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  I am Roxie Roberts.

  Scratch that.

  I am Danielle Roxanne Roberts.

  Fox trusts her. He believes in her and dammit, I should, too.

  I look through the scope and take aim at the bottle with my finger on the trigger.

  Fire at the end of your breath.

  The bullet strikes the bottle and it shatters along the driveway into a dozen pieces.

  Chapter 34

  Fox

  That’s my girl.

  I kick the broken bottle bits into the grass.

  Darla tilts her head, impressed. “Damn,” she says, gliding in the rocking chair on the porch.

  I glance across the field. “She’s a quick study.”

  She chews on her lip as she stares hard at me. “So, turns out… I was completely wrong about you.”

  I smile. “You think so?”

  “This isn’t narcissism at all,” she says. “This is something else entirely.”

  I step up onto the porch and bend over to grab my black duffel off the bench. “Well, go on. Don’t leave me hanging here.”

  “I can’t!” She laughs. “Your issues are way out of my league.”

  “Good.” I reach into the bag for Caleb’s revolver and pop it open to reload. “It’ll make it easier for you to forget about.”

  “Forget?” she asks. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to remember this until the day I die.”

  “Of all people, I don’t think I have to explain the value of discretion to you, Darla.”

  “Oh, of course. You’re a former assassin in love with his super famous stepsister who hung out with an escort who looks just like her to make yourself feel better. I completely understand why you wouldn’t want that getting out…” Her voice trails off into a chuckle. “The last person I want to piss off is a contract killer, am I right?”

  “Right.”

  She scans me with nervous eyes. “But you’d never, you know… kill me, right? You’re retired.” I pick up the duffel bag. “Right?”

  I leave the question dangling. Her face turns white as I step inside the house.

  Mrs. Clark sits in her chair in the living room with Sammy lingering next to her feet. He doesn’t move from his place but he keeps his eyes on me as I move into the room.

  “He’s not growling,” I note. “I guess that’s progress.”

  “Well, after seeing you beaten and bloodied, I bet he views you quite differently,” she says. “An animal can’t see what’s inside. He can only smell what’s on the outside. Now, he knows you’re as fragile as the rest of us.”

  “I could have told him that.”

  “He’s a stupid dog. What do you expect?”

  I smile and look at my feet. “I’m sorry about bringing you into this, Mrs. Clark. I had no right—”

  “I’m going to stop you there, kid,” she says, pushing herself out of the chair. “I don’t need an apology from you, so save it.” She points a stern finger at me. “You take that energy and you put it to good use out there. Those girls are counting on you.”

  “Thank you. For everything.”

  “You’re welcome.” She pauses, smiling up at me with wrinkled eyes. “And besides… it’s about time this old bird saw a little action again.”

  I laugh. “You should get downstairs.”

  “On my way. Come on, Sammy.”

  “And don’t come out,” I add. “Please.”

  She chuckles. “This ain’t my first rodeo, kid.”

  I furrow my brow. “Remind me later to ask you to tell me that story…”

  She leads Sammy into the back of the house. I wait until I hear her feet on the stairs, echoing down into the cellar below.

  “Fox!” Darla calls. “I think they’re here.”

  I go outside and the helicopter comes into view. “Put your glasses on,” I tell her. She slides them onto her nose with shaking fingers. “Try to relax.”

  “I’m fine,” she says, her voice quivering. “You know, I just realized… we probably should have agreed on payment first.”

  I smirk. “You’ll be generously compensated for your time, Darla.”

  “Good.” She inhales deep and shakes out her arms as the helicopter lands in the field.

  “Come on.” I step off the porch and Darla follows closely.

  The helicopter door slides open and Mercer hops outside. I stop in the center of the driveway and stand over the area where the bottle was. It should give Dani the best shot.

  An agent steps out, his face concealed by a mask. He turns back in and grabs my mother’s arm. Her hands are tied behind her back and she nearly stumbles to her knees as he pulls her from the helicopter. Bennett follows behind her, his own hands tied. A fresh bruise hovers over his eye. I guess he got mouthy.

