Dangerous to Know by Dawn Ryder Page A

of her. “Let go, you’re hurting me.”
    â€œToo bad.”
    His tone was glacier-cold once more. He jerked her around and Harley gave a squawk of displeasure.
    â€œGet rid of the bird.”
    â€œLike hell. I’m not telling my dad I left his bird behind in a firefight.”
    She intended to say something else but the sight of Mercer’s shoulder silenced her. Bright-red blood was dripping unchecked down his arm. A groove was cut through the thin fabric of his T-shirt, and the remaining sleeve was saturated.
    â€œYou’re hit.” Her voice was a shocked whisper.
    He propelled her toward the garage. “Congrats, but it will take a better shot than that to put me down. We’re clearing out.”
    His last statement was for the other man who had kicked in the front door. He was every bit as powerfully built and his eyes had the same cold look in them when he glanced at her.
    â€œWhy did you say ‘congrats’?”
    She was already in the garage when she managed to get the question past her lips. Everything was happening too fast. It didn’t seem real, couldn’t be, not when she was inside her own home. All around her were the trappings of her life, but then she caught the scent of fresh blood and looked at Mercer’s shoulder. The wound slapped her with just how real it was. Someone had tried to kill him in her kitchen, and he believed she was in on it.
    â€œI had nothing to do with—”
    â€œGet in. We’ll all be dead in another few minutes if we stay here.” He shoved her toward the van, which was still loaded with the parrot party stage. His friend had yanked the sliding door open and she tumbled through it while trying to control Harley. The parrot extended his wings and fluttered with outrage. Zoe rolled over, trying to maintain her grip on his body, and heard the door slam.
    â€œMake it good, Greer. They’ve had time to reposition,” Mercer growled to his companion.
    â€œNot that much time, we might make it.”
    The might in his response chilled her blood.
    Greer punched the accelerator the moment the garage door was high enough. The van swayed dangerously, the tires skidding when he took the turn into the street too fast. The crazy, drunken pitching of the vehicle didn’t faze him any. He used his muscular arms to yank the steering wheel around as the engine roared from how hard he pushed on the accelerator.
    â€œWhat the hell are you doing?” she demanded as she was flung against the portable cage, Harley hanging on to her for dear life. His talons were digging into her skin, drawing blood. His beak was sunk into the center of her bra.
    â€œTrying not to get killed by your partners.”
    Zoe got a look at Mercer around Harley and his expression was hard. The gun was tucked into the front of his waistband, low enough to conceal it from anyone driving past them. Greer had eased off the frantic pace and settled into the flow of traffic.
    Fear slammed into her, intense enough to nauseate her. It sent her looking around the van, seeking escape.
    Mercer carries a gun.
    She shivered, the memory of her suspicion rising above her growing terror. She should have given the impulse more credit.
    A phone buzzed and Mercer picked it up. “Yeah … we’re clear.”
    â€œHe needs a medic,” Greer announced loud enough to be overheard by the caller.
    Her attention returned to Mercer’s arm. At some point, he’d grabbed a towel and wiped the blood away so it wasn’t so noticeable. But she could still smell the metallic scent of it.
    â€œWho are you?”
    Mercer turned to stare at her. There wasn’t a trace of the man she’d gotten to know in the last two days. All that faced her was a hardened man who condemned her with his stony expression.
    â€œYou’ve been made, Zoe. You and your family members are going to stand trial for treason.”
    â€œYou’re insane,” she