THE DEFENDER by Adrienne Giordano Page A

the garbage. Trash. Fair game. No warrant necessary.
    Come to me, DNA.

Chapter Nine
    Penny turned when Zac stepped into her apartment dressed in a sharp gray suit and light pink shirt. Had to love her brother for having no issues about wearing a pink shirt. He shut the door behind him, making it clear to the agents outside that they were not welcome to join the conversation. Knowing she’d need someone—specifically Zac, who’d been helping her through any number of situations for years—she’d called him from Russell’s phone on the way back to the city.
    “What the hell?” he said.
    If she’d had any answers, she’d be glad to share, but right now all she knew was this nut Heath seemed to know her every move. She threw her hands up. “This guy is a viper.”
    Zac spun toward the hallway, but didn’t move. Being a prosecutor, he knew enough not to traipse through a crime scene—which was exactly what her apartment was—and destroy possible evidence.
    “Where’s Russ?”
    “Last I saw he was running down the street chasing Heath.”
    Zac gawked. “Heath was here?”
    “He called me. From across the street. He’s insane.”
    Zac rubbed his hand over his face and sighed in a way that reminded her of their father when a case unraveled. “You can’t stay here. Stay at Mom and Dad’s.”
    Their parents lived in a gated community outside of the city, so Penny understood her brother’s immediate assumption she would be safe there. It might, in fact, not be a bad idea, but what she needed to do was distance herself from her family. If she could do that, maybe they’d stay off Heath’s radar. Yes. What she needed was to keep the focus on her.
    “You need to go, Zac.”
    “Why?”
    “You can’t be here.”
    “Pffft.”
    Heaven forbid her brother should listen to her. She marched over to him, grabbed the lapels of his jacket and shoved him. So what if he was a foot taller.
    “Don’t start, Penny.”
    “Leave.”
    “I know what you’re doing. Me leaving won’t keep this guy from coming after me. Or Mom. Or Dad. He knows your weak spots. He’ll take advantage. No matter where we go, if he wants to, he’ll find us.”
    “Zachary!”
    But Zac, being Zac, didn’t yell back. He simply stood there, staring down at her, his features relaxed. Neutral. Unaccusing.
    Finally, he squeezed her arm. “Accept it and plan for it. What’s your plan?”
    He knew her too well. She narrowed her eyes, hesitated. Of course she had a plan, one she’d hatched while speaking with her tormentor.
    Zac rolled his eyes. “Again with the drama?”
    “I’m putting an investigator from the firm on Heath. I’m done with him thinking he can control me. I’m not good with that.”
    “You don’t think the feds will take issue on that one?”
    “I don’t care what they do. I’m a citizen being harassed and they can’t seem to locate this man until he’s standing ten feet from me. I have a right to hire an independent investigator to find him. How do we know the FBI doesn’t have a leak?”
    That made Zac laugh. “I do love you, Penny. No fear. That’s you. Russ Voight will blow a gasket.”
    The door flew open and in stepped Russ, his short dark hair a little messy, his tie crooked and sweat pouring down his face. He carried a blue baseball cap .
    Russ’s gaze shot from Penny to Zac and back. “What gasket?”
    Penny scrunched her nose at her brother—who had completely thrown her under the bus without even trying—and contemplated an assault charge. At twelve, he’d taught her how to not punch like a girl and he’d long since regretted it since, she typically used that form of defense on him. Just one good shot...
    “Hit me,” Zac said, “and I’ll kill you. Right in front of an FBI agent.”
    An audible sigh came from said FBI agent, who still held the baseball cap. “Hello? What damned gasket? I don’t have time for this.”
    Penny pointed. “Why are you holding that?”
    “It belongs to the guy I