Page 73 of Knockout

She swiped at her cheeks, trying not to be obvious about it but not fooling anyone. “And Liam’s mom.”

“And their mom.”

He was right. They did consider Destiny to be a sister to all of them. And Liam’s mom was a lot like an honorary mom.

Someone Roxie would’ve liked to get to know. And still could, if she came through this.

Where were they?

God, You know. Are they together?That might be nice if they were in the same place and could comfort each other.Keep them safe until they can be found.

“Where are we headed?”

Collins glanced at her. “Depends on what you want to do.”

If he’d have asked her then if she wanted to be kidnapped, she’d have said yes. Being there would mean she could help the two missing women get free. She glanced at him, unsure how to explain that without sounding insane.

“Do you want to end this?”

She stared at him. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a marine.”

“I’m a lot of other things, too.” A victim. A coward. A survivor.

“I know about those as well. Clare got me up to speed.” He paused for a split second. “So, what do you say, Marine? Want to end this, even if it means hanging you out like bait?”

She glanced over at him. “What do you think?”

He smiled, and she caught a flash of teeth in his grin. “Figured you’d say that.” They pulled into a residential neighborhood. He started dragging stuff out of his pockets, all those little pouches on his belt. “That’s why we’re here.”

He handed her a tiny penlight. Then, a palm-sized can of pepper spray, which she tucked up her sleeve. She put a pocketknife in her boot. He held up a button-sized medallion on a black cord. “Put this over your neck. It has a tracker.”

She didn’t hesitate. “You’re really going to hang me out as bait? Clare approved it?”

“Clare approved a plan involving a highly skilled, ‘prepared to use deadly force’ operative as bait. You wanna be the vulnerable kind?”

“No.”

He chuckled and pointed at the window. “That house over there. You remember that woman from the restaurant, the one having dinner with Liam? That’s your in.”

Or it was the end of the line for her.

Either way, this would be over.

“You think Destiny and Liam’s mom are both there?”

Collins said, “Vanguard surveillance tracked the vehicles here. We’ve been keeping an eye on Karina in connection with Obolensky. We need someone on the inside, and the drone is too loud.”

“Right.” Roxie shoved the door open. “I’ve got my phone.”

“Copy that. Simon already connected us.”

She checked and spotted a message, then headed for the front door of the house with no idea what would greet her on the other side. An army? The one man in the world she was more afraid of than anything? Something in between?

Roxie walked up the drive toward the front door.

Behind her, down the street where they’d parked the SUV, a huge explosion ripped through the air. She twisted around in time to see the SUV launch into the air and flip over. A ball of fire erupted from under it.

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