Say It Again (First Wives, #5)(79)

Nothing.

Before entering the room, she detonated another smoke bomb remotely; this one would crawl up the side of Amelia’s building and cloak the windows to the outside.

Once she saw smoke, she moved into the condo, closed the door, and did a quick sweep.

Empty.

Avoiding the windows, she pushed the couch over to where the camera was hidden in the ceiling and exposed it. “I know you’re watching,” she said to whoever was on the other side. “I know who you work for.”

“I doubt that,” the voice came from the door.

She jumped from the couch, rolled onto the floor on her shoulder. When she came up on the balls of her feet, she caught a woman’s leg as it flew at her face.

Sasha pivoted, avoided the blow, and moved in.

The woman was blonde, hair in a ponytail much like Sasha’s. They both shopped at the same leotard boutique.

And she was fast.

Heart beating and feet moving, Sasha blocked as many punches as she sent.

“Who the hell are you?” Sasha said first in English, then in Russian.

The woman’s eyes were green, or maybe they were contacts.

A foot to her chest and Sasha hit the wall behind her.

“The question is . . . ,” the woman said as she managed another punch, splitting Sasha’s lip before she recovered and slammed her attacker against the counter.

Sasha rolled away.

“Who do you work for?” Green Eyes moved in again, anger written all over her face.

“No one,” Sasha managed.

The woman came at her again. “I don’t believe you.”

Sasha braced herself for the attack. “Fine,” she said. “I could use the exercise.”

Adrenaline pumped and fists flew.

Green Eyes got ahold of her arm and was met with an elbow upside her chin. She doubled back and linked an arm around Sasha’s neck.

“I expected more from you, Budanov,” the woman sparred.

Sasha caught the woman’s instep, got the leverage she needed, and tossed her onto her back down on the floor. Foot to the woman’s windpipe, Sasha paused. “How do you know me?”

Green Eyes stopped moving, opened her palms to her sides as if in surrender. “We had the same calculus class.”

Sasha removed her foot and stared down, chest heaving. “You’re Olivia.”

Olivia used the distraction, caught Sasha’s legs with her own, and they were both on the ground.

Glass shattered and above their heads, three rapid bullets ripped past them and burrowed into the sofa.

They both froze and rolled out of sight of the window.

“Start talking, Budanov.”

Sasha pointed toward the balcony. “They with you?”

“I work alone.”

“You work for Pohl,” Sasha yelled above the shots that kept coming.

“Didn’t like the benefit package,” Olivia said, moving farther away from the window.

Sirens outside caught both their attention.

“Those bullets meant for you or me?” Sasha asked.

“Either guess works.”

She wasn’t sure if the shooter was changing positions or the authorities showing up moved them along. Didn’t matter, it was time to move. “I’ll kick your ass later, right now we need to move.”

Green Eyes narrowed. “How do I know if I can trust you?”

“Go with your gut.” And Sasha was out the door.

Behind her, Olivia followed.

She saw her car and started running toward it.

Olivia tackled her from behind right as the car shot into the air ten feet with a deafening explosion.

People came out of every door and every car.

Ears ringing, Olivia grabbed her hand, helped her to her feet, and directed them to a waiting motorcycle.

Now Sasha needed to trust.

She jumped on the back and Olivia kicked the bike to a start.

They raced away from the chaos and through the busy streets of DC.

Once they were certain no one followed, Olivia took the speed down a notch and found an empty alley. Sasha jumped off the bike and started firing questions.

“Who was shooting at us?”

Olivia wiped the blood from a cut on her face with the back of her hand. “Pohl’s man? Whoever took out Amelia? Your guess is as good as mine.”

“You worked with Pohl.”

“Past tense. Didn’t like the benefit package.”

“Yeah, yeah, you said that. How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Olivia glared. “Trust your gut,” she said slowly and deliberately.

“You knew about the camera.”

Olivia pointed at her. “And it didn’t take long to flush you out.”

“Didn’t take long for the happy shooter to flush both of us out.”

Sasha ran a hand down her ponytail. “We gotta get out of DC.” She looked at her watch. AJ.

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket, winced at the cracked screen, and dialed.

“Took you long enough.”

“Meet me in the parking garage in ten minutes.”

“You okay?”

“And do that thing you do so well. Have the car running.”

“That’s risky in a government building.”