A muscle in his jaw ticked; I was forcing him to drag the information out of me. “Hailey, what?”
I bit my lip, not wanting to give this stranger my full name.
He remained firm. His only response a raised eyebrow. Making it clear I wasn’t passing until he’d gotten his answer. I relented. “Hailey Wrenn.”
“That doesn’t work for me.”
I didn’t even know how to respond.
He stretched his arm out and ran two fingertips over the curve of my jaw. “A wren is a plain little bird. There is nothing plain about you.”
I gave myself a mental shake. Captivating or not, I didn’t have time for this. I twisted my head to the side to break his touch. “I have to go. My friend needs me.”
“Who’s your friend?”
This time I didn’t try to play games. “Madison Hastings.” I tilted my chin out, ready to counter any snarky comment he might make about my innocent friend being a murderer.
“Madison Hastings? The woman on trial for killing Jameson Worthington?”
“She didn’t kill that bastard. She wasn’t the one driving. She’s being framed. And if you don’t?—”
“I believe you.”
“—believe me, you can just fuck right off. Wait. What did you just say?”
He chuckled. “You really are adorable when you get all puffed up and angry. I said, I believe you.”
“You believe me?” Tears sprang to my eyes. I swiped at them. I hated my reaction, but I had been defending Madison for weeks now to anyone who would bother to listen, and he was the first person outside of our friend Rylee to say they believed me.
I pulled away from him, but he placed his hand on the other side of my head, holding me in place. “Let me go.” It was too good to be true, and I had almost been dumb and desperate enough to trust him.
Greyson’s stare hardened as he glanced over his shoulder. “No, we need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
He seized my wrist and dragged me through the lobby and out the courthouse doors. “Good, because I have plenty to say to you, and I hate being interrupted.”
I yanked back with all my strength but to no effect. He didn’t even break his stride.
What the hell was happening?
CHAPTER 14
PIERCE
Iused my left forearm to knock the guard’s gun arm off target as I swung my right fist, connecting with his jaw.
The guard’s gun fired, and Madison screamed.
I swung my gaze to her body, looking for signs the stray bullet had hit her.
No blood. No wound.
Her eyes widened as she focused on a spot just beyond my shoulder. “Pierce,” she cried out in warning.
It was too late.
A large weight slammed against my back, knocking me forward into the heavy conference table.
