Page 51 of Coming Up Aces

“Breathe, Rayna.”

“I took a picture of everything on my burner. I’m going to text everything to you after I encrypt it.”

“Why don’t you bring that stuff to my house? We can look at the thumb drive on my computer.”

“Yeah. I’d appreciate that. Shoot me your address. You live in New Troy, right?”

“I do.”

“I’m going to pack, but I should be there within an hour.”

“See you then.”

Rayna sent the encrypted text, then packed everything she would need for at least a month because she wasn’t coming back to her house for at least that long.

Chapter Seventeen

Rayna

Rayna kept hereyes peeled for wildlife as she drove the back way toward New Troy. Thinking she should at least text Asher and let him know she wasn’t immediately coming to the clinic, she reached out to tap the icon on her display when headlights shined behind her. They brightened, and Rayna slowed down. The car sped up, moving into the oncoming lane. Rayna slowed even more. Big mistake. The other vehicle rammed into her rear quarter panel. Rayna was a skilled driver, but her car fishtailed a few times before the other vehicle rammed into hers again. The force of the impact had her rear tires sliding toward the shoulder. The other car continued pushing until Rayna was in the weeds, then wedged against a tree. By the time she regained her bearings, her door was flung open, and a strong hand grabbed her left wrist. The seatbelt held her in place as she struggled against her attacker.

“Let go of me!” Her claws popped out on her right hand, and she raked her sharp nails across the attached arm.

“You fucking bitch!” a familiar voice shouted, his grip faltering.

Rayna disengaged the seatbelt, but as soon as she was free, the man struck again with his uninjured hand, punching her in the temple. Fuck. Her head throbbed, and her vision dimmed. The man once again pulled her left arm, and Rayna grabbed for purchase, missing the steering wheel, and her claws dug alongthe door’s interior. The male’s grip was strong. Since she didn’t want her shoulder to be dislocated, Rayna allowed herself to be dragged from the car.

Drawing on her beast’s abilities, Rayna twisted, landing on her feet. Perkins had a gun trained on her, but she was fast enough to claw him a second time on the wounded arm holding his pistol. Perkins screamed, releasing her wrist and dropping his weapon. Rayna didn’t give him time to retaliate. She popped a front kick into his stomach, sending him flying. She retracted her claws, picked up his gun, and moved toward him, but another voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Stop right there, Agent Bellamy.”

Rayna raised both hands in the air, finger on the trigger guard, and turned. Grissom stood on the far side of his vehicle, shielded. His service pistol was aimed at her chest.

“Sir? What’s going on?” Rayna allowed her voice to tremble.

“What the fuck are you?” Grissom asked.

“Shoot her!” Perkins yelled. “Look at what she did to me!” Rayna didn’t have to look to know his arm was torn apart, dripping blood.

“I’m an agent, Sir. A confused one. Why are you after me? I’ve been undercover at Haven. I was coming back to work in the morning like you instructed.”

“What did you do to Perkins?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Rayna glanced over her shoulder. “He must have cut his arm on the car.”

“Where’s your partner?”

“I don’t know. You told me he was on a case. I haven’t spoken to him.”

Tell Asher’s Gryphon we need Tamian. Now.

On it.

“Don’t lie to me.” Grissom raised his gun. Her past life didn’t flash before her eyes. What did, though, were the future years she wouldn’t have with Asher if Grissom shot her in the head.

“No!” Rayna screamed, eyes wide as she stared behind her boss. Grissom turned to look behind him at her frightened outburst.Dumbass.Rayna lowered Perkins’s gun, shooting Grissom in the shoulder before diving to the ground. She commando-crawled until she could see under his car, then shot him in the foot. His high-pitched curses scared the birds nesting in the nearby trees. Rayna rose to a crouch and turned to be sure Perkins hadn’t moved. He hadn’t, but he was glaring at her.

“You’ll pay for this, bitch.”

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