“You’re what?”
“I’m not doing this,” he explained curtly. “We’renot doing this.”
He stepped in front of her. That part didn’t surprise me. I’d known he’d fallen for her, quite stupidly, a long time ago. Everyone knew, really. Everyone but her fiancé, of course.
Because if Donovan Prescotthadknown, Theo would already be just another scar on my calloused past.
Colson advanced forward, his hulking frame flexing in ways it just couldn’t help. He didn’t stop until he was toe to toe with Theo. Almost eye to eye.
“So it’s like that, is it?” he growled.
His fists opened and closed, menacingly. But Theo wasn’t backing down.
“It is.”
Colson’s expression tightened. His eyes flashed dangerously, as they shifted to me.
“The both of you?”
Everything in me told me not to do it. But I nodded anyway.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “I’m afraid so.”
The big Marine’s jaw clenched, as he took in a long, deep breath. By the time he let it out, I knew what was coming.
“Fine.”
It all happened impressively fast. One second Theo was standing protectively over his crush, the next he was sailing across the room. Colson shoved him so hard, there wasn’t time for a reaction.
“Only one thing to do then,” he sighed.
Surging toward Peyton, he slipped one arm briefly behind his back. When that hand came forward again, it was clutching a nine-inch Bowie knife.
There was nothing I could do. Nothing I might’ve done anyway, even if I were close enough.
The knife flashed, in the room’s dim light. Our captive gasped…
… then she was staring down at her wrists, where her zip-ties had been neatly severed.
