Page 96 of When He Defends

“We don’t have proof,Gray. We have suspicions, and we have—do youhearthat?”

Yes, yes, he damn well did. “Emerson…” His head whipped to the left.

Horses raced straight toward him. Toward Emerson. A tight pack of horses galloped hard and fast. Horses that should have been secured in the stables but were running straight at them. Barreling with wild eyes and desperate hooves.

The horses were coming so quickly that if he and Emerson didn’t haul ass, they’d be crushed beneath the stampede. In a flash, he imagined what those pounding hooves would do to Emerson’s body.

Fuck, no.Without hesitation, he grabbed Emerson. He wrapped his body around hers even as he tried to hurtle them out of the way. They didn’t make it. Or, he didn’t. At the last moment, he shoved Emerson hard, pushing her off that path and thrusting her to safety.

He could feel the breath of the horses on his neck. Then Gray went down. A hoof slammed into his shoulder. Another rushed over the back of his thigh.

He tasted dirt in his mouth. He could hear the wild cries of the horses. The screeches.

And…

“Gray! Gray!”Emerson’s screams. He could hear Emerson’s screams.

No,no, no, no.Emerson watched in horror as the horses galloped away. They’d stirred up dirt and dust or who the hell knew what in their wake. They’d come from the stables, rushing furiously, and shouldn’t attendants have been chasing them? Shouldn’t someone be there?

“Gray!”He’d shoved her to safety. Damn the man. He should have gotten himself to safety. But one minute, he’d been covering her, shielding her, and then he’d beenthrowingher out of the way.

Only for him to go down beneath the hooves.

The thunder of the hoofbeats echoed in her ears. It pounded over and over, like thunder that just wouldn’t stop.

“Dad, Dad, where are you?”A child’s voice—her voice—echoing in her mind. Because there had been thunder that terrible night, too, so much thunder.

Emerson climbed to her feet. Her knees were bleeding, scratched, as she ran back to Gray. He was face down on the ground, with his right leg drawn up close to his body. His right arm was beneath him. His head turned toward where she’d been moments before.

His eyes are closed.

She reached out. Her first instinct was to touch him, to make sure he was okay.

How can he be okay? He was just caught in a stampede with thundering horses.Seven horses. Eight?

Was his spine injured? His neck? He couldn’t be moved until he was stabilized. She had to call for help. Dammit, where were the other FBI agents? The others were their backup. They were?—

A twig snapped.

Emerson leapt back to her feet and whirled toward the sound.

“Does it hurt?” Hannah asked as she walked from beneath a nearby tree.

“I-I’m not injured.” The blood on her legs was nothing. “Gray is. We have to get Gray help!”

Hannah’s arm lifted. She held a gun in her right hand. “He’s not going to get help. He’s already dead.”

No, no, she’d seen his body moving. Hadn’t she? Her fingers hadn’t touched him, not yet, but Emerson was sure Gray was alive. There was just no other option for her.

“Come here, Emerson,” Hannah ordered her.

She stayed exactly where she was. “Why are you holding a gun on me?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Hannah took another step forward. “I know what you are.”

“My husband is hurt! We have to get help!”

“He’s not your husband. Don’t waste my time with more lies.” Her left hand came up from behind her body. The right hand gripped the gun. The left held a syringe.