Grayson still didn’t seem alarmed. “You’re not gonna use that, Detective.”
“You think I won’t shoot you?”
“Oh, I think you’d kill me fast as I can blink,” he drawled. “But not in front of your empath brother.”
In the small room’s sudden silence, Reece’s fast breaths were loud and grating. His chest was on fire, his vision blurred around the edges, seeing nothing but the weapon, cocked and ready—
With a huff, Jamey holstered her gun.
Reece slumped to the table, air leaving him in a great rush. Grayson leaned casually against the wall with the air of a man accustomed to being threatened at gunpoint. “Appreciated, I’m sure.”
Reece buried his face in his hands, gloves cool against his sweaty skin. Jamey’s hand came to rest in his hair, her apology for pulling out the gun, even if she’d done it to protect him.
When he looked up, he found Grayson’s neutral gaze on them. “What?” he snapped at the blank hazel eyes. “The great specialist has never seen an empath have a panic attack?”
Grayson looked to Jamey. “You should get him a paper bag.”
“He recycles them.”
“Fair enough,” Grayson muttered. “Did you tell anyone your suspicions?”
“So they can get the torches and pitchforks ready? Of course not. You showing up is all the bad I can handle.”
“I’ve never said the reason I’m here has anything to do with your brother.”
“You’ve never said it doesn’t either,” Reece muttered.
Grayson’s attention shifted back to Reece. “You’re very suspicious.”
“You didn’t give me the truth,” said Reece. “And that’s something I don’t easily forgive and forget.”
Jamey’s hand moved to the back of Reece’s neck and squeezed warningly. He got her message loud and clear:shut up. “I know why he’s here.” Her narrowed eyes were on Grayson. “It isn’t for you.”
“No?” Grayson made it a question.
“No,” Jamey repeated, firmly. “Because even if you won’t believe me when I say Reece is incapable of harming anyone, you better believe me when I say I can alibi him.”
Reece could not have heard right. “You canwhat?”
“We were still up together at midnight,” said Jamey. “And he was asleep on the couch when I got the call.”
Grayson folded his arms, looking perfectly at ease discussing hypothetical guilt for an unthinkable crime. “He could have gone out and come back.”
Jamey shook her head. “Do the math for the travel time from our house. Not a chance.”
“Average ninety-six miles an hour on the highway—”
“My car’s top speed is ninety,” Reece interrupted. “Now will one of you fill me in?”
“No,” Grayson said, just as Jamey said, “Yes.”
Grayson looked at Jamey. “An empath shouldn’t hear it.”
“He deserves to know.”
“Would you want to know,” said Grayson, “if you were him?”
That made Jamey pause. Reece’s stomach sank. “Tell me,” he said anyway, even if he wasn’t sure he meant it.
