Page 113 of When He Defends

“Uh, the guy is going to get life without parole. He’ll die in prison. I think he understands plenty.”

Not yet, he didn’t. “He made Emerson afraid for years.”

“And if she finds out that you’re sneaking into prisons, twisting the law and maybe killing people, what will that do?”

Gray’s breath sawed out. He wasn’t going tokillOwen Porter. Just make the guy wish for death. Those were two totally different things.

Tap, tap, tap.

Both men turned around at the faint sound.No, no, it can’t be?—

But it was.

Emerson walked down the corridor with her heels tapping.

“I’m back from my honeymoon for one month.One month.And my husband is already taking up new hobbies.” She sighed. “Are you bored with me already?”

“I could live a thousand years and never be bored with you.” He turned to fully face her. Of course, she’d realized what he’d planned. Even though he’d tried to be so very careful. Arranging for the prisoners to temporarily be in the same facility, making sure he’d have access to them, pulling all the strings, getting the security cameras turned off…

Tap, tap, tap.

Emerson stopped in front of him. “You don’t have to hurt them for me.”

He was hurting them forhim.Because he hated what those bastards had done to her. Because the beast inside called for vengeance. Sometimes, he was far too much like Cass.Eye for an eye. Pain for pain.

“We have a life waiting. The darkness doesn’t get to drag us down.” She caught his hand. Pressed it to her stomach. “The baby wants us to leave these particular monsters alone. They have their punishments coming. We won’t have to do anything else.”

The baby?

She smiled at him.

Cass whistled.

The prison was too dark. The sins there too great.

“We started trying before the honeymoon. Told you, it wouldn’t take long.” She smiled at him.

Of course, he’d been trying for a baby before the honeymoon. As soon as Emerson had suggested they ditch the condoms, he’d been game on. In her bare? Making her pregnant? Having a little Emerson 2.0?

That’s what I want. That’s my future.

She was telling him that future lived beneath his hand. Their future.

The baby can’t be here. Not in this darkness. He nodded. Pulled Emerson close. Held her.

Cass slapped him on the shoulder. “Get the hell out of here. Go celebrate.”

The baby.

“I’ll have fun for us both,” Cass added.

Gray slowly turned his head toward his cousin.

Cass winked at him. “I got this. Let someone else do the dirty work for you.”

No, Cass shouldn’t be there, either. Cass…

Cass was already too close to the dark.