkening. Her heart pounded, her body tensed, and she… “Gray, did you ignore rules?”
“Rules don’t apply to me.”
Such a Gray thing to say.
“And I don’t really have supervisors any longer at the Bureau. Due to my track record, a whole helluva lot of closed cases, and a traitorous bastard in the upper echelon at the FBI that I helped to bring down…let’s just say that I now get to make all the choices as to what happens with my team. And who isonmy team.” He winked at her. “Guess what, Emerson? I choose you.”
Maxine slapped her hand down on the seat near her right thigh. “Because you want to use my daughter? Use her and fuck her?”
Shocked, Emerson turned and saw the flash of anger on her mother’s face.
“I choose Emerson because I happen to respect the hell out of her.” Gray’s response came instantly. “She’s brilliant. She keeps her head in the field when things go south, and she’s also one incredible shot. She’s the person I want at my side when there’s danger. You’re her mother, though, so I shouldn’t have to tell you just how great she is. That’s something you should already know. By the way, I don’t like your tone when you talk to her. You need to watch that.”
Both Emerson and her mother swung their heads toward him.
“Since we’re having this little chat—and you are delaying Emerson and I from a very important meeting—it’s my turn to interrogate.”
Uh, oh. Emerson knew this was not going to be good. “Gray…”
“Why the hell have you let a stalker prey on her foryearswhile you did nothing to stop him?”
Emerson’s attention jumped back to the senator. Her mother seemed to stop breathing.
Then she grabbed for her pearls. Rubbed them with her index finger and thumb. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liar, liar.” A soft taunt and accusation from Gray. “You know exactly what—who—I’m talking about. But I’ll clarify. I mean the bastard who broke into your home all those years ago. The one who left that scar on Emerson’s throat.”
Her mother’s gaze darted to Emerson’s throat. “You don’t understand the situation.” Maxine’s guarded response. “I am sure Emerson doesn’t want me getting into the specifics.”
Gray grunted. “The specifics are that some creep terrorized a seventeen-year-old girl. And from what I can tell, he’s been keeping tabs on her for years. The broken mirror bullshit? The breaking into her homes? Taking shit that belongs to her?Playing games with her? Oh, it’s ending. So are the threats on her life.”
Maxine stopped rubbing her pearls. “Excuse me?”
“When we were in Briar, someone broke into my motel room.” Emerson was pleased that her voice held no emotion. She made sure to keep her hands flat against her thighs. No unnecessary movements. “A spray-painted message was left on my wall. The message said I would be dying.”
Maxine leaned forward. “You need to stop working these FBI cases.They are putting too much stress on you.You are going to fracture, Emerson.” A firm nod. “I didn’t want to bring this up in front of an outsider, but you leave me no choice. Agent Stone, you’ve been misled.” She rubbed the pearls. “Emerson is emotionally fragile?—”
His laughter cut through her words. “You really need to watch your tells, Senator Marlowe. When you lie, you clutch those pearls way too much.”
Her eyes widened. She immediately let go of the pearls.
“Emerson isn’t emotionally fragile, and you damn well know it. But she does have a soft heart. I suspect she’s let her feelings for you allow her to be manipulated for far too long. But that shit is ending.”
“Oh, really?” Maxine’s face flushed. “And I guess you are the one ending it?”
“Damn straight, I am. Unlike Emerson, I don’t care at all about you. Have zero fucks to give, so there will be no manipulation of me. I’m her partner. That means I protect her from every threat. I’m sure you did your research on me before you decided I would be working with Emerson?—”
“You didn’twantto work with her! You fought it tooth and nail! You said she’d be a pain in the ass?—”
“She’s a pain in the ass that I happen to quite like. So understand me when I say that no one will threaten her. No onewill manipulate her. And that stalker BS? You didn’t put an end to it. I will.”
“There was no proof of an intruder all of those years ago?—”
“Sure, there was. She’s got a scar on her neck.”
Emerson could have sworn the scar burned.
“You don’t understand—” Maxine began.
