Page 112 of When He Defends

She’d love him until she died. Love him and be happy with him, and Hannah McIntyre and all the other killers out there could just go screw off.

Because sometimes, love was real. Sometimes, people did get happy endings. Endings that you bled for, that you fought for, and that you won.

A love that you treasured more than anything else. A love that?—

“We arenothoneymooning at Sea Island,” Gray told her, his lips right above her own.

She laughed. For the first time in thirty-six hours, the heavy weight that Emerson had carried lifted. She could breathe again. She could be free of the past. She could focus on her present.Her future. The life that waited. And they would definitely not, one hundred percentnotbe honeymooning with the stampeding horses. “Let’s go somewhere cold,” she decided. “Let’s get a tiny cabin in the woods, be naked in front of a fireplace for days, and let’s lock out the rest of the world.”

“Done.”

She laughed again.

I love this man so much.

The perfect partner.

Her partner. Always.

Epilogue

“Do I have a dark side? Yes. You have no idea how dark. But mess with my Emerson, and

you’ll find out.”

– Gray Stone

Gray opened the cell door.He marched inside, grabbed the prisoner from the bed, and threw the bastard up against the bars.

Nathaniel Hadaway cried out, his whole body shaking, and damn if the little asshole didn’t piss himself.

Gray shoved him away in disgust. “I can see prison life is treating you well.”

Nathaniel collapsed on the floor. “Get me out! Get me out! I can’t stay here—the other inmates terrify me!Please, get me out! I have to get out! Please!”

“You were stalking Emerson.MyEmerson. And you wanted to kill me. Bastard, you will never see the light of day again. Just got orders, you’re being transferred to maximum security. Hope you enjoy the ride.” Then, hands fisted, he turned away.

“No,please!Don’t?—”

He exited the cell. The door clanged shut. Gray didn’t look back. Rage had been riding him hard all day, and he’d needed to make sure certain loose ends were tied up.

Nathaniel Hadaway was finally being transferred. The shrink had already been targeted by gang members. He was going to be meeting a world of pain at his new home in max security.

As for Rylan, the FBI agent had recovered from his gunshot wound, he’d pled guilty to the charges against him, and, oh, yes, he was certainly going to have to watch his back for the next twenty years in prison. Former Feds never fared well in general pop.

Gray marched down the narrow hallway. No guards appeared, per his commands. He’d ordered the place emptied out. The better for him to hunt. He turned to the right. Stopped in surprise.

Cass was waiting. Blocking his damn path.

Gray frowned at him. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

“You know I have connections.” Cass quirked a brow. “And forget the fake outrage at seeing me. I should be the one who is pissed. I mean, come on. I don’t get to have fun, but you do? That hardly seems fair.”

“Who said life was fair?” He sidestepped.

Cass moved with him. “You going to terrorize Owen Porter? That the next stop on this exciting, post-midnight tour that you have going on?”

Hell, yes, he was paying a visit to Owen Porter. “Just want to make sure that he and I understand each other.”