that instantly from the glint in her eyes, the flash of too-white teeth. She slips a hand into her jacket pocket. I jump back, expecting a gun.
Instead, she pulls out—“A needle?”
She smiles and turns it over in her palm. “A syringe, very good.”
I frown, trying to make sense of it. “That’s actually not one of my phobias.”
It dawns on me that Andrea’s the one who left the snake on my porch. Andrea, or someone working for her. They spied and sleuthed and dug through private messages to probe for weakness. But what’s the syringe for?
“Phobia or not, you should be afraid, sweetie.” She flicks the barrel of the syringe with her fingernail, flashing her mean little smile. “Amazing what you can find on the dark web. Did you know it’s possible to buy actual rattlesnake venom?”
“What?” I feel the blood drain from my face, but Andrea just laughs.
“A few quick pricks, and it’ll look like you tangled with a Diamondback.” She laughs again, and it’s the nastiest sound I’ve heard. “Poor Nessie, wandered off the path in her pretty little dress.”
Hearing her use my sister’s nickname for me makes me want to slap her. She’s almost close enough. Would it make things worse or throw off her balance enough for me to get away? I struggle to clear my head, to recall what Val and I learned in our weekend self-defense class. Could I fight if I had to?
Andrea takes a step toward me. “Such a shame.”
I brace myself to throw a punch as fear ripples up my spine. “That’s not necessary.” I edge away, heart drumming in my ears. “Just let me go, and we’ll forget this ever happened.”
“No dice, sweetie. You think you can fuck my fiancé and not pay for that?” She shakes her head almost sadly. “I need you out of the picture permanently. How could I trust he wouldn’t slip up again?”
“Trust seems to be the theme of the day.” I grip my handbag, ready to swing at her head if she keeps coming.
She strikes, quick as a snake. One second she’s standing there, the next she’s got my wrist in a vise grip. She jerks me toward her, catching me off guard. “This will hardly hurt at all.”
I kick out at her, but she jumps back and laughs. “I do my own stunts, did you know that?”
“I might have read that somewhere.” My two hours of self-defense training is no match for that, but I have to try. I’m drawing my handbag back to swing it, but Andrea grabs it and tosses it on the ground.
“Good idea,” she says. “That’s where you dropped it when you spotted the snake. Now come on, cooperate. This would look better in your ankle or calf or something.”
“Go to hell.” I take a wild swing at her, but she ducks back, laughing as she pushes me toward the wall.
The needle flashes in her fist as she draws it back like a knife. “Let’s get this over with. If I know Dean, he’ll come looking for you soon.”
That does sound like Dean, and I hate that she knows him like I do. I hate that I may never get a chance to tell him how I feel.
But mostly, I hate that I’ll never know if we might have made it. If I’d told him I love him, if we’d talked it through like adults. If I’d had a chance to fight like hell for the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I’m not done fighting. I kick out again, nailing her in the shin this time. Andrea gives a startled yelp but doesn’t let go of my hand. “Goddammit, Vanessa.”
She slashes wildly with the syringe, but I bob back and feel the whoosh of air past my face. I’m breathing fast, trying not to panic, as I struggle to break her hold.
“You’re insane,” I snap, which is overstating the obvious.
“Come on, Vanessa.” She’s got my back to the wall now, and I wonder if I can use it as leverage to land another kick. “It’ll all be over quickly.”
Her grip on my wrist loosens, and I seize the chance to swing again. This time, my fist connects with the side of her head.
“Ow!” She shrieks and tries to slap me. I duck, and while I’m down there, head-butt her in the chest.
She goes down hard, pulling me with her. Shit, she’s got a grip on my leg.
“Even better,” she snarls, fingers tightening around my ankle.
I twist away, throwing another