Nimue’s breath hitched, her voice a whisper.“Here?Now?Why?—”
“You’re the threat.Tracking him.He wants you gone.”Emberly gripped the knife tighter, ribs a white-hot ache.“And me?Leverage—or payback.Whatever.”She glanced at her.“Hide.Behind the island.Now.”
Nimue scrambled back, sneakers squeaking.“Em, you’re hurt.You can’t fight them?—”
“I can.”Emberly’s voice cut sharp, fierce.“I’m done running.God’s got me here—Steinbeck’s got me.I love him, Nim.I’m not losing this—not you, not any of it.”
Not again.
Footsteps thudded outside.Heavy.Deliberate.Not family.
She moved behind the island.
The back door rattled, then exploded inward, wood splintering, hinges shrieking.Luis stormed in, dark eyes wild.Armed.Teresa came in behind him, pointed her weapon at Emberly.
Stay down, Nim.
“Phoenix,” Luis growled.What had happened to the terrified computer hacker from three years ago in Krakow?Maybe he’d never really existed.A persona, meant to deceive.“You should’ve ended up in Siberia.”
And it hit her then.
He’d been behind all of it.Masterminded her heist of Declan’s program, including planting Captain Teresa—if that was her real name—on the boat to copy the program.And then the setup of creating the virus to secure it for the Bratva.
And now, what?Covering his tracks as he disappeared, only to sell the program and its defense to the highest bidder?
Emberly didn’t blink.“I should have left you in Poland.”She flicked her gaze to Teresa, “What’s this, Luis?Kill my sister, grab me, vanish with your girlfriend?”
Teresa’s smirk widened, silk over steel.
“Where’s Nimue?”
“Gone.”Emberly edged left, drawing him away from Nim.Run, Nim.She didn’t look at her, butplease, Nim,please read her mind.
He laughed, cold and jagged.“Liar.”
He lunged at her.Emberly dodged, slashing his forearm—blood sprayed, hot—but her ribs burned, slowing her.He backhanded her jaw and she crashed into the counter.Her knife skittered across the floor.
“Em!”Nimue cried.
“Stay down!”Emberly shouted, scrambling up.
Not fast enough.Luis grabbed her hair, yanking, and jammed his gun into her spine.She elbowed his gut, but he dragged her toward the door.
Nimue bolted—yes!
Teresa slammed into her, and Nimue hit the wall.Teresa snagged her, wrenching her up.“Gotcha.”
“No!”Emberly thrashed, kicking Luis’s shin, but her searing ribs shut her down.
Luis’s arm choked her, the gun barrel digging against her ribs.Outside, the fire roared, smoke thick, family shouts faint.“Move.”
Teresa hauled Nimue out behind her, gun at her temple, then headed off the porch, leaves crunching as the women’s shoes hit the grass.
Think!
It wasn’t going to happen like this.Emberly had formed a plan even before Luis pushed her down the stairs.Hitting the bottom, Emberly went slack, rolled, screamed, and came up tackling Teresa.
“Run!”