  Mercer stops several feet away and crosses his arms over his chest. “So, this is… nice,” he mutters, glancing around the farm. “Not my cup of tea, but I guess it suits you.”

  I look behind him at my parents. My mother makes eye contact with me, her gaze full of love and relief with a justifiable bit of fear mixed in. Bennett looks more pissed off at me than I’ve ever seen him, even more so than the night I fucked his daughter under his own roof. Not only did I kidnap her this time, but I also chopped her trademark hair off.

  “Just one other agent, Mercer?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “It’s a simple trade. Never take more men than you need. You know our ways, Fox.”

  I nod. Mercer has a gun strapped to his hip. The other guy has one trained on my mother.

  Something isn’t right here. I have every single one of Snake Eyes’ secrets in my damn pocket. One wrong move out here and their entire organization is revealed… and they only send two guns?

  “I’ve taken out four of your squad, Mercer,” I say. “They didn’t send any replacements?”

  “Fox…” He grunts with impatience. “You’re stalling. Let’s just get this over with.”

  His fingers tap against his bicep. An obvious tell.

  I raise a brow. “You’re off-the-grid, aren’t you?” His eye twitches. “The Boss would have sent more than this—”

  “Fox—”

  “This is personal, isn’t it?”

  “You made a fool out of me,” he seethes. “I trained you. I turned you into the man you are today and how do you repay me?”

  “I guess the Boss isn’t as heartbroken as you are,” I note.

  “The Boss told me to put a bullet between your goddamn eyes.”

  “But quietly, right?” I ask. “Executing a presidential candidate and cutting up a movie star on live television wasn’t what she had in mind.” Mercer flexes his jaw in anger. “I’m willing to bet you are in far more hot water with her than I am right now.”

  Mercer raises his gun to my face. “Make the damn trade,” he growls, “and get on the fucking chopper.”

  Now, Dani.

  I wait for the bang of a bullet.

  The masked man pushes my mother forward and Bennett moves in closer. His eyes fall on Darla’s face and he furrows his brow in confusion.

  “That’s not my daughter,” he says.

  Fucking idiot.

  “It’s just the hair, Bennett…”

  Darla slinks a little behind my shoulder.

  Take the shot, Dani.

  Mercer takes a step closer to her and squints. “What’s that now?”

  “That’s not my daughter,” Bennett repeats.

  I stare him down. “Yes, it is.”

  “I don’t know who this impostor is, but she’s not my daughter! My Roxie isn’t nearly so… generic.”

  “Generic?!” Darla spits.

  I deflate. Mercer reaches out and snatches the sunglasses off her face.

  “Hey—!” she gasps.

  I glare at Darla and she winces apologetically.

  Mercer’s lips curl, but he’s far from amused. “Where’s the girl, Fox?” he asks.

  Bennett bares his teeth. “Where’s my daughter,
you son-of-a-bitch?!”

  Now would be great, Dani…

  Mercer points his pistol at Darla.

  I grab her wrist and reach for the revolver in my belt while pulling her behind me. “Put it down, Mercer. You’re outgunned here.”

  “Fooooox!”

  Dani’s scream echoes through the field.

  I spin toward the barn as a shot of dread charges through my heart.

  Mercer chuckles. “Sounds like my squad is a little larger than you thought.”

  Chapter 35

  Dani

  You can only see one target at a time through a scope.

  I had him in my sights. I had Mercer’s ugly mug right between the crosshairs. My finger was on the trigger. I just had to wait for the right moment to take the shot.

  I missed him sneaking in behind me.

  His fingers squeeze around my throat.

  “Foooox!” I choke as I dig my nails into his hands. I break skin and he growls in anger but his grip doesn’t cease. He leans forward to dodge my kicks, bringing his masked face close to mine.

  I dig my nails into his face, slicing downward across his eye.

