"You’retrespassing."Eliaskeeps his tone conversational, but the threat vibrating through his frame against my palm betrays him. "Doyou have a warrant for this property?Becauseifyou’re here without one, you’re invading a private residence."
BuzzCutsneers, reaching into his jacket.
Instantly, four guns appear.Logandoesn’t blink, but aSigSauermaterializes in his hand, resting heavy on the bar top.Shane’sknife stops moving.Austinstraightens his spine.
BuzzCutfreezes, his hand halting mid-reach. "Easy, gentlemen.Justpaperwork."Hepulls out a folded document, tossing it ontoa beer-stained table. "Warrantto search.Andan arrest warrant forMs.Carlson."
Acidfloods my stomach.Thefloor tilts under my sneakers. "Onwhat grounds?"Idemand, projecting a steady confidenceIdon't possess. "Ihaven't done anything."
"Fraud,"BuzzCutcounters, smoothing his tie. "Embezzlement.Corporateespionage.Wefound the accounts,Mia.Theoffshore shells and the wire transfers.Alllinked to yourIPaddress."
"That’simpossible,"Isnap, stepping out from behindElias’smassive frame.Thefear in my gut cools, replaced by the sharp, acidic burn of an auditor who’s seen one too many cooked books. "Ididn’t touch those accounts.Iwas auditing them to locate the leak."
"Funnyhow the leak started the week you were hired as interimCFO," the agent pushes back. "Threefailing companies in four years,Mia.Everytime, you walk away clean while the assets disappear.You’rethe common denominator."
He’stwisting the facts.Myhistory of being hired to clean up messes that were already too far gone is being weaponized into a narrative of absolute guilt.
"Shedidn’t do it,"Eliasgrowls.
"Oh?"Thefederal agent stares atElias. "Didshe spin you a sob story,Mr.Gunnar?Sheplayed you.Sheused your club to hide while finalizing the transfers.Wegot a tip an hour ago.Frominside your own network."
Allthe oxygen vanishes from the room.
Thedigital mirror is acting as a mole.Thesignal is actively communicating with outside forces.TheCostasare feeding theFedsdisinformation to frame me, forcing me out of the club’s protection.OncetheFedstake me into custody,I’mdefenseless, leaving the club without the only person capable of untangling the financial knot choking them.
"She’scoming with us."BuzzCutsteps forward, yanking a pair of handcuffs from his belt.Themetal glints under the harsh bar lights. "Wecan do this the easy way, or we add obstruction of justice to your rap sheet,Gunnar."
Takinganother step, he enters my immediate airspace.
"MiaCarlson, you are under?—"
Hishand darts out for my arm.
Snap.
Eliaslunges with a speed my brain fails to track.BeforetheFedcan brush my sleeve, he is airborne, slamming back-first onto the pool table and scattering the paper maps.
Thick, tattooed fingers wrap around the agent's throat,Elias’sgrip an iron vice.Heslams theFedonto the pool table, hischest a hard, unyielding wall of muscle as he pins the man.
Hedoesn't just want to stop him; he wants to erase him for daring to touch what belongs to theTreasurer.Hisright fist crushes the man's windpipe, his gray eyes turning black with the primal need to protectwhat is his.
"Elias!"Iscream.
"Backoff!" one of the other agents yells, ripping his weapon from its holster.
Chk-chk.
Apump-action shotgun racks loudly, echoing through theChapel.Shanestands tall on top of the bar, aiming the long barrel directly at the second agent’s sternum.
"Iwouldn't,"Shanewarns, a terrifyingly cheerful lilt in his tone. "Myfinger twitches whenIget nervous."
Thetrue terror remains anchored to the pool table.
Eliasskips past shouting or raging entirely.Heleans close to his victim's face, his voice dropping into a low, rumbling growl that easily carries through the silent room.
"Youtouch her,"Eliaspromises, the syllables falling like heavy anvils, "andIwill make it a federal case when they have to identify your corpse by dental records."
BuzzCutclaws desperately at the iron grip, his face turning a mottled red.Awet, choking gasp escapes his bulging eyes.
