Page 53 of Fallout

She got out first, content to be the test case for sniper fire.

“No one is going to shoot you.”

Destiny shot her a look. “You hope.”

“No one is gonna be that reckless with your well-being. Or Clare’s. That’s why all the Famous Ones are here.”

“All of you?” She moved away from the cover of the door, and two women stepped out of the house, armed and standing guard. Destiny recognized both from Africa and felt a little better because she’d seen Tina kick that guy and break his jaw.

Amber had a mean uppercut. “The shooting ends. Now.”

“Thank you.”

One of them snorted. “As if you have to thank us.”

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and settled on a smile, waiting for Clare to come around the car. “Girl, you look ready to have that baby.”

Clare touched both palms to her belly. “One last appointment, then it’s nothing but the couch and the remote until this baby comes.”

Destiny nearly snorted—but she didn’t want that tendency of theirs rubbing off on her. “As if you watch TV.”

“I could watch TV.”

One of their protectors cracked a laugh. “Sure, tell yourself that.”

“I think I might bingeThe Chosenwhile I’m resting and after the baby comes.”

Destiny gasped. “You haven’t seen it yet?”

“Come over.” Clare linked her hand through Destiny’s. “We can watch it together.”

They walked into Brent’s house.

One of the Famous Ones said, “Dining room. Things are pretty frosty.”

Brent looked like a shell of the man she’d met at his business. The stress of the last few days had taken a toll. He wore slacks with a T-shirt, and his hair had been ignored. His wife sat across from him wearing a peach dress and jewelry with perfect hair and makeup. Sabine Rammington clung to a glass of white wine like it was her lifeline. Her lips twisted as she glared at her husband before, during, and after each gulp.

Clare sat at the head of the table like a mediator.

Destiny stood beside her, not needing to sit yet.

“Explain that I’m telling the truth.” Brent gave it a second, then looked at Clare. What he saw there made him say, “Please.”

Clare turned to Mrs. Rammington. “Your husband was set up.”

“He went into that hotel room with her.”

“It was a honeytrap,” Clare said. “They knew what buttons to push, and unfortunately, he succumbed.”

“I was preyed on. Duped! But I figured it out in time to get out of there. So it onlylooksincriminating.”

Sabine winced.

Clare said, “No one here needs to raise their voice. Regardless of their emotional state.” She glanced at Sabine. “We have a sniper running around Benson, shooting people and putting them in the hospital.”

“It’s not like anyone died,” Sabine snapped. “Unlike my marriage. My self-respect. Everyone will see what you did when that video gets out.”

“It won’t be released.” Clare sounded certain enough that Vanguard must have taken care of the evidence. “But keeping it under wraps doesn’t mean the rest can be swept under the rug. Someone targeted the two of you, and Brent has told us why he’s vulnerable. There’s a criminal kingpin somewhere out there with the goal of getting powerful people on his side.”

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