#daylightspeaks

They both know it’s not just questioning to him. Dani might not be a profilerbut she’s getting better at reading Bright when he’s upset, his walls come downwith the lack of control. It’s almost ironic when she thinks about it, when she’saggravated or riled up, those walls she keeps inside of herself reinforce. Butit’s like Bright can’t maintain his own when there’s too much going on, theystart to crumble and she slips between the cracks.

The perp in one of the conferencerooms already has Gil and JT, they don’t needMalcolm, not really—this all has to do with apersonal vendetta.

“You don’t need to go inthere, he’s already given everything up to book him.”

He licks his lips, movingto sit on the corner of the table. He lets go of the file and turns his wristso the palm of her hand meets his. Dani watches his eyebrows draw together ashe looks at both their hands, the way their fingers gently lace together.

She understands his knee-jerkreaction to address their killer face-to-face, “He murdered five women,” Shesays after a moment, squeezing his hand. “I get that you’re angry, that youwant to take him down a few notches, you’re not alone on that…but he’s notworth it.”

“You think this is about—”His voice clamps off, a soft scoff leaving his lips as he looks away from her.His blue eyes are incredibly conflicted, the muscle in his jaw working as hestruggles with words under his tongue. Malcolm takes a slow breath in throughhis nose before pushing the file away from himself,

“Maybe you’re right. Ishouldn’t go in there…I’ll probably end up killing him.” He’s joking, she cantell that instantly as he runs a hand through his hair. But there’s alsosomething else underlying his words, something darker, something that speaks toher about how much he means that last statement.

“I’m fine.” She sayssoftly. “I’m banged up but you…it could have been worse.” Dani swallows, glancingdown at their hands. She didn’t end up being the perp’s sixth victim but shecould have been, their honey trap taking a turn for the worse when he took herto his car.

He threw her in the back ofhis truck, taking her back to his house, stuck her in the basement—her wrists stillhurt from being kept in rusted chains. It could have been worse, she knowsthat, that what she went through infuriated Malcolm more than her but…isn’t thepoint that she’s here and safe?

“I mean it,” Brightinterrupts her thoughts, holding her gaze with an iciness in his eyes that she’snot used to. “I’ll stay in here because…I’ll end up doing something to him forwhat he did to you. And I won’t regret it.”

Dani swallows and shakesher head, “Please don’t talk like that.” She mutters because she isn’t surewhat else to say. She inches forward, slipping between his legs as he sits onthe table and he settles for wrapping his arms around her waist.

His forehead dips, pressinginto her collarbone. She can feel him breathe her in, his grip on hertightening every so slightly when she moves. Dani runs her fingers through hishair and tries to get that lookshe saw in his eyes to fade from her memory.