I twist back just in time to see Penny lunge at me from behind Santos.
My eyes shoot behind her over to where Director Villegas stands in shock as he points his gun back and forth between Penny and Aunt Patty.
If he fires his weapon at Patty, he will inevitably hit his boss.
If he fires it at Penny, there’s a chance the bullet might graze me.
Aunt Patty’s scream echoes throughout the room, much like Santos’ did not five minutes ago. Everything happens so fast.
Next thing I know, I’m facedown on the ground with Penny’s hands tangled in my hair and what feels like her knee shoved into my back.
RIA!
I let myself get so caught up in the finality in my wife’s eyes, I completely missed Penny inching away from her mom to grab the weapon she had apparently smuggled inside her dress.
Next thing I know, I’m lunging for Santos after Penny strikes him from behind. I underestimated her because just as quickly as I grab hold of her father, she lunges for Ria.
We’re at a standoff now.
The room is frozen.
In one corner, I’m standing with Santos in a chokehold while Penny has Ria on the floor, her knee on my wife’s back.
Standing opposite me, my old boss still has his gun cocked at Patty while the two useless bodyguards are caught between saving their boss and following orders to protect Ria.
“LET MY WIFE GO.”
I can’t help but tremble as I eye the pocket pistol Penny dangles in between her fingers while her other hand is wrapped around Ria’s hair, holding her face upward.
“I don’t take orders from you, Agent.”
“P-p-penny…W–w-why are you d-d-doing thi-is?” Ria chokes out, tears streaming down her face. She’s gasping, trying to catch her breath as Penny jabs her knee harder into Ria’s spine, undoubtedly cutting off circulation.
“You ruined everything, Alessandria!” Penny bares her teeth in anger as she yanks harder on Ria’s hair, causing Ria to cry out in surprise.
The sound has Santos jolting awake, after momentarily losing consciousness when Penny clipped him from behind.
“Penelope, what in the world do you think you’re doing to your sister?”
Santos’ voice is calm, in contrast to the way I’m holding him prisoner.
I suspect he has a weapon on him, but I can’t risk letting him go to search for it when there’s four rogue weapons that will be trained on me within seconds.
Penny lets out a humorless laugh. “So now that I have a gun on her, we’re sisters, but I wasn’t even your daughter five minutes ago?”
“Penelope. Stop this madness and let Ria go,” Patty interjects.
Patty rises slowly, palms up as she looks over her shoulder at Director Villegas.
Santos shifts suddenly in my arms and in a nanosecond, I have him shoved on the floor in the same way Penny has Ria. The gun he was attempting to remove from his trousers slips out of his hand. I have his arms locked behind his back as the gun lands on the floor, spinning in between Ria’s head and his.
I pat him down quickly, looking for more firearms while my eyes are still tracking Penny’s movements.
I’ll be damned if that gun goes anywhere near my wife.
I find another pistol strapped to Santos’ leg.
I aim this one at the back of his head just as his bodyguards finally realize the gravity of the situation. They decide on their target and point their guns at me.