  He shrieks. As he releases me, I keep my grip on his thick, black mask. It comes off his face and my heart sinks.

  No wonder he was such a horrible bodyguard.

  “Smith?!” I gasp.

  He kicks me in the stomach. I double over as the wind hurls out of my lungs.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I heard your damn voice,” he growls.

  I try to breathe, but I can barely hold it in. Smith steps forward and snatches the rifle off the floor.

  “Get the fuck up,” he says.

  I roll onto my knees. My eyes drip with acid tears. I look out the window and my vision blurs.

  Smith points the rifle at my cheek. “I said, get up.”

  I surrender my hands and stand slowly. We climb down the ladder and walk out into the field together. He keeps the weapon trained on me from several feet behind.

  “You’re a Snake Eyes agent?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder.

  “Sure,” he mumbles.

  I think it through. Snake Eyes murders Senator Lamb and attacks me to bring Fox out of hiding. They need to keep an eye on me to find Fox. What better way to do that than to plant someone on the inside and gain their trust?

  My skin crawls. He was alone in my apartment with me. “You let Mercer into my apartment, didn’t you?”

  “Just keep walking.”

  “You faked your attack—”

  “Shut up!”

  He slams the butt of the rifle against the back of my neck, sending me down to my knees. I wince in pain as he grips my arm and pulls me back up.

  I start walking faster, feeling the hard barrel against my back. We reach the driveway and I see them much clearer now. Mercer has them all on their knees, Fox included.

  Fox meets my eyes and they twitch when they fall on Smith. He pieces it together himself and anger spreads across his face as Smith kicks me to my knees in front of him.

  “Let them go, Mercer,” he says. “You have me and the file. Let’s do the trade and leave.”

  “I think we’re way past that possibility, Fox,” he replies. “Although, it’s cute you suspected this would end that way at all. What part of secret underground organization don’t you understand?”

  “Let them go—”

  “They know too much. You know the rules.” Mercer’s lips twitch. “You’ve done it before, after all.”

  Fear plagues Fox’s eyes. “Mercer…”

  “Let’s take them inside,” Mercer says. “I don’t feel like dragging bodies around today.”

  “Fox—” I whimper as Smith grabs my arm and pulls me back up again.

  “I have to hand it to you, Fox,” Mercer says. “They do look awfully alike. I’m excited now. I get to make you watch her die twice.”

  Fox closes his eyes and walks beside me toward the house with his hands behind his head.

  “I’m sorry, Fox,” I whisper.

  “This isn’t your fault, Dani.”

  We walk up the porch stairs. Smith holds the door open for us. The other masked man nudges us forward with his gun.

  I look over my shoulder. Darla’s behind me with her head down. Tears of panic stream down her face. Cora also weeps quietly while my father seethes with anger.

  Everyone in the world I care about is right here, following me to our deaths.

  “On your knees,” Smith says.

  We line up in the living room and Mercer gestures us down to the floor.

  “Which one will it be first, Fox?” he asks, licking his lips. He points the gun at me. “The real one? Or the plastic one?” He shifts the barrel toward Darla, but she’s in too much shock to react to his insult.

  Fox doesn’t answer. His eyes shift behind Mercer and the others, following the silent movement coming from the kitchen.

  Mrs. Clark sneaks in, her feet shifting ever-so-lightly on the carpet beneath her.

  She raises her shotgun and points it at Smith.

  “Me,” Fox says. “Me first.”

  “Fine.” Mercer points his gun and lays it against Fox’s head.

  Mrs. Clark pulls the trigger and a spray of bullets drop Smith to the floor in a blood-red heap.

  Mercer flinches in surprise. Fox takes the opportunity and snatches Mercer’s wrist, twisting his arm far enough to make him drop the gun. Mercer’s finger slides across the trigger, firing a bullet right past Fox’s ear before it slips from his hand and clatters to the floor.

  My father lets out a roar and rushes forward to slam against the masked man before he can spin back around. They tumble to the floor, but he can’t do much with his hands tied behind his back.

