The tense silence stretched out. Knox’s pulse throbbed in his ears. Dani’s finger hovered over the trigger, and he’d seen how fast she could move. Another second, another fraction of a moment—
The woman’s entire demeanor changed. Her manufactured concern slipped away, melting into a look of cool exasperation that matched the ice in her eyes. “Honestly,” she said. “You’re supposed to be the best mercenaries money can’t buy. The elite of the elite. And it took her all of a week to turn my rabid wolf into a lapdog. If she wasn’t my sister, I suspect I’d hate her for that alone.”
Dani inhaled sharply, then spun around so fast she was nothing more than a blur. She ended up with the barrel of her weapon pointed at the impostor. “The man asked you a question.”
“Indeed, he did,” the woman said. “My name is Ava. I’m Nina’s extremely long-lost sister. She’s currently safe in the company of some of my other well-paid mercenaries. Unfortunately, if I don’t return within five minutes, I’m afraid they’re under orders to shoot her. And Luna, as well.” One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose as she studied Knox. “You remember her, right?”
Maya’s gun, which had begun to waver, lifted toward Knox again. “Who the fuck is Luna?”
The suspicion in Maya’s eyes was the tiniest pinprick of what was to come. Knox opened his mouth, but Ava cut him off. “Oh no, no spoiling the surprise. I’ll need all of you to put your guns down. You too, Maya, darling. I don’t necessarily want to turn you over to the TechCorps, but last I heard, the reward for your return was positively staggering. If you leave me no choice, I suppose I can find something to do with a few million credits.”
Sick fury twisted Maya’s face, but the terror tightening her gaze was stronger. After a miserable moment, she bent and placed both of her weapons on the floor.
“Good girl,” the impostor murmured. “The rest of you, now. Disarm, if you please.”
Knox wanted to believe it was a bluff. He wanted to believe that someone who shared Nina’s face, who shared her DNA, would be incapable of the cold-blooded murder of a person she called sister.
But he’d stared into the eyes of too many killers. This woman was dangerous.
Moving slowly, he lowered his gun to the floor. “Disarm,” he said softly, not taking his eyes off the woman as he stripped off his tactical belt and pulled the knives from his boots.
“Knox,” Dani protested.
Nina’s clone checked her watch. “Four minutes and nine seconds, Dani. I admit, you always were the wild card in my plans. Someone with your history isn’t typically capable of loyalty—”
Dani cut her off with a literal hiss. “Someone with my history is going to peel your fucking face off and feed it to the wildlife, lady.”
“Dani.” Knox pulled his last hunting knife from its sheath and flashed her a pointed look. “We need to get to Nina, okay?”
After a few more tense seconds, she relented and began to drop guns, knives, and even a small set of screwdrivers. “Fine. I do my best face-peeling with my bare hands anyway.”
The woman only laughed. “I’ve been tortured by monsters who make your threats sound like a child’s soothing nursery rhyme. But do feel free to continue. I’m charmed by plucky bluster.”
Knox ignored the taunts and swept the room to ascertain everyone had dropped their weapons. “We did what you asked,” he said, turning back. “Take us to the women.”
“Such an eager puppy.” The clone spun on her heel, so confident in the leverage she had over them that she presented them with her back with no apparent concern. “Come along. I’m looking forward to the big reveal.”
Knox met Dani’s eyes and nodded toward Maya, who still looked shaken. Dani wrapped her arm around Maya’s shoulders and murmured to her as they followed the clone. Conall fell into step directly behind them as Rafe slipped up to walk next to Knox.
“She’s nuts,” Rafe whispered, the scuff of their boots almost covering the words. “And I’m not talking metaphorically, Knox. Someone broke that woman.”
“I know.”
“You can’t predict that kind of damage.”
“I know, Rafe.” He kept his voice quiet. “Stick close to Conall. I don’t know if that implant can compensate for this level of stress.”
Gray glared at the woman’s unprotected back. “If we want to move, I don’t know if there’ll be a better time.”