My eyes snap up at Penelope, who is standing above me, her hand still aimed upward. She gives me the briefest of glances before she turns her gun towards the other man, who is now gaping at her in shock.
Like father, like daughter.
Knowing I have a few seconds before she decides it’s my turn, I grab my Glock still stored in the holster around my leg and scramble off the floor.
By the time she shoots him and turns back to me, I’m safely out of reach, on my feet and armed.
Penelope’s widened eyes meet mine, her gaze falling on the gun I’m holding and for a split second, the shock gives way to a twinge of fear. She’s completely unhinged.
“How––Where?”
My shoulder burns and my back aches from being manhandled. There’s blood pooling on my chest and all over my neck. I’m sore from being dragged through the street and shoved around in a van but for the first time today, I smile my first real smile.
“There’s one thing you forgot about me and another you don’t know.”
Penelope scowls, her teeth bared, on par with the paleness of her skin.
“And what is that?”
I take note of the knife she so carelessly tossed earlier that’s resting just a few feet away, right next to Zane’s head.
“I never give up.” I make a show of disengaging my own gun. “And I’m the wife of one of the most decorated agents in the FBI. I’m no longer the helpless girl you used to know.”
“Congratulations, Alessandria. What are you going to do? Shoot me?”
Penelope laughs, her eyes crinkling in amusement.
“Kill or be killed.”
Her laughter dies replaced with another scowl, more menacing than the last.
“Then let’s fucking do this then.”
Islam the door open, not bothering to make eye contact with Agent Smith. My attention is honed in on the blond currently handcuffed to the table.
“Agent Thomas!” Sarah tries to get in between me and the man who impersonated a field agent and abducted my wife, but I brush past her.
“Where is she!?” Fisting his collar, I yank him to his feet and shove him against the wall. “Where’s my wife?”
“I don’t know man!”
I growl, shoving him harder, the legs of the table scraping like nails on a chalkboard across the floor as it’s dragged along. I hoist him further up at the wall. My fingers close in on his throat and I squeeze.
“You have five seconds to tell us where she is or so help me, I will choke the living shit out of you and take great pleasure in it.”
He stutters, his breath coming out in wet gasps. “Go ahead and kill me, but you’ll never find her!”
“Don’t test me.”
Two pairs of hands come around me, restraining me and making me lose my grip. Our suspect falls hard on his ass, slamming his head hard on the wall on his way down.
Agent Smith lets out a string of curses before shoving me out the door. The two officers who had pulled me back attend to the suspect now passed out on the floor.
His arms flailing as he regains consciousness is the last thing I see before Sarah jerks the door closed behind her. “What. The. Fuck. Was. That. Agent?”
“He knows where she is!”
“We all know that, Noah. But we do not manhandle suspects, ever. This is why I told you to stick with Walker. You’re too damn close to this case. You’re going to get the book thrown at you for misconduct!”