Page 121 of Power

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Jace’s voice cut through the air. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and fear as he stalked toward me.

“Jace?” My heart raced at his unexpected appearance.

Today, he wore a charcoal suit, a white shirt, and a crisp black tie.

He crossed the room in a few long strides, his gaze never leaving mine as he cupped my cheek. His thumb traced my cheekbone, the gentleness of his touch at complete odds with the lethal tension radiating from his body.

“Tell me the truth. Was it Marcus?”

He was looking for one hundred percent confirmation, I realized. Before … before what?

I opened my mouth, tempted to reassure him that one of his closest friends wasn’t the monster in my story, but I could find no words. The truth was already in black and white at the police station anyway, so there was no point in denying it anymore.

Something dark and dangerous flashed in his eyes at my silence.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” he growled.

“Jace—”

“Did he hurt you?” His eyes swept the length of my body.

“Not today.”

That was all the confirmation Jace needed. His fingers coiled into fists at his sides as he took a step backward, closer to the door.

“It was him last night,” Jace realized, his voice dropping to a deadly tone. “And he’s the one you made that list about,” he continued, taking several more steps toward the exit.

I moved quickly, placing myself between him and the door. “Jace, wait.”

“He’s the one who put his hands on you before we met.” His voice was so low, it sent ice crawling down my spine. “What else has he done?” Jace demanded, his entire focus locked on me despite his body language screaming his intent to leave.

I sighed, giving up on holding any more secrets. “He followed me home,” I said. “To intimidate me. He threatened to destroy you and everyone you care about.”

Jace’s nostrils flared, his breathing turning sharp. “He threatened everyone I care about?” The words came out like a growl, the true scope dawning on him that this was more than just harassment. This was personal, calculated to hurt Jace. I watched the realization ripple through him, his muscles coiling as he no doubt replayed every interaction, searching for signs he’d missed “All this time, I thought he was on my side.”

I grabbed his wrist, holding him in place physically as I spoke. Maybe if I could get him talking, maybe I could hold him here until he calmed down.

“Why is Marcus threatening you? Why now?”

Jace licked his lip in frustration. “Because he resents me. Always has since that night he took the fall for me. He’s never forgiven me for allowing him to do it and for all of the hardships he’s faced because of it.” His voice hardened. “And now I know just how deep that resentment runs.”

“But he’s the one who told police he was driving, not you,” I pointed out, still trying to keep him in place.

“A moment of protectiveness that poisoned his life ever since.”

Jace stepped to the left. I matched it, blocking him, but I was fighting a losing battle. With panic, I continued babbling, hoping to keep him here.

“Let me come forward,” I said. “I’ll tell them who he is.”

But Jace’s mind was elsewhere now. Namely on the hallway to my back, where Marcus had vanished after leaving my office.

With a muscle ticcing in his jaw, Jace growled, “I can’t believe he laid his hands on you.”

Fire burned in his eyes, and I knew in that moment I was witnessing the transformation of a businessman into something much more primitive. A protector. A warrior.

“He hurt you too,” I said, desperate now, walking back with another step he took forward. “He’s trying to take your company.”

“The only thing that matters is that he hurt you.”