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Dani falls forward and my heart lurches in my chest.
“Run, Dani…”I whisper, wishing for it to come true, but she stays on the floor with wide eyes. Terrified, frozen in her fear.
The two men in black force Lamb to his knees and place their pistols on the back of his head.
Snake Eyes. One bullet through each eye. It’s their specialty.
They pull the triggers and Lamb’s body crumbles to the floor. Dani doesn’t scream. She doesn’t even look away from the blood creeping toward her shoes.
“Move…”
Lamb has been pissing people off on both sides of the aisle for over thirty years. It was only a matter of time until someone offed him, but I would never have expected Snake Eyes to take the job. They don’t make a show out of it like this. The snake comparison doesn’t end with a bullet in each eye. They value stealth above all other skills. A hit in broad daylight? In front of a dozen news cameras? Someone wanted this to be very, very public.
They wanted to send a message.
I grit my teeth as one of them reaches behind his back. He pulls out his knife and leans over Dani, wrapping his thick fingers around her neck.
Mercer.I’d recognize him anywhere.
Anger swells in my chest as he scratches his blade across Dani’s cheek and blood spills down her face. I feel the pain of it myself, carving up my face from my lips to my ears. I run my fingertip along my own scar on the same cheek, the one I keep hidden behind a beard.
So, that’s what this is. Lamb isn’t the target. He’s the perfect patsy. The news media will argue day and night over who is behind his assassination, but it was never about him or his policies. They needed this to be big.
They wanted to make sure I’d notice.
I step closer and watch as he leaps out the window. It’d be optimistic to think the police caught them. They’re way too good for that.
I know because I used to be one of them.
“Horrible, isn’t it?”
I look at Mrs. Clark. “Yeah. It is.”
“Poor girl. She’ll be scarred for life.”
Or what’s left of it.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Clark,” I say. “I’ll be right back.”
She mutters a response and slides back down into her chair while I step outside.
Snake Eyes and I didn’t exactly part on good terms. There’s only one way out of Snake Eyes and that’s with two holes in your skull, not unlike the execution of Ronnie Lamb. I wasn’t about to go out like that and in order to escape them, I had to improvise.
Somehow, Mercer has figured it out, but Mrs. Clark’s guest house has done its job. He can’t find me, so he’s going after the one person I care about to draw me out. Slicing Dani’s cheek was a warning meant only for me.
Show yourself or she’s next.
* * *
I knock on Mrs. Clark’s door and patiently wait while Sammy growls and barks at me through the window.
“Calm your tits, Sammy!It’s just Fox.”
I grin to hide my real expression as she opens the door. “Hey,” I greet.
She keeps the door open wide and walks back inside toward the kitchen. “Come on in, honey. You hungry? I was just about to make a sandwich and I’d be happy to make two.”
I close the door behind me. “No, thanks. I just stopped by to let you know that I need to do some last-minute traveling.”
