A Rush to Violence by Christopher Smith Page A

was an assassin. Everyone in the family knows it, though they were ordered by their father to keep it quiet. Still, because of her past, she will always be someone’s target for revenge. It could be a friend or a relative of someone she once murdered, but the truth is that there always is going to be someone out there hoping to take her down. That’s what the Miller family knows and that’s what they will document to the police when Camille and Emma are found dead. It was someone else who killed them, not the Miller family. If Carr succeeds, they will be free and clear to accept their father’s money.”
    “When was Camille an assassin?”
    “When she was eighteen, she went to Paris. She fell in with the wrong group, fell hard for the wrong man and learned everything from him. She got out when she was twenty-three.”
    “Why did she leave?”
    “She got pregnant with Emma, who’s sixteen now. She never went back. Her daughter became her priority.”
    Jennifer looked confused. “Who is this woman? She’s done terrible things, yet she did the right thing by her daughter. And she loved her father. I can’t get a read on her.”
    Marty told her about the people she and the group targeted.
    “That’s all well and good, Marty, but killing a serial rapist or some freak who puts children into pornography is still murder.”
    “The moral line is skewed.”
    “That’s why we have a judicial system.”
    “Which is great when those people are caught and actually brought to justice. Often they’re not, which is what Camille’s group was about. Look, I’m not making excuses for her. But if your head is in the wrong place when you’re eighteen or twenty or twenty-three, you might think you’re doing some good in the world by taking out those kinds of people.”
    “You said you read correspondence between her and her father. What was your impression of her?”
    He shrugged. “I liked her. She knows what she did in her past affects her present. She’s done everything she can do to keep her daughter out of it. She’s made every effort to be a good mother.”
    “Does her daughter know what she did?”
    “Not that I know of.”
    “I wouldn’t want to be there if she found out. I can’t imagine it.”
    A silence passed between them. Jennifer took a drink of water and touched the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
    “I’m sorry, Jennifer. I didn’t mean for anything like this to happen.”
    “I know you didn’t.”
    “I thought I could protect you until I learned more. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.”
    “I overreacted. It’s not your fault.” She shook her head and something close to a smile played upon her lips. “I almost feel bad for Alex. You really kicked his ass.”
    “He deserved it.”
    “I’m not saying he didn’t. I’ve just never seen you like that. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
    “When you lose your parents at a young age and find yourself on the streets, you learn how to fight.”
    “Apparently.”
    She came over and sat next to him. She kissed the spot on his shoulder where the chip was implanted and then wrapped her arm around him while he kissed her on the forehead. She tapped his shoulder. “What do we do about this?”
    “Nothing yet.”
    “Does Gloria know what’s going on?”
    “Since they targeted the girls specifically, I had no choice but to let her know so she could get them to safety fast.”
    “They’re with the Moores?”
    He nodded. “But not for long. Old friends of ours have an apartment they keep in the city, but they live mostly in Spain and rarely use it. At this point, Gloria has been in touch with them. They’ll move to that location later tonight.”
    “But Carr will find out that they’re gone.”
    “In time.”
    “He’ll demand that you tell him where they are.”
    “If he can get hold of me.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means I’m leaving tonight. You’ll stay with Gloria, Jack and the girls. Nobody moves