Too bad I’m playing to win too.
"Watch me." I force myself to grin, despite fear thundering through me at the sight of him holding the gun to Noah's temple. "Dad."
"Drop the gun or I kill the agent."
"No." I make a show of disengaging the safety on the gun and pray this man calls my bluff as I point it at my head. "Let Noah go, or I shoot."
"Ria..."
I have avoided looking at Noah for this exact reason. Once our eyes meet, I see the same pain and terror I feel echoed in his.
I offer him my most reassuring smile, wrenching my gaze from his to look back at the criminal who ruined my life. The one who is now threatening the life of the man who holds my heart.
"LET. MY HUSBAND. GO."
Santos grits his teeth, turning his head slightly to look at Director Villegas, who looks as agitated as he does.
"How do I know he's not going to turn around and hunt me down again?"
I look back at Noah as a single tear rolls down my cheek.
I may regret every moment I spent pushing him away these last few weeks, but I don't regret making this sacrifice.
I keep my gaze locked on Noah’s; my smile sad with the knowledge this is goodbye.
My heart shatters on the floor and my chest feels tight and empty in its wake.
I love you.
I lift my free hand, placing it on my chest in thesame way he always did when he left to go on assignment.
But this time, I’m the one leaving and I’m not coming home.
My lower lip trembles but I swallow against the pain and whisper the words I know will force his hand.
"Because he promised me."
My blood runs cold. Nothing in my training or my entirely fucked up life has prepared me for this—the sight of my wife with a gun cocked at her head.
I knew making that promise to her would come back to haunt me. I have to live with this image for the rest of my life.
Vincent Santos might think he knows his daughter, but he doesn’t know the first thing about her.
I fight against the urge to curl my hands into fists and body slam Villegas to the ground while I sucker punch Ria’s bastard father.
My wife is the fiercest, and most headstrong person I have ever met.
If it comes down to it, she will readily throw her life away if it means saving mine. If it means getting me safely to our son.
I will myself to calm down and reassess the situation for an exit strategy.
I trust Ben. We never made it to the rendezvous with the DEA, they must have some inkling that we were ambushed, given the aftermath of what that did to the I-80. I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but it should have been enough time to trace our whereabouts.
In my peripheral, I see the stairs leading up to the office in the corner. I remember the doors opening up to a parking lot and a body of water.
A plan takes form in my head as I set my jaw, willing Ria to understand what I’m trying to convey without making it obvious.
I will get us out of here.