  “Dad!” I scream.

  I grab Mercer’s gun off the floor and point it across the room. My nerves lock with my finger on the trigger, but I don’t dare pull it with my father so close to the target.

  Mercer lashes out and punches Fox, knocking him against me. I feel Fox’s expert grip on me as he pushes me away from Mercer. He punches again and lands his knuckles against Fox’s jawline.

  Mrs. Clark pumps her shotgun and points it at the man on the floor. “Don’t move,” she warns him.

  He tries to yank the shotgun from her, but Sammy leaps into the room and clamps his teeth around the man’s neck.

  I turn away before his screams pierce my ears.

  Fox and Mercer trade blows, each one so evenly matched I can’t tell who’s winning. They spin and punch and dodge and kick. I can’t keep my gun on Mercer long enough to fire a clean shot.

  Mercer lunges for me and wraps his hand around my throat. He takes complete control of me and forces the gun next to my head with my own finger on the trigger.

  “Dani—!” Fox freezes. “Mercer, don’t—!”

  Mercer pulls me backward with him away from the others and drags me outside to the porch.

  Fox bends over and grabs the rifle from Smith’s dead hands. “You’ve got nowhere to go, Mercer,” he says, following us outside. “Let her go.”

  Mercer doesn’t stop. He digs the gun into my temple while leading me farther down the driveway. “Go ahead, Fox.” He chuckles. “You think you have a clear shot?”

  Fox points the rifle at us and stares down the sights. “At this range, I don’t need one.”

  Mercer laughs. “I doubt I’ll go down before I get off just one shot at her. You can spend the next few hours separating chunks of our brains.”

  “Fox—” I cry.

  “It’s okay, Dani.”

  He reloads.

  “Come on, Fox!” Mercer growls over my ear. “Take the shot. I dare you! You can end this now. Just shoot her through the heart and you’ll hit me, too!”

  Fox blinks with hesitation.

  I quiver with fear as his eyes fall on mine. “Fox…”

  He exhales slowly. “Dani… close your eyes.”

  Mercer’s
arms go tense around me. “You shoot me, and the Boss will come after you, Fox! She’ll come after everyone you care for!”

  “No,” Fox says. He rests his finger over the trigger. “I’m pretty sure I’m doing her a favor.”

  I close my eyes as the shot rings out.

  Pain rips me apart from the inside. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. My ears ring. I see nothing but red…

  Until it all fades to black.

  Chapter 36

  Fox

  All I ever wanted to do was protect her.

  In the end, I nearly killed her.

  The doctors say she’ll be fine. Mrs. Clark’s skills are quite possibly the only thing about her that hasn’t aged. Her methods are a bit old-fashioned, but there’s a reason why a hot iron is a staple for cauterizing wounds.

  Bennett drove us into the city, shouting as he often does. I sat in the backseat with one finger on her pulse, wondering if she was going to die in my arms. She did the same for me, after all.

  I look at my hands, still stained red with her blood. No one has said a word to me since I sat down in this chair next to her bed. I think the nurses are scared of me, but that’s okay. Maybe they should be. I’m the one who put Roxie Roberts in the hospital.

  I knew what I was doing. Mercer never expected me to take the shot. I doubt he considered their height differences when he dared me to do it. Dani’s shoulder lined up perfectly with his heart.

  I let him bleed out in Mrs. Clark’s driveway.

  Rest in peace, old friend.

  “Fox?”

  My mother stands above me with a vending machine cup in her hands.

  “Hey, Mom,” I say, my dry throat cracking.

  She offers me the cup and I take it from her. Her eyes graze my hands for a moment. It takes everything in her to keep her from flinching. She sits down in the chair next to mine and her hands fidget in her lap.

  “I know this is probably a weird time to say this, but… it’s really nice to see you again, Fox,” she says.

  I chuckle slightly. “I’m sorry you had to think I was gone for so long.”