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Stone looked away frootten Peirce free fro hi his head and she saw from the flex of his shoulders that the crash had taken more out of him than it had her

The top half of his arone, splintered off with entire chunks of plate that’s what she’d hit her head on Him He’d thrown himself over her Her eyes welled up and she sed quickly to try to hide her reaction

Fortunately, Stone wasn’t watching her He was too focused on Peirce

“Mr Taggart? My men have shared your fearsome reputation with me It’s unfortunate we have to meet under these circumstances”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re all broken up about it, asshole,” Peirce taunted

At least his

StonePeirce slaroaned, but didn’t stop “Can’t say I’m surprised to see you here”

“And I thought your retreat said otherwise,” Stone responded in a bored tone “But then, even if the delightful Miss Gregson doesn’t understand the reason for my visit, you’re far too shrewd to have missed that connection”

“True,” Peirce quipped “Must hurt to know you could only hire—”

He squinted up at the ed fro down his face from a cut on his forehead “Well, shit What is this, the fifth string? That you, Lennox?”

One of the men spat on him and Peirce chuckled

“I thought I recognised you, you son of a bitch” Now he looked at Stone, eyes going cold “Like I said, couldn’t afford the big guns?”

E in Stone’s jaw; his teeth were clenched so tightly

“That mine snafu must have really set you back”

Peirce was looking at her, holding her gaze, even as what he said next sunk in