Lassiter laughed, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes. He wrung his hands. “You won’t kill her.”
“She’s mine,” Angus growled, his voice feral. “I won’t let you touch her. Hurt her. No. If she’s going to die, it’s going to be on my terms.” He shook her, his grip unbreakable. She clawed his hands, and darkness edged in from the outskirts of her vision.
“No!” Lassiter cried, running past the chairs for one of the Tasers. He rushed forward and pushed the button.
Nari’s mom jumped up, right in front of them, and took the shock from the Taser. She screamed and her body convulsed. Then she fell.
“Mom,” Nari whispered, beginning to lose consciousness.
Lassiter howled and fumbled with the lock, opening the door and rushing in headlong, spittle flying from his mouth. Angus dropped Nari to her feet and kicked Lassiter in his bad leg. The man hissed and flew sideways. Grunting, Angus rushed him and manacled him in a headlock.
Lassiter punched Angus in the eye and flipped backward.
Nari wobbled, trying to get breath back into her lungs. Unconsciousness still lingered right at the edges, and she had to suck in air to stay on her feet. Her ears rang, and tears still poured down her face.
Lassiter pulled a knife from a sheath at his ankle and stabbed at Angus, who jumped back, his hands still cuffed. The two men circled each other, panting and dodging. Lassiter struck, and Angus blocked with his arm, letting the knife slash down his forearm to protect his face. Blood flew across the room.
Everything came into focus.
A door opened. “Henry? Do you want dinner first?” Opal came around the corner. Her eyes widened and she reached to the back of her waist.
Nari screamed and ran full bore at the woman, her head down.
Opal drew and fired. The bullet whizzed by Nari right before she slammed into Opal with enough force to crash them both into the metal door.
Angus hissed in pain behind her.
Nari punched Opal in the face, breaking her nose. Opal slammed both elbows onto Nari’s shoulders, and pain ripped down to her tailbone. Nari grabbed Opal around the neck and then twisted her, putting her in a stranglehold. The woman clawed her nails down Nari’s arm, ripping the skin open. Nari tightened her hold, ignoring the pain. Opal started flopping like a landed trout, sputtering, and then she went limp. Out cold.
Nari released her, kicking her away.
Pain lanced through her entire body, but she forced herself to stand and stagger to help Angus. She turned the corner just in time to see Angus, on top of Lassiter, plunge the knife through the serial killer’s neck, impaling the monster to the carpet. Blood coated the blade and his cuffed hands.
“Angus,” Nari whispered, stumbling toward him. Blood covered the right side of his chest, and she couldn’t tell where he’d been hit.
“Nari.” He fell to the side, right near her unconscious mother.
Nari made it to them, falling to her knees and touching both of them.
Angus coughed. “I need a fucking vacation. I mean, I really do.” His eyelids closed.
Her mom stirred and rolled over. She shook her head and then put a hand to her temple. “Phone. We need a phone.”
Nari tried to force herself to stand, but the room swirled around. Just then, the door crashed open, and Wolfe ran in with his gun out and Raider right behind him. “We need an ambulance,” she whispered, trying not to pass out.
Her dad ran in after them, also armed. He reached them, skidding to his knees. “My girls.” He hugged Nari close and then kissed her mom. “Louise, my love. Are you okay?”
Her mom nodded and leaned into her husband’s arms. “How did you find us?”
He kissed her temple. “That walking thing you wear in your bra to count your steps. They tracked the GPS.”
“Oh.” Her mom’s eyebrows rose. “I forgot all about that.”
So much for the wrist tracker Nari wanted to buy for her. She struggled to stay conscious and looked at Wolfe and Raider. Their tall forms morphed and darkness edged through her vision. “Opal is in league with Lassiter. She’s the mastermind.” Nari leaned down, making sure Angus was still breathing. “Angus? I love you,” she whispered.
Then she passed out.
Chapter Forty
