Page 98 of Guarding the Singer

Mandy's lip curled and then she smiled. "I was good... better than good." She twisted again and Selene's vision darkened at the edges. "I can be again, but... but he won't let me try again!"

"M... Mandy..."

Mandy turned her head toward Cooper's desk. "Shut up."

"Let her go."

Mandy wrenched around and Selene cried out when Mandy's hold on her loosened and then released.

"You shut up, Coop. You started this. You brought her in when I could have done it. I could have done the movie, you said so!"

Selene turned her head to see, noticing that Mandy was on her feet, looming over Cooper on the desk.

Both of her hands were balled at her sides, onehand, her left, had strands of long dark hair in between her fingers.

"You didn't even give me a chance!"

"You weren't ready... Too much time-"

"You brought her in!" Mandy stamped her foot like a little child and Selene tried to crawl toward her purse.

Mandy had the upper hand if Selene tried to get up, Selene wasn't sure she'd make it far. Her head was aching, and she narrowed her eyes on her purse, but her vision was blurry. She moved closer, feeling along the floor, hoping she could get to her phone and make a call she should have made a long time ago.

She just hoped it wasn't too late.

As soon as the car came to a stop, William was out and running.

Badger wasn't far behind.

They both had some details thanks to Cypher, but not enough.

The security cameras inside the house were all down. The last footage she had was from a home across the street that showed Selene going in and Mandy locking the door behind her.

The details that Cypher called up off of facial recognition software was disturbing.

They'd never considered Mandy as a suspect. Cooper had counted her as one of his most trusted people.

He'd never mentioned the stint she'd had in a rehab for drug and alcohol addiction and it had never made the news or popped up on their investigation before they'd gone on set with Selene.

Cypher was struggling, beside herself that she hadn't cast a further net.

William didn't even try the door when he reached it, he put his shoulder into it and battered it down, the hardwood door gave in, but it hurt like crazy.

He went through like a battering ram and kept going. "Selene!"

"Will!"

Badger was at his shoulder as they ran toward her voice.

Neither of them had a sidearm, but William knew it wouldn't matter. They had a job, and they were fucking close to failing it.

He wasn't about to fail.

Neither was Badger.

Selene heard the explosion of sound from the hallway, and she knew.

She knew it was Will.

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