Violent Ends (The Denton Family Legacy 5)

She’d come to work today prepared in a jeans, shirt, and sneakers. If she needed to, she could make a run for it.

This man scared her. No doubt about it, but she wasn’t going to run away. She always did make bad decisions.

“Consider your file terminated.”

“Good.”

“Now tell me some of those secrets.”

“That’s not going to happen. You think I’m stupid.”

“I think you’re incredibly stupid.”

She smiled and then shrugged.

He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. She gasped as her back hit the wall and then his hand went around her throat. He didn’t squeeze.

She made no move to stop him either.

“You really think you can play this game with me?” he asked.

“You think you can hurt my man?”

“That’s my son.”

“Gideon is now mine. You can’t be a man about his threats, then move aside and put someone on the throne who can.”

“You think that’s your guy? Gideon can’t control shit. Besides, you really think you’d be able to make your escape then? You’re not going anywhere, Emma.”

His grip tightened around her throat.

It was strange.

The last time she had been choked like this, her father had been the one to do it. She’d wanted to go to college and hoped to take extra classes in high school. He refused, and she begged.

She remembered Gabriel having to pull him away as she was on the verge of blacking out.

Gripping Maddox’s wrist, she stared at him, even as tears filled her eyes.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Like before, Gabriel was there, pulling Maddox off her. He shoved Maddox away.

“Is that what you do now? Choke defenseless women?” Gabriel was panting.

She took several deep breaths, relishing the air she was breathing in. What had she done?

Staring at Maddox, who glared at her, the threat was clear.

“You should have thought twice about threatening me. You want to know the only way you’re safe from me? Gideon. You marry my son, and I’ll leave you the fuck alone.”

“Consider it done,” Gabriel said. “They’ll be married by the end of the week.”

“Just in time for the Savona dinner, excellent.” Maddox smiled.

“I don’t—”

She couldn’t say anything more as Gabriel covered her mouth. “We’ll all be there. Is Tamsin excited?”