bullet through his brain, your sweet little piece, here, has no choice but to testify against her father.”
“You son of a bitch!” Mike filled his fists with the front of the fucker’s pressed shirt. Pushing him back across the porch, he didn’t stop until he had Fuller’s back shoved up against one of the structure’s wooden pillars. “You don’t ever disrespect her like that again, you hear me?”
“My, my, Michael.” Fuller smiled. “I do believe you’re truly smitten with the little bitch.”
Mike’s fist was flying before even realized he’d moved.
“Don’t!” Juliet was behind him, her hands pulling him away from the arrogant asshole. “He’s not worth it.”
“That’s assaulting a federal agent, Bradshaw.” Fuller smoothed the wrinkles on his shirt. “I could arrest you for that.”
“Do it.” Mike dared him. “You won’t.”
“You’re right. I won’t. I will, however, be taking her in.” Fuller reached around him and grabbed Juliet’s wrist.
“Get your hands off her!” He pushed the prick back.
Fuller swung his fist around, the punch catching Mike square in the jaw. The unexpected move caught him off guard, and a dizzying pain exploded on the left side of his head.
He went down. Hard.
Fuck that hurt!
“No!” Juliet was there, crouching down and trying to help him. She looked up at Fuller and yelled, “You asshole!”
“I may be an asshole, but at least my daddy didn’t sell underage pussy to the highest bidder. Let’s go.” Grabbing hold of Juliet’s arm, Fuller used his free hand to pull his weapon and point it at Mike. “Try to stop me again”—Fuller warned—“and I’ll shoot your ass.”
Seeing double, Mike licked a drop of blood from the corner of his busted lip and said, “Someone is trying to kill her, Thomas. If you take her, you’re putting her in danger.”
“She’ll be with me, dumbass. There isn’t a safer place for her to be.” The FBI douchebag yanked Juliet to her feet and pulled her down the steps.
“Jules!” Still dazed, Mike finally managed to push himself into a standing position. A dizzying wave hit, but he kept his footing and moved toward the edge of the porch. “Goddamn it, Fuller. Don’t do this. You’re gonna get her killed!”
“Sorry, Bradshaw. I’m just following orders.”
Mike’s gaze shot to Juliet’s. A look of resolve filled her defeated eyes as she stared back at him.
“This isn’t right, and you know it!” he yelled at the other man.
“I don’t give a fuck if it’s right or not.” Fuller opened the passenger door and shoved Juliet into the car. “Like I said, I’m just following orders.”
Heading down the stairs, Mike started for Juliet’s side of the car but froze when Fuller raised his weapon once more.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Fuller warned.
Goddamn it!
Mike’s gut told him the man would gladly pull the trigger. His gut was also screaming at him that the whole situation was way the fuck off.
“I’ll get you out.” Mike spoke to Juliet through the windshield as Fuller holstered his weapon before climbing behind the wheel and shutting the door. “I swear to God, I will.”
He was rewarded with a ghost of a smile and a tip of her head.
She doesn’t believe you.
Fuller put the car in reverse and spun it around.”
“I love you!” Mike shouted, praying she could still hear him.
He wasn’t sure, but he could’ve sworn he saw her mouth the words back to him just before Fuller turned the car completely around. It sped down the driveway and out of sight, carrying with it the most precious thing in his world.
Mike stumbled back up the stairs and into the house. His jaw hurt like a bitch, and his head throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his chest.
He glanced down at the folder Ben had dropped by earlier. Opening it, he began skimming through the paperwork.
“What the fuck?”
Inside the folder were copies from the first case he’d ever worked for the man. Flipping through the papers, Mike searched for something, anything that could possibly relate to Volkov. He found nothing.
He brought the wrong fucking file.
“Unfuckingbelievable.”
Ben stops by while he’s in the middle of the fucking woods to bring him a worthless file. Then he hands the file to Juliet, knowing it had his real name right there, on the top fucking piece of paper.
Rubbing his chin, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all. With a shake of his head, Mike pulled his phone from his pocket to call the asshole but stopped.
A strong, nagging feeling formed