“Oh, Jesus,” he whispered.
When he went to move, she put her hand on his shoulder so he couldn’t.
“Oh, please give me a reason,” she said. “My regret is I didn’t bring some poison from that cute little flower shop to really watch you squirm. I hope you didn’t leave any in that rental you returned earlier.”
The artery in his neck was throbbing, and the chase was now on the other foot. Someone else was prey.
HIM.
To really scare him, she whistled.
When she did, four individuals moved from the shadows, ski masks down, and guns out.
Because it was time to transport this piece of human garbage, Elizabeth shoved him, and he fell onto the floor of his lanai.
That’s when she pulled off her mask so he could stare up at her.
“What’s wrong, Devon? Or is it Slater J Devon?” she asked. “Is that what the mercenaries you paid on The Dark Web call you? You’ve been fun to chase, but know what’s going to be even more fun?”
He swallowed.
“Putting me in jail?” he asked.
She laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed.
“Oh, that you think I’m putting you in jail so you can use what you’ve planted to ruin my career? Yeah, no. I saw that coming too. I know how you use mercenaries to take out your apprentices.”
Now, he looked terrified.
“We’re going on a little field trip, Devon. You, me, and my merry band of fucking mercenaries.”
He was so confused.
“How?”
Elizabeth told him.
“You assumed I wouldn’t do the same thing you did. I paid hackers. I paid mercenaries, and I played the game exactly as you were, Devon. You assumed I’d stay in the legal lane and not leave it.”
She crouched down and put the gun under his chin.
“You were wrong. Tag, you’re it.”
That’s when she punched him in the face so hard, his teeth broke out.
The man gasped as blood splattered.
“You thought that I wouldn’t break the rules. I have bad news for you, Devon. Following the rules made me a monster a long time ago. That was your miscalculation. I would toss my badge for the people I love, and when I kill you, you’ll wish you never started this game.”
Standing up, she kicked him so hard in the face, his head snapped back, and he went out cold.
That’s when Gene pulled off his mask.
“You got him, Boo.”
