Grayson cleared his throat. “Alex Grayson—”
“Shut up shut upshut up!”
The Tahoe’s door flew open so hard and fast it came off its hinges. Grayson barely managed to dodge the door as Traynor burst out of the vehicle, arms outstretched, hands coming straight for Grayson’s throat.
Traynor hit him like a freight train. They slammed down to the ground together, Traynor on top, Grayson’s skull connecting with the dirt. He ignored the pain, trying to shoveTraynor off. But he was Grayson’s own height, with a heavier build, and far stronger than he should have been from the empathy hijacking his systems.
They fought for several moments, Traynor’s face twisting into a rictus smile as his hands came again for Grayson’s throat. Grayson twisted, bringing his leg up to smash his boot into Traynor’s side with enough force to finally topple him off.
As Traynor hit the ground, Grayson rolled to the side and grabbed the Tahoe door. Before Traynor could stand, Grayson smashed it down like a shield, holding it in place with his hands and knee and pinning Traynor under the metal.
Traynor bared his teeth.
“So Alex thralled you.” Grayson didn’t know when that had happened, but Traynor wasn’t going to make it much longer. “Where is he now?”
“Leave Alex alone,” Traynor said, a rage-infused growl.
“Where is Cora Falcon?” Grayson tried. “Or Reece Davies?”
Traynor’s eyes were bleeding freely now, red tear tracks on his muddy face. “Reece is angry.”
“Angry? Why?” Traynor pushed up against the car door with a renewed burst. Grayson slammed his knee into the metal, shoving him back down. “Why is Reece angry?”
“Because I’m following you.”
“And?” Grayson said, confused. “Why would Reece be angry about that?”
“Because we were going to kill you.”
“Alex sent you to kill me?”
“No,” Traynor snapped. “Alex saiddon’t hurt.Just follow.”
None of this was making any sense. “But you just said Reece was angry because you were going to kill me.”
“Not today,” Traynor hissed.“Before.”
Traynor shoved up again. There was more blood on his face now, from his eyes and nose both, his unnatural strengthfueled by the empathy destroying him from the inside out. Grayson wasn’t going to be able to keep him under the Tahoe door much longer. “When before?” Grayson said.
“In Vancouver.”
Vancouver?Grayson stared at Traynor. “You were going to kill me... in Vancouver?”
“Yes,” Traynor said. “You lied. About Alex. You had to die.”
Go to the location Vivian Marist sent you, Reece had told him that night at the dock.
Marist?Grayson had replied.Surprised to hear you pick Stone Solutions over the Empath Initiative. I was thinking if I had to pick, I’d meet Director Traynor.
No, Reece had said.Go to Marist.
That night in Vancouver, Reece had sent Grayson to Marist’s location to get him out of the way and clear the path for the empaths to ambush Traynor. It had worked and they’d taken Traynor with them, somehow keeping him alive and making him their thrall.
At least, that’s what Grayson had assumed.
“You were going to kill me that night in Vancouver,” Grayson said, half to himself. “But I never showed up.”
“It was Reece in your truck,” Traynor said. “He knew.”
