Page 3 of Special Agent Isabella

Tanner gave the order in a threatening voice filled with menace. “Let her go now, you little bastard, or I’ll shoot. And… I won’t lose a moment’s sleep.”

ChapterTwo

Tanner arrived at Fulton House just as another car pulled away. Happy to see a place to park, he nabbed the space. It wasn’t until he left the car that he noticed a battle taking place in front of the shelter.

He’d been worried about Demi which was the reason he’d come straight from work. Seeing her calls and texts, Tanner knew something had upset her. She seldom asked for help and didn’t this time. Just hinted that she’d be happy if he came around.

Running from the vehicle, he quickly made his way over in time to see Isabella putting the boots to a skinny teen, and he stopped to watch. Her numerous moves were strictly from the training manual and executed perfectly.

Then what he saw made his blood boil.

The FBI agent fought with a trained expertise, not meant to hurt, just to overpower, but the skinny nutcase she tried to handle had no boundaries. Like an animal, he wanted to hurt her… to kill. Tanner watched as Isabella moved in and out of the battle with the expertise he himself might not have been able to withstand.

The woman’s speed and accuracy wowed. She knew exactly how to place a kick and use her fists but when you’re up against a wild beast intending on killing you, a person acting in a normal way didn’t have the same benefits.

He pulled his gun and moved in. Without a thought for his own safety, he pushed the muzzle against the temple of the tiger and spoke in a deadly voice.

What shocked him was the fact that he would have pulled that trigger to save the woman he seldom liked being near.

Now why the hell had that reaction suddenly surfaced? Normally, other than teasing Bella to get a rise out of her, which often happened, he didn’t care. Of course, he liked that she stood with Demi. And that his foster sister relied on her being there when he couldn’t, but that pretty much covered their relationship.

At the most, he got a kick out of teasing her because she fought back rather than letting him get away with his foolish taunts. He’d needle her, and she’d explode.

Tonight, something felt different. Tonight, his blood pressure had erupted, and his body had tightened with fury. Never one to let his emotions get involved on duty, this had been personal… and he knew it instantly. He would have killed that squirmy, doped-up little bastard if he’d kept hurting Bella. And he wouldn’t have hesitated.

ChapterThree

By the time the ruckus cooled down and the uniforms had taken a subdued Hewie away, Demi Fedora felt as if her out-of-control world might never slow down. In her small office, she stood beside Bella, one of her favorite people in the world, second only to Tanner, and forced a cold cloth to the bloody cut on the agent’s cheek.

“Isabella, behave. This’ll keep it from swelling. Hold it there. Trust me, I know it helps.”

Bella had gently pushed her hand away, but Demi learned stubbornness from a world she’d been forced to grow up in and put it back in place. “If you don’t hold on to it, I will.”

Giving up, Isabella took the cloth and mashed in against her bloody cheek. Her resultant wince let the others know her childish gesture paid her back with pain.

Demi noticed Tanner’s grin and slapped at his back. She whispered low enough, hoping Bella wouldn’t hear. “Behave.”

He wiped the smirk off his face, but he didn’t turn away. Instead, he moved over to Isabella and knelt down so she could see his expression. In a soft voice Demi barely made out, he said, “You kick like a girl, Izzie.”

Bella pushed him hard enough that it forced him to make a creative move not to fall over. Then he grinned and added in a natural tone, “Hey, I didn’t say it wasn’t effective. If you hadn’t kept the dude busy, I’d never have gotten close enough to put the gun to his head.”

“You’re just lucky he still had enough brain cells to know what it was. You didn’t see his eyes. They were rage-filled, bloodshot, and with no signs of a soul behind the frenzy. I’ve seen that before, and it’s spinechilling.” She hesitated and then added, “and for your information, you idiot, I wasn’t letting him choke the shit out of me on purpose, he came to shoot Demi tonight. I just got in his way, so he shifted his angry outburst to me.”

“I kinda picked up on that.” Tanner heard Demi’s warning cough and glanced her way. She shook her head for him to stop… he saw her warning clearly.Be nice.

Sensing the stress he’d be inflicting on the already tension-filled discussion, he tried to behave. “I’m glad you arrived in time to help out. Demi left a message, but I would have gotten here too late. So good work, yeah?”

Demi heard Tanner’s apology and knew it came at a price. The dude’s glib tongue had gotten them both in and out of a lot of trouble while they’d paired up with each other at the last home they’d been in together.

In those early days, he’d attached himself to Demi like a big brother. Went to war for her many times because of the trouble her native American looks mixed with flaming red hair brought her way. Never wanting to bring attention to herself, shy to the point of stiff reserve, she couldn’t understand why her appearance made such a difference. Unfortunately, it had… many times. Times she’d never told anyone about.

According to Tanner and Isabella, she was more than pretty. She looked like a fairytale Indian princess but with the one exception she’d inherited from her Irish mother. Her rioting red locks somehow worked perfectly with her native features.

Now, as an adult, she downplayed her appearance to the point where unless one looked carefully, they wouldn’t see her correctly. In a ponytail, wearing glasses she didn’t need, and dressing dowdy, she skimmed through life unnoticed. Her preference.

But in the early days, Tanner had fought her battles because of the unsought trouble she found herself in. She cared more about him than anyone in her otherwise sorry life. He’d become the family she’d always yearned to have. Then… as if God had to prove he hated her yet again, they were separated when she turned fifteen.

Not that she begrudged him his freedom. Being three years older, he’d had plans… big plans. To go up north and work in the camps. Save his money so he could come back and go to school and then to Quantico. And he’d succeeded. Beyond even his expectations.

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