Marisela threw her elbow back hard, satisfied when she
heard a breathless grunt. Spinning in the opposite
direction, she built momentum so that when her fist,
clutching the gun, connected with the nose of her
attacker, blood spurted and the assailant dropped to the
ground. She stepped back into the light as his body fell.
Good, it wasnโt Frankie.
Not that sheโd feel bad if she knocked him out. He knew
better than to grab her like that--which is why she hadnโt
hesitated.
She quickly checked to see that the guy moaning on the
ground wasnโt armed, she pistol-whipped him to silence,
dragging him back into the closet from where heโd emerged.
The hallway was narrow, so a chair from the kitchen jammed
between the door and wall would keep it closed even after
the guy woke up. Where was Frankie? Had he been attacked
while she was in the house? She and Tracy had been talking
for a while. Was this another warning, another attack to
convince them to back off?
Marisela crouched down and scrambled back to the bathroom.
She knocked lightly on the door.
โDonโt open it, Tracy. Itโs me. Are you still in there?โ
She heard a whimper.
โAre you okay?โ
A long pause. โIโm...okay.โ
โGet ready to bolt. I just found the guy in your house.โ
โWhere?โ
โDonโt worry. I took care of him, but I donโt think he was
alone and I think his friends may have jumped Frankie. Iโm
going to cause a diversion out front. When I do, I want
you to scramble to the truck, got it? Donโt look back.
Just get out. Drive like a bat out of hell. Donโt stop for
red lights. In fact, donโt stop until youโre with Parker.
Can you do that?โ
The whimpers increased, followed by a series of deep,
nearly hyperventilating breaths.
โTracy?โ
โI donโt know where he lives,โ she confessed. โHe always
visits me!โ
Damn. Damn, damn, damn.
โOkay, where can you go?โ
โI have a neighbor, a few farms down. Her husband used to
be a marine. Iโll be safe, there.โ
Marisela blew out a relieved breath. โGood thinking. You
bust your ass getting there and then stay inside until I
personally come get you, got it?โ
โYes,โ Tracy said.
With a nod, Marisela made her way to the back door,
crouched down so no one peeking through windows would see
her. Not only did she want Tracy safe, she wanted to hear
the rest of the story. So much didnโt make sense. There
was a good chance that somewhere in the blanks Tracy had
yet to fill was the answer to who had hired Yizenia
Santiago. Marisela couldnโt imagine that Tracy had had
anything to do with the assassin. She wasnโt yet one-
hundred percent sure about Parker, but she doubted heโd
knowingly put his remaining sister in harmโs way. That
left the identity of the person who hired Yizenia wide
open--which put them all in danger.
The guy whoโd attacked her in the hall wasnโt the same
sort of punk whoโd ambushed them last night, but he was
only a slight upgrade. She could smell hired muscle, and
this jerk stank. But who had hired him? Did he work for
Yizenia? Parker? Some third unknown party they still knew
nothing about?
She hurried to the back door and caught sight of movement
inside the barn. Her main firepower was in the car, so
Marisela cut around to the front of the house. She
sprinted across the yard only to find the Corvette door
locked and Frankie, wherever the hell he was, had the only
key.
If sheโd had her tools, sheโd be inside by now. She could
break in, but in the time it took for her to crack through
the glass and retrieve her big guns, she could be
ambushed. Sheโd have to improvise.
She promised Tracy a diversion, but thought better of it
with no one visible in the front yard. The animals werenโt
happy in the barn, however, giving Marisela a clue to
where the real action was going down. She dashed around
the house to the bathroom window, knocked vigorously so
Tracy would leave, then cut across the yard until her back
was pressed flat against the outside of the barn.
She anticipated that the sound of Tracyโs engine revving
might bring the attackers out of hiding, so she waited
while Tracy hopped into the cab, turned the ignition and
sent the truck flying backward in a cloud of gravel and
dust. Just as she ground the pick-up into drive, someone
flew out of the barn. Marisela waited the split second to
make sure it wasnโt Frankie, then she kicked the guy in
the small of the back, sending him sprawling onto the dirt
and gravel road.
โMove and Iโll blast your fucking head off,โ she screamed,
gun aimed and ready, though she had no intention of
killing the man. This day wouldnโt end in more questions.
She wanted answers.
He looked about ready to jump to his feet when the sun
glinted off her weapon. Heheld up his hands. โDonโt
shoot!โ
โWhat? And ruin my fun?โ
She cocked the hammer.
He froze like a popsicle.
โThatโs more like it,โ she said, her tone even. โToss down
your weapon.โ
โIโm clean,โ he insisted, hands high. โI swear!โ
She arched a brow, but wasnโt going to chance patting the
guy down. โYou came here unarmed? Thatโs not too bright.
Who are you?โ
โLook, lady. Weโre just here to make you stop.โ
โStop what? Picking berries? Whereโs my partner?โ
The manโs eyes widened. His lips twitched. โWhat partner?โ
His gaze shifted suddenly and Marisela dove over him,
certain she felt a presence behind her. By the time she
rolled back to her feet, she saw her instincts were right.
She fired, but the guy sheโd vaulted over kicked the
weapon out of her hand before she could make her mark,
sending the Ladysmith flying into the nearby grass.
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