Knox's fingers dug into the rim of the helmet. He forced her chin up. The locking mechanism gave a dangerous, metallic click.
In the fraction of a second before the helmet lifted, Annabell's left hand dropped to her boot.
Her fingers closed around the hilt of her tactical knife. She whipped it upward in a blind, vicious arc.
The cold steel sliced through the air, missing Knox's carotid artery by a millimeter. It sheared off a lock of his dark hair.
Knox's pupils contracted. His combat instincts took over. He released the helmet instantly and threw his weight backward.
Annabell didn't pause. She lashed out with her heavy boot, kicking the half-open door of the Maybach. She used the recoil to launch herself backward, rolling across the wet asphalt to put ten feet between them.
"Bitch!" Dave roared. He ripped his coat open and drew his sidearm, the black muzzle snapping up to aim at Annabell's chest.
Knox raised a single hand. "No."
His voice was ice. His eyes never left Annabell. He watched her crouch in the rain, knife reversed in her grip, coiled tight like a feral cat ready to die fighting.
The wail of NYPD sirens bled through the rain. The red and blue lights were already flashing at the mouth of the alley.
Annabell knew she had seconds. She whipped her arm forward, hurling the tactical knife straight at the puddle at Dave's feet.
The heavy blade hit the water with a massive splash, sending a spray of muddy water directly into Dave's eyes.
As Dave flinched, Annabell sprinted. She didn't go for her bike. She lunged for the Maybach, grabbing the handle of the driver's side door and ripping it open.
Knox realized her play. He closed the distance in two massive strides. Just as she threw herself into the driver's seat, his thick arm wrapped around her waist from behind, locking her in a vice grip.
He dragged her backward. They crashed against the leather seats, the smell of rain and adrenaline filling the confined space.
Annabell thrashed wildly. Knox was too strong. He pinned her down against the console, his heavy chest pressing into her back, his left hand clamping both of her wrists above her head.
He leaned down, his warm breath hitting the edge of her wet helmet. "Nowhere to run," he mocked softly.
The lack of oxygen and the absolute physical restraint ignited a blind rage in Annabell's chest.
She twisted her neck violently. Through the small gap at the bottom of her helmet, she found his bare left wrist. She sank her teeth into his flesh.
She bit down with every ounce of strength she had.
A sharp, guttural groan ripped from Knox's throat. The pain was blinding. Blood instantly welled up, soaking into the pristine white cuff of his shirt.
His grip loosened for a fraction of a second.
Annabell drove her knee upward, catching him hard in the chest. Knox stumbled back out of the car.
She slammed the door shut and hit the central lock. She reached over, slammed her hand onto the push-to-start button, and threw the car into drive.
The V12 engine screamed. Annabell ripped the steering wheel to the left. The massive armored vehicle executed a brutal, physically impossible drift in the narrow alley.
The rear bumper brushed Knox's suit jacket as the Maybach tore out of the alley, vanishing into the storm, leaving nothing but the smell of burning rubber.
Knox stood in the rain. He looked down at his wrist. The bite marks were deep, jagged, and bleeding heavily.
A dark, terrifying smile spread across his face. The thrill of the hunt flared in his chest.
"Pull every camera in the city," Knox ordered Dave, his voice deadly calm. "Find that wildcat. Bring her to me."
An hour later, Annabell walked away from an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. She had wiped the Maybach's steering wheel clean of every print.
She walked down a flight of concrete stairs and let the retinal scanner read her eye. The heavy steel door hissed open, revealing the underground servers of the TANG financial security studio.
Jenna Hayes, her assistant, jumped up from her desk. She gasped at the sight of Annabell dripping wet and covered in bruises. She rushed over with a towel and a first-aid kit.
Annabell ignored the towel. She grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol, poured it directly over the scrape on her right arm, and didn't even blink.
"Initiate Protocol Alpha," Annabell ordered, her voice devoid of emotion.
Jenna's fingers flew across the keyboard. The massive wall screen lit up, displaying the complex web of the Richmond family's offshore trust accounts.
Annabell typed in a string of backdoor codes she had embedded years ago. She hit enter.
The screen flashed red. FUNDS FROZEN. 80%.
Annabell stared at the red warning lights. A cold satisfaction settled in her stomach.
Jenna walked over, holding a freshly printed intelligence file. She looked nervous. "Boss. We got the intel on the Dixon family you asked for. The heir... you." Jenna swallowed hard. "You have a secret, ironclad marriage contract. With Knox Beck. The Wall Street shark."
Annabell froze. The alcohol-soaked cotton pad stopped moving on her arm. She stared at Jenna, the weight of the name crashing into her.
