He’s gonna run out of bullets.
Sydney placed the rifle against her shoulder, peered through the scope. Using the laser pointer, she found her target.
“Robby,” she called out. “Last chance to set down the weapon, put your hands up, and take your punishment like a man.”
He raised the Glock, pointed in her direction, and screamed, “I am themightyKing Alpha, the man they serve!” He opened fire in her direction.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Sydney’s heart squeezed as she pulled the trigger.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Silence, then Robby came crashing to the ground, landing with a thud.
“Target down,” she murmured. “I repeat, target down.”
She’d taken out one of her favorite people from childhood. Her cousin had turned into a stark, raving narcissist who used and hurt women for his own financial and emotional gain.
What happened to you, Robby?
After clicking on the rifle’s safety, she started climbing down.
“Sydney, I’m here,” Tank said.
Relief washed over her as she made her way down. At the lowest branch, she eyed the ground, eight feet away.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” was all he said.
She handed him her rifle. After he set it down, he held out his arms. She could let him help her down or she could jump. She’d worked solo for so long, it felt foreign to reach out her arms, like a child, but the choice was an easy one.
He was her partner. That was his job, to offer an assist or to accept one.
When he wrapped his large, strong hands on her sides and lifted her off the branch, she felt complete. In the middle of the mayhem, she knew that she’d found her forever person.
As he set her down, she believed he would always be there for her. She had no crystal ball, no way of knowing for certain how they’d be in twenty or forty or even sixty years—if they were lucky to make it that long—but she had confidence they’d weather life’s surprises together.
Always together.
“Thank you,” she said.
“That was rough,” he said. “You holding up okay?”
“You mean, because I just took out my cousin?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “This was personal. This was family.”
She clasped his hand, gave it a little squeeze. “It was him or us.”
They make their way over to him. While Tank made a call, Sydney found Robby’s cell phone.
After Tank gave the person on the phone their location, he hung up. “Cooper Grant co-runs, ALPHA,” he said. “He and a team are on their way. He’ll call his contacts at the Bureauandat Langley. They can take it from here. Congratulations. You got King A.”
“Wegot King A,” she said. “And yes, it was difficult pulling the trigger.”
Her heart felt heavy for her family, especially for her aunt. “I avenged Naomi and I stopped that monster, but we didn’t find Haqazzii or his men.”
“Not yet,” Tank said with all the confidence she’d come toexpect from him. “We’ve got Robby’s phone and we’ll start with that.”
