Page 56 of Rogue Survivor
Reggie cocks the hammer, and I offer up one final prayer.
Please. I need a miracle.
Isabel. Her voice rings out like a whole choir of angels. I open my eyes, and Reggie’s aim wavers. Just an inch. Is it enough? Only one way to find out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Isabel
Milton shovesme through the door, and I hit the opposite wall. Pain zings down my arm. If looks could kill, he’d drop dead on the spot. Then again, if they could, we’d all be home. Safe. Free.
“Was that really necessary, asshole?”
“Consider it payback for getting me fired,” he says with a shrug. “I’ve been living in cheap motels for five days now. All because of your fucking kid.”
“Don’t you insult her—” A loudcracksounds from deep inside the bank. “Veronica!”
I don’t care if Milton shoots me. I have to get to my daughter. I take off at a dead run. Steps from the vault door, Milton shouts, “Boss!”
Anothercrack, this one so much louder, is followed by a muffled“oof.”
The sight as I burst into the room steals my breath. Connor pins Reggie with his bulk, but the drug dealer punches him in the temple—right where Luke shot him. With a groan, Connor collapses onto Luke’s body. Hisdeadbody. Oh, God. There’s so much blood.
Veronica and Mitzi. Where are Veronica and Mitzi? For a split second, I’m frozen. Connor needs help. But I have to find my daughter. Have to try to get her out of here.
I only make it a single step before an arm wraps around my throat, and Milton’s foul breath makes me gag. “Not so fast.” Spittle hits my cheek, and I squirm and claw at him, but he’s wearing a dirty sport coat, and my short nails do nothing.
Reggie scrambles to his feet, his chest heaving with each breath. “Archer! Find the brats. They’re still here somewhere! And you! Mr. F-B-I. On your feet. Back against the wall, hands in the air.”
From his position—one hand braced on Luke’s bloody chest, Connor meets my gaze. “Isabel…I tried…”
The agony in his voice makes my heart ache. “I love you.” I can’t do more than whisper with Milton half choking me, but we’re going to die. He has to know how I feel about him. That I know he’d do anything if it meant Veronica and I would live. “I wish we had more time…”
“Cover him,” Reggie snaps. He grabs my arm and pulls me in front of him, pressing the gun against my ribs.
Connor tries to get up, but his right leg buckles, and he collapses behind Luke’s body. “Need…a second,” he says, his words thick and slow. “Fucked with…my head.”
Leaning in, Reggie runs his nose along my cheek, then shifts, grabbing my breast and squeezing hard enough, I yelp. “Maybe you and I can have a little fun before I kill you.”
“Touch her like that again, and I’ll rip your dick off,” Connor growls. He sways slightly on his feet, but rage shines in his eyes, so bright, they’re like twin flames ready to burn down the world. And his voice? Razor sharp, and clear as a summer sky.
“You’ll be dead before you take two steps.” Reggie drags me to the vault door. “Want to hear your mommy scream, Veronica? Keep hiding.”
“V, don’t listen—” The gun slams into my jaw, and my legs threaten to give out, but Reggie jerks me harder against him.
“Stop!” My daughter’s head pops up beyond the teller windows. “Leave my mom alone!”
“Where’s your friend?” Archer asks, striding across the room, grabbing the back of Veronica’s neck, and steering her toward the vault. My baby girl winces with every step, but she throws her shoulders back and shakes off his hold.
“Mitzi got out. She’s probably called the Rangers by now,” V says with a sweet smile. Archer mutters a string of expletives and shoves her up against the bars. “I bet they’ll be here any minute.”
I’m so focused on Veronica, so convinced we’re seconds away from dying, I don’t fight when Reggie forces me to my knees in front of him. Or when he presses the barrel of the gun to the back of my head.
“Just let us go,” I beg. “You have the tablet. The video. No one’s seen it but us. We were going to send it to the Ranger captain once we got back from my office, but you got to us first. We can say we never saw your face.”
Across from me, Connor lowers his hands. His gaze pings between me and the floor more than once, but then turns to Milton. “You and Archer? You’re useless to him now. We could never get a solid ID on Boswell, but the two of you?” He snorts. “How long you think he’s gonna keep you around? Your whole operation is dead in the water. No more inside man at Second Chances. No newtargetsto exploit. Y’all are fucked six ways from Sunday.”
Milton glances at Reggie, and in my periphery, Archer lowers his gun slightly.
