A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(35)

Knowing it was now or never, Irelyn ignored the pain in her shoulder and hip and went after him full force. Double-kick to the groin and chest, whirl with a roundhouse kick to his belly. While he was still teetering on his feet, she went for a knockout kick to his head. She missed. One giant fist slammed into her jaw, and another grazed her ribs. She crashed into a chair, the backs of her legs taking the brunt of the impact.

Grinning, his face a bloody mask, he pulled his radio from his belt loop. “Dark’s going to love this.”

Irelyn sprang forward. Grabbing hold of his arm before he could press the talk button, she smashed both the radio and his own hand into his face. Heard another crunch. A broken jaw to go with his broken nose.

Benjamin tumbled backward, taking out the chair and the painting on the wall behind him on his way to the floor. She winced at the noise, but at least he wouldn’t be waking up for a while. She spared a glance toward Lionel, pleased to see he was still lying on the floor, moaning with his hands covering his crotch.

She took no time to assess her own injuries. Doing so would acknowledge them, and she couldn’t afford the weakness. Other guards, or Dark himself, would be here soon. She had to get out of the house before she found herself really outnumbered.

Dark would soon know her employment had been a ruse. He would know the files that were missing and why. She would soon have a price on her head, but that didn’t matter. Her only goal was to get to Grey before another attempt was made on his life.

She bypassed the elevator, opting for the stairway. It was easier to duck and run on the stairs. An elevator door opening on a load of firepower waiting for her was not a good idea.

Amazingly, she made it to the first floor without meeting anyone. Dawn was just starting to break, and she was living on borrowed time. She opened the front door and sprinted down the steps to the sidewalk. Heading to the back of the mansion, she went through the gate and into the woods. Her getaway car was hidden in bushes about two miles away.

Breath rasped from her aching lungs. She slipped and slid along the ground as she ran. Normally, she was surefooted and limber, but today she ran like an ox. She tripped over a tree root and fell face first onto the wet leaves. A part of her told her to stay there and rest awhile. No one was chasing her right now. She had time. But allowing herself to be seduced by exhaustion and pain was not an option. She had to get to Grey.

She pulled herself to her knees and then her feet. She knew she was bleeding somewhere, but she couldn’t stop to find out where. Once she was safely in the air, she’d give herself a quick checkup.

Spotting the car in the bushes where she’d left it, she felt as though she could fly. Adrenaline gave her wings. She was only hours away from Grey. That was all she cared about.





Chapter Thirteen





Dallas, Texas





Lacey screamed her frustration. It was better than crying, which was what she wanted to do. According to her therapist, her physical therapy was going wonderfully well. She was young, healthy, and in excellent shape. That didn’t negate the pain and frustration, though. Never again would she take for granted being able to walk with ease, much less run.

There was still the possibility of needing more surgery. And there was also the possibility of a permanent limp. Telling herself she was lucky to be alive, lucky she hadn’t lost a limb—all those it-could’ve-been-worse scenarios went only so far. At the end of the day, she was still a woman on crutches, and she was pissed.

“You’re the only woman I know who can be beautiful and angry at the same time.”

She glanced over her shoulder and glared at one of the biggest reasons for her frustration. “Then you haven’t known many women.”

“Oh, I’ve known my share.”

She turned back around, her hands gripping the rails so tight she thought they might break. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. She wanted him to kiss her until she couldn’t remember her own name. She wanted him to love her.

“Why are you here, Kingston?”

“You won’t return my calls or texts. I’ve been barred from visiting you like I’m some sort of creep.”

“And yet here you are.”

“Tell me what I’ve done, Lacey, to make you hate me.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she was glad he couldn’t see them. He’d know the truth then. That she hadn’t stopped loving him. Would never stop. But things were different now.

“You haven’t done anything. And I don’t hate you.”

“Then why don’t you want to see me?”

Anger replaced the self-pity. She lowered herself into a wheelchair and whirled it around as fast as she could. “The question is, why do you want to see me?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I want to see you because I care about you.”

“Really? Why now?”

“What the hell?” Golden sparks of fury gleamed in his brown eyes. Eyes she could easily get lost in and never want to return.

She pushed herself forward until she was right in front of him. “For almost a year, you’ve pushed me away, making excuse after excuse for why we can’t be together. Showing up when you wanted to, but leaving without a backward glance when you got your fill. And now that I’m injured, you want to see me all the time.”