Grayson only tilted his head. “The folks in this city have forgotten why empaths are off-limits.” He pressed harder with his boot on Stone’s arm. The gun fell from Stone’s hand, clattering to the rooftop. “Ms. Falcon took care of Dr. Owens. Your death needs to be worse.”
“No!” And before Grayson could pick up the gun, Reece flung himself to his knees, a shield between Stone and Grayson.
“Care Bear—”
Reece moved his cuffed hands so his fingers were only inches from Stone’s face. “If I touch him, I’ll feel all that pain.”
Stone froze. Grayson’s gaze darted from Reece to Stone, then back to Reece. “Move, Reece.”
Reece stretched his hand even closer, close enough he could feel the heat radiating from Stone’s skin. “I’ll do it. I’ll touch him. You won’t kill him if I’m reading him because of what I might turn into.”
Grayson held still as a stone. “You got to stop presuming to know me.”
Reece lifted his chin. “He’s the monster. Not us.”
Grayson might have hesitated.
But it was too quick to tell, because at that moment, an inhuman roar cut across the roof.
Jamey.
There was nothing of his sister in that sound. Reece looked over in horror to see her sprinting right toward Reece and Grayson, blood on her cheeks again, no hint of sanity or recognition in her face.
“Jamey, stop!”
The words had barely left Reece’s throat when Grayson stepped forward and grabbed her.
And then pivoted and threw her off the roof.
“NO!”
Reece lunged forward. But the handcuffs caught on Stone’s coat, and Reece’s hand landed on Stone’s face.
Only instead of reading anything from Stone, Reece’s rage and grief burst out from him and into Stone, ensnaring him completely.
Reece’s vision narrowed to just Grayson’s dead face. “How could you?”
“Reece—”
“Shut up.” The black lightning had rocketed to full charge, ready to strike. Stone was wholly his, the man’s face slack, his emotions locked tight in Reece’s mental fist. “That was my sister.”
“I—”
“I saidshut up.”
Grayson’s eyes darted to Stone’s face. Reece was distantly aware Stone’s fingers had closed around the gun again, blood already welling in the man’s eyes, trickling from his nose.
But Reece didn’t let Stone’s emotions go. “Maybe you’re immune to empathy,” Reece said, shoulders heaving, “but how about a bullet?”
And full of Reece’s heartbreak and fury, Stone lifted his gun in broken fingers and aimed straight between Grayson’s eyes.
Grayson didn’t flinch.
And Reece knew now it was because he couldn’t feel fear. Or regret. Or joy, or love, or anything at all.
Because an empath had stolen his heart and made him a living dead man.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
