Page 139 of Missile Strike

Isabella set her purse down on the kitchen counter and waited for her friend to emerge.

When Talia finally opened the door, her head was down.

“Everything okay?” Isabella asked.

“It will be.”

The air felt…off. Talia’s voice had gone flat.

When she lifted her head to look at Isabella, her eyes were as empty as her voice.

Unease whispered across the back of Isabella’s neck. Her back hit the kitchen counter.

Talia moved forward, caging her in.

Air stalled in Isabella’s lungs. “What are you doing?” Her best friend had turned into a stranger.

“We had to come here. In case anyone’s tracking your phone, they’d see I brought you home.” Talia’s voice was eerily calm. “You’ll text your boss that you’re sick. Stomach virus. All that stress from the gala finally catching up to you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Talia cocked her head. “All those years together and you didn’t see it.” Something raw surfaced, then vanished. “I had everything under control until that stupid bitch reporter stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. My brother died for nothing.”

Ice flooded Isabella’s veins. “Your brother?”

No, it wasn’t possible.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

Talia blinked, as if the question had taken her by surprise. “I’m Talia Collins, silly.” Then her lips twisted into a parody of a smile. “But I used to be Amina Hassan.”

Hassan.

Isabella froze. Then instinct took over.

Her fingers clawed for the knife block on the counter behind her.

Talia lunged.

Pain stabbed Isabella’s neck, a burning sensation spreading outward.

Her gaze fell to the syringe in Talia’s fingers.

Adrenaline exploded through her body.

She slammed her hands into Talia’s chest.

The syringe flew.

“Bitch!” Talia’s fist connected with Isabella’s cheek.

Her head cracked against the cupboard. Her hands came up again, but this time they didn’t respond to commands.

She twisted away, stumbling toward the living room on legs that didn’t want to hold her.

Trip danced around her, barking loudly.

“Doesn’t matter,” Talia said, raising her voice to be heard over the dog. “I got enough in you.”