Page 2 of When He Defends

“You bitch!”Jake screamed.

Gray’s jaw tightened as he pulled the trigger. The bullet blasted into his target, and a spray of blood flashed in the air as Jake fell down. The screwdriver flew from his fingers and clattered onto the cement flooring of the garage. Emerson hit the floor, too, her hands slamming against the cement as her dark hair flew around her face.

“Emerson!” Gray barked out her name as he surged toward his prey.

“I’m okay!” A quick yell back. She glanced his way, sending her hair swirling again. “I’m okay.” Less strained. More controlled. More Emerson.

With his jaw locked hard, Gray closed the last bit of distance between him and Jake.

The fool was trying to rise, so Gray shoved his big, gleaming dress shoe onto the bullet wound—a wound in Jake’s left shoulder. He hadn’t sent the shot into the prick’s head because at the last moment, when Emerson had gotten clear, he’d known that he didn’thaveto kill the guy.

But I sure as hell wanted to send the bullet into his brain. I wanted to destroy the bastard for threatening to hurt Emerson.

Gray ground his shoe into the wound, putting the full weight of his body into the attack. Jake howled and jerked beneath him, trying to wrench up. And when the prick wrenched up, Gray put his gun to the man’s forehead. “Hi, there.”

Jake froze.

“Didn’t you ever learn that you aren’t supposed to be rough with someone who is weaker than you? That you are supposed to watch your strength?”

Jake’s breath shuddered out.

“Didn’t you ever learn…” It would be so easy to pull the trigger. One little squeeze, and there would be one less twisted predator in the world. So very tempting. But Emerson was watching. Emerson who’d gotten to her feet. Who was tip-toeing closer in her red heels. Her sweet, tempting scent wrapped around him. Summer nights. Jasmine. And, somehow… innocence.

He forced his teeth to unclench. “Didn’t you ever learn that you aren’t supposed to put your dirty hands on things that do not belong to you?”

Jake’s gaze darted toward Emerson. He tried to surge toward her. Tried to grab for the screwdriver that he’d dropped.

So Gray stomped his foot into the man’s wound. Hard.

Jake screamed in agony.

“Grayson!” Emerson’s shocked voice.

“Don’t look at her,” he barked to Jake. “Look right at me. Me!”

Jake’s gaze whipped back to Gray.

“You killed those women.” Three victims. Women who’d all been found, with very distinct wounds on their bodies. Some with the deep punctures made from a screwdriver. Grease and oil residue had been discovered in their wounds. The kind of grease and oil that you’d find in a car repair shop.The kind in this garage.“For those victims, you were their nightmare.”

Jake began to smile.

“Guess what? I’myournightmare.” Gray pressed the muzzle of his gun a bit harder into Jake’s head. “I’m going to lock you away, and I’m going to make sure that you never see the light of day again. Where you’re going, you’ll be the prey. Trust me on this, the other inmates will love to have their chance torturingyou.”

Fear flashed in Jake’s eyes. He lost his smile.

“Kick away the screwdriver, Emerson,” Gray ordered.

She kicked it away. Finally, the woman had actually followed an order. Miracle of miracles.

So he’d go for another directive. “Go outside and call for backup,” he added.

Only Emerson didn’t move. So much for miracles.

Gray sighed. “Emerson.”

“I can, uh, call for backup right here.”

Can’t follow orders for shit.His gaze angled toward her.