Page 170 of Protecting You

He displayed no reaction to the use of his real name. “Perhaps. Butyouare not nearly afraid enough.” He stepped within inches of her. “That’s because you think I don’t know everything. But I do. Thanks to your talkative little friend there, I know who her father is. Not Caleb Thompson, hardware salesman.”

Acid filled Alyssa’s stomach as she realized the source of Ghazi’s fury. He knew she’d lied to him. He knew she’d been playing him all along. More importantly, he knew who Callan really was.

Finding his family would be easy.

It was bad enough all ofherfamily was in danger, bad enough little Peri was in the middle of this, but now his parents and Hannah were at risk too.

Ghazi had to be stopped. Here and now and permanently, or none of them would ever be safe again.

“He’s a CIA agent named Callan Templeton.” Ghazi leaned so close that she could smell cinnamon on his breath. “You thought you could fool me. Trap me. But who’s trapped now, Alyssa Wright?”

She swallowed the fear crawling up her throat.

“If you think I care aboutanyspawn of the CIA, you have misjudged me.” He flicked his gaze behind her.

Benson stepped close and yanked Peri from her arms.

The child screamed, the sound so pitiable, so helpless.

Alyssa reached for her, but Ghazi grabbed her throat and manhandled her against the wall, moving so close that she couldn’t get her hand between them, couldn’t even try to fight him off.

“The name of the Russian traitor.”

She fought for breath.

She couldn’t tell. Now that she knew who the man was, a man who’d given so much to America at such great risk to himself, she couldn’t betray him.

If she betrayed this information, it would forever prove she wasn’t enough. Wasn’t good enough.

“Cut off her hand,” Ghazi said.

Alyssa gasped. When she realized whose hand Ghazi had meant, her horror intensified.

Ghazi yanked Alyssa out from the wall, spun her around, and held her against his chest, her arms pressed to her sides. Useless.

Benson shifted his jacket aside and unsheathed a hunting knife from his hip. There was no pleasure on his face. He looked emotionless, but she guessed this might be a bridge too far, even for him.

Maybe so, but he didn’t argue, just laid Peri on the bed and leaned his body over her to hold her in place.

Ignoring the child’s screams that tore Alyssa’s heart wide open.

He held her arm down with one meaty hand and positioned the knife against her wrist.

“Don’t!” Alyssa shouted. “Please, just?—”

“The name.”

“Don’t hurt her.” Her gaze flicked from Ghazi to Benson. “If you promise…”

As if she could trust anything these men said. But was she really going to let them harm a helpless little girl to save a Russian man’s life?

To keep from disappointing her father?

No. She was not.

“Lavrentiy. Yefim Lavrentiy.”

When Benson looked to Ghazi, there was definite relief in his expression. There was a human in there after all.

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