Once in the main room, she nodded at two newcomers. “Hello. I’m Nari and I don’t work with this team.” Without waiting for a response, she kept walking right out the door and turned left, heading down to Quan’s office. The receptionist looked up and Nari ignored her, opening Quan’s door and walking inside. “I can’t believe you’d put me back on the same team as that megalomaniac,” she said instantly, halting at the sight of him sitting at the table with the administrator, both drinking coffee.
“Nari.” Quan set down his cup. “What are you doing?”
Opal’s hair was up in an intricate bun. “More importantly, what are you talking about?” she asked.
Yeah, that’s what Nari had figured. She rounded on Quan. “You’re a smart man and you know the only reason an asshat like Vaughn would want me back on his team after I dumped his butt is to make my life miserable.” The hurt behind her anger wanted to be let loose and she held on tight.
Quan stood. “We will discuss this at another time.”
She settled. “No. We will not. You suck as a father and you suck even bigger as a boss.” She dug into her purse and withdrew her weapon and badge. “I quit. Asshole.” Then she turned on her very nice shoe and walked out the door, her head held high.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Angus sat in the passenger seat of his attorney’s Jaguar, wishing he were behind the wheel. “Why didn’t they arrest me today?”
Scott wove in and out of traffic. “They’re not done building their case, and you promised to take a lie detector test. Against my advice, by the way.” His hands were competent and the look he gave Angus one of resigned irritation. “In my experience the clients who actually listen to me don’t end up behind bars for the rest of their lives. That’s something for you to think about.”
“I won’t fail the lie detector test because I’ll tell the truth,” Angus said, watching the buildings speed by outside.
Scott took another fast turn. “I’ve had honest clients fail before; the test is only as good as the person administering it. You’re obsessed with this case, and that kind of emotion might screw you in a test.”
Angus shook his head. “I’m not worried about that.”
Scott took a sharp right next to a brick building across from a vacant field. He drove around back, where Nari’s rental car awaited. Angus had borrowed it after dropping her off safely at the HDD office. He’d waited until she’d walked inside before leaving.
“What do you think about setting up an insanity defense?” Scott asked, turning off the engine and turning to look at Angus.
Angus paused in the act of opening his door. “Are you nuts?”
“The question is, are you nuts?” Scott returned, his gaze somber. “If we need a defense, that’d be a hell of a one considering your record with the FBI. I could make you look like a freaking hero if need be.”
Angus dropped his chin. “I’m really starting not to like you.”
“I get that a lot,” Scott said.
Angus’s door was wrenched open, and the barrel of a gun pressed inside. He grabbed for it, and the shooter fired several times. One bullet ripped along Angus’s arm and pain shot up to his shoulder.
Scott bellowed.
Angus grabbed the shooter’s wrist and pulled, pushing his way outside and shoving while holding on to the gun. The guy punched him in the ear and he saw stars. He grappled with the shooter, fighting for the gun. The attacker grunted and hit his rib cage, where his burns were healing, and he coughed, nearly doubling over in pain. Even so, he kneed the asshole in the groin.
The guy was about twenty with green eyes, a blond buzz cut, and a nose that had been broken more than once. He bent over, crying out, and loosened his hold on the weapon.
Angus grabbed it free, lifted it, and shot the man several times.
Movement at the side of the car caught his eye and he turned in time to see a wide-eyed, blond woman swing a shovel at his head. His temple exploded and he went down into instant darkness.
Then, nothing. He had no idea how long he was out. He came to with a jolt, his head on fire. “What? Where?” he mumbled, feeling for the massive lump already forming on his temple. “God.” Blinking, he forced his eyes to focus as his memory returned and he found himself half-sitting in the passenger seat, his door still open. “Scott?” He turned to find the attorney slumped over the steering wheel, bleeding profusely. Was he even alive?
Angus fumbled for the guy’s phone on the dash. The blood all over his hand made it slippery, but he managed to punch out 911.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” a young female voice said.
“I have shots fired and need an ambulance,” he said tersely, his head swimming, as he gave the address. Nausea rolled up in him, and he dropped the phone, turning to puke outside his open door. Then he gasped, sucked in air, and turned to help Scott. “Where are you hit?” He felt around Scott’s forearm and found two holes. What about the head? “Hold on, buddy. I hear sirens.” They were faint, but getting louder.
Angus might’ve passed out again, and when he came to, EMTs were rushing around and Scott was already loaded into an ambulance. “I’m okay,” he said to the man checking his pulse.
“No, you’re not,” the guy said. “We need to get you to a hospital. There’s a second ambulance that’ll be here in just a couple of minutes.”
