Page 57 of Storm and Tempest

She swung out toward him with a knife. Jax lifted his arm to defend himself, and the blade glanced off his forearm before he slammed her arm away. He cried out at the sting of pain from the cut, and the surprise. Sandra stumbled back but rallied.

Maizie screamed, and he heard a chair topple back. “Bruce!” She yelled his name so loud it rang in the room.

Jax didn’t go to her. He had to neutralize the threat. Hopefully the first and only one. He spun Sandra and locked his arms around her, his fingers squeezing her wrist and confining the bones in her hand until she voluntarily gave up the knife. Or dropped it. He spoke between gritted teeth, aware of the blood dripping down his forearm. “Don’t even think about it.”

Sandra screamed, pushing against his hold on her. She slammed her head back and caught his bad shoulder, which hurt a whole lot, then tried again to headbutt him.

Jax didn’t let go.

The door slammed open.

“Maizie!” Bruce rushed in, and Jax turned Sandra to see the other man had his gun drawn. He pointed it at all corners, then at Elliot.

The agent raised his hands. “I have nothing to do with this. Sandra, what are you doing?” He turned to his sister. “What is going on?”

“I’m doing my job.” She wrestled in his arms.

“Drop the knife,” Jax barked.

“I figured the target would be Samuel, but maybe he was your next target.Sandra.” Amara came around the table and stood in front of them. “I’ll take care of her.”

Jax didn’t like the sound of that.

“We need to know what she knows,” Amara said. “And who is giving her orders.”

Sandra shuddered. “You’ll never end this. We will kill everyone you love.”

Elliot cried out, “Sandra, why are youdoingthis?”

Jax glanced at Maizie, who stood in the corner with her back to the wall, then looked back at Amara. The older woman had a kitchen towel in her hands. She wrapped it around Sandra’s hand and the knife, covering the blade so Sandra couldn’t easily stab someone with it.

“Nice-looking blade,” Amara said. “Let go of the knife. No sudden movements, okay?”

Sandra shifted against Jax’s arms, still determined to get away. He wasn’t letting an agent of their enemy go. She’d waited until now to expose her true allegiance, and given the way he was reacting, Elliot had no idea his sister was one of them.

She’d come here to find out what Jax knew, and who was part of the group trying to fight against them.

No matter what, no one could find out what he knew.

Chapter Sixteen

Amara glared at Sandra. “How long have you been working forDominatus?”

Jax needed something he could use to secure Sandra so that he could let go of her, but she still hadn’t dropped the knife. Amara held on to the towel, ready to grab the blade as soon as Sandra let go. No one else was going to get cut.

A gunshot exploded down the hall.

Jax twisted Sandra around and slammed her onto the table before she could react. The knife out to one side. To Amara he said, “Watch her.”

Amara shoved against Sandra, holding her down. “Go.”

Jax raced for the door, reaching out to Maizie with one hand. “Stay behind me.”

She grabbed his hand and ran with him. Jax drew his gun from the holster at the small of his back, unwilling to leave Maizie with people he didn’t trust. Even if that meant putting her in danger going with him, and yes, even if Bruce had been back there. Amara and Bruce had their hands full with Elliot and Sandra.

They were all already in danger, no matter where Maizie was.

Jax ran toward the room where they’d been holding Samuel Chistane and spotted one of the lawyers who’d been watching the door. On the ground in a pool of blood. Another two gunshots echoed from inside the room, the muffled pop of a suppressor, and he saw muzzle flash through the open door.