Read THE DEFENDER for Free Online

stopped at the same coffee shop every morning on his way to work. Every morning. Same time. Same location. One by one, this maniac could pick off her family.
    Gently, Russ set his hand on top of hers and squeezed. “Breathe,” he whispered. “Relax.”
    Closing her eyes, she focused on next steps. On getting this psycho locked up. Yes. That was what she’d do.
    “I understand,” she said into the phone.
    “How many lives will be lost, Penny? It’s up to you. I’ll phone you in twenty-four hours. Give me the right answer.”
    The line went dead and Penny sucked in a massive breath, and the tight walls pressed in and the shiny white tiles swayed and danced. The phone slipped from her fingers, clattered to the floor. She’d have to sterilize the thing. Or throw it out. Russ bent low, scooped it up, and she scrunched her nose. The germs alone... He hit the button, obviously to be sure the call ended.
    He shoved the phone into his jacket pocket and grasped her arm. “You all right?”
    “I may throw up.”
    “You’re in the right place.”
    She nodded because, well, he had a point there. Only, she didn’t want to be on her knees in this bathroom. Who knew the last time the floor was washed?
    The pattern on the wall behind Russ looped and swirled and Penny swayed. Massive head rush.
    Grasping her arms, he held her steady. “Uh-oh.”
    She leaned forward, rested her head against his shoulder. She needed a minute. Not even. Just a few seconds to let the dizziness pass and consider facing such a catastrophic situation.
    Russ ran his hands up and down her arms, a gentle reassurance that allowed her to close her eyes—only for a minute—and get herself together.
    Finally, she backed away, met Russ’s gaze. “You know he’s insane.”
    * * *
    “I DO KNOW THAT .” He squeezed her arms. “If I let go, you’re not going to face-plant, are you?”
    Penny scoffed. “On this floor? Not on your life.”
    A few minutes ago, her skin had turned that ashy-gray that preceded going lights out, and he’d take no chances on her smacking her head against the john and getting a concussion.
    Slowly, he lifted his hands from her arms and held them out.
    Only slightly annoyed at her own weakness, Penny waved him off. “He ordered that shooting yesterday. To scare me.”
    “He said that?”
    She nodded.
    He snatched his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. When he’d entered the shop, he’d had every intention of tearing into Penny for walking across the street alone. He’d told her the night before they were looking into the idea of either her or her father being targets and clearly she’d blown that off. She was damned lucky the receptionist squealed on her whereabouts or she’d be dealing with this Heath garbage on her own. In the middle of a crowded coffee shop, no less!
    Crazy woman.
    “Who are you calling?”
    “My office. I want marshals on you ASAP. We’ll get Elizabeth protection also. How the hell did he find out she wants a deal? And why the hell are you walking around alone when you almost got shot yesterday?”
    Penny’s face stretched into an appalled openmouthed gape. “You have lost your mind, Russell. I’ll go wherever I want. And I have no idea how Heath knows about Elizabeth. Aside from my coworkers, you’re the only one I spoke to about it. And I’m sure Elizabeth hasn’t told anyone. At least, no one outside her immediate family. And she’s so nervous, I’m not sure she’d have done even that. He said he’s watching her, though. Maybe he took a shot and got lucky.”
    “Yeah, well, that lucky shot just earned him extortion and obstruction charges to go with his landslide of financial-fraud issues. And if I can prove it, murder. The reporter died this morning.” Penny reeled back and he held up a finger when Guy Hawkins, one of his squad mates on the CID—Criminal Investigation Division—answered. “Voight here. Where are we on those marshals for Penny and Gerald