Page 26 of Point Proven
As he rambled random numbers between heaves to Thorne, all I could do was watch. Scratching Mercy’s head, she rested next to me, either sensing my brewing panic attack or removing herself from the kitchen to let Thorne finish his work.
Flipping off the disposal, Thorne’s lips came to brush our infiltrator's ear. “And your name?”
“Garrett.”
“Great.” Tapping on the screen twice, he tossed the phone onto the counter, a sharp ring flooding through the space.
Almost immediately, the ring quieted, a gruff timbre answering. “You sever his head?”
A darkened laugh tumbled from the man I loved. “Did youreallythink infiltratingmy homewould be that easy?”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less, Thorne Graves. But tell me, how’s that fiancé of yours? Trembling? Working his way to a panic attack?”
“I don’t think the nuances of the situation are any of your business. You want to talk, Stefan? We can talk.” Shoving Garrett off the counter, he collapsed in a heap on the kitchen floor. “Maybe we can discuss the fact that you’ll shit your pants as soon as you figure out who I’ve aligned with. You know? That ex-best friend of yours that you fucked over? Oh, shit… what’s his name?”
This… This was Stefan? The man Liam had warned us about, the man responsible for his past and threatening my life? Legs wobbling, I practically crashed into the ground, overcome with everything. Mercy settled her head in my lap, Prince resting at my side, as I focused on breathing between their conversation.
Stefan snarled, the sound evident across the crackle of the phone. “Levander.”
“Mmm. Right.Levander.”
A pause.
I almost thought Thorne had beaten him with the mere mention of a name, but his voice rang through once more. “Send him, then. I already have everything I fucking want.”
“Not for long,” Throne crooned darkly. “And when you’re looking death in the eyes, I can’t wait to witness how you fuckingcowerlike the pathetic piece of shit you are.”
“Sure, Thorne, but make sure to do me a favor. When Simon wakes up, tell him I’ve already fuckedmylittle lamb twice.”
“Ever more the reason to castrate you.”
He laughed. “Pleasure?—”
“In a vat of fucking acid.” Freeing the pistol from his waistband, he fired a round into Garrett’s head. “You can continue to pretend you ride the high horse, but when you’re groveling at my feet and kissing my boots like the obedient bitch youtrulyare, then we can talk. Power looks pathetic on pitiful men, and you are the very definition of such a disgrace.”
Not giving him a chance to respond, Thorne ended the call.
Moving from where he stood, he dropped to a squat in front of me. Fingers raked through my hair as he gently grabbed my chin, turning my head to the side to examine the wound on my neck. Blowing out what sounded like a breath of relief, he returned my attention to him.
“You’re okay. It doesn’t need stitches.”
At the sound of his voice, my lip wobbled, a final blink releasing my tears. Wrapping my arms around him, I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck as I held him close.
His hold tightened, his hand coming to rest against the back of my head. “You’re okay. I’ve got you, dove. No one willeverhurt you. I promise. You’re safe.”
A broken sob released itself from my throat as I clung to him, breathing in his scent of forest pine. Shoulders trembling, my emotions collided, not only from this encounter, but from the folders we’d collected, the mistakes I’d made, my father’s stain, and the bullet that almost took me from everything I loved.
“Y-You… okay?” It was barely a whisper, spoken through shuddered breaths.
“Yes,” he breathed against my cheek before planting a soft kiss on the crown of my head. “I’m okay. Enraged. But what’s new, right?”
Chuckling softly, I leaned into his touch. “Is it bad… that… that was hot?”
He laughed, scooping me into his arms as he stood up. “No. I mean, probably. But that’s beside the point.” Holding me close, he stepped over the lifeless bodies in our kitchen, the dogs following. “I’m going to make a few calls, and then we need to go check on Simon. Do you think you’ll be okay enough to go pack a bag for us?”
“Alone?” Inhaling sharply, I held tighter, as if he’d rip himself from me.
“Okay, okay. I’ll come with.”
