Zach could envision his fingers quite clearly pressing into the bastard’s trachea, wrapping around his throat, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

“You’re right,” Zach said in an even, casual tone. “Dad’s in jail for reckless vehicular manslaughter. Now try me for reckless, Lieutenant.”

O’Neill narrowed his eyes on him. “Leave the room, Sue Ellen,” he crisply commanded.

Gasping, Sue Ellen pushed away from the chair. “Larry, I won’t let you do this.”

“Goddammit, woman, leave!”

The instant O’Neill’s aim on Paige strayed and his angry wife started toward him, Zach took his chance. He yelled, “Get down!” and charged. He slammed into him with his entire weight, grappling to unarm him, but before he succeeded he heard the blast of two gunshots.

He jerked violently on impact. Pain seared his shoulder, and an eerie opaque light exploded in his eyes. He stumbled back a step. His vision blurred. The room faded into shadows. Motherfucker …

His legs gave. He sucked the air for oxygen as a sticky wetness began spreading across his shirt.

“No.” O’Neill scrambled away. “Sue Ellen!”

“Paige!” Hissing in frustration over not being able to see, Zach found the cold metal of his backup and curled his fingers around the grip as he got up to his knees, attempting to focus. “Baby, talk to me. You all right? Fuck.”

“Sue Ellen!” O’Neill screamed.

“I’m fine …” Paige whispered. But she did not sound fine; she sounded shaky and frightened and far away.

Panic ate at him, his sight a black and gray blur. But his hand was steady, his gun ready, aiming at … just aiming all over the place. Hot in his hand. “Paige, talk to me. Where is he? Twelve o’clock? Two o’clock? Where?”

“One o’clock! I think. Dammit, I don’t know.”

Forcing his gaze on the blurry figure merging with a smaller one and straining to focus, Zach finally managed to hone in on O’Neill.

“Don’t shoot!” Paige cried. “He’s unarmed. He … he has her in his arms. He shot her.” Her soft, sweet voice traveled from a different direction. Coming closer to him. Tearing up into a sob. “Zach, you’re bleeding.”

It took a moment to bring her to focus.

God, no, she was crying. Her cheeks were flushed, her lower lip quaking uncontrollably. What he saw in her eyes—so damned beautiful to see once more. She still loves me. For a moment he thought he’d pass out when she slowly folded to her knees before him. His world tilted.

“Yes, shoot, Rivers!” O’Neill sobbed. “Do it.”

Zach jerked his attention back to him, his finger hot on the trigger, lips pulled back into a fierce, teeth-gritting snarl. “I’ll do it, asshole, don’t fucking invite me!”

“No!” Paige cried. “He killed his wife! She’s … she’s dead. He’s going to jail.” Weepy blue eyes sought out his, and her hands shook with indecision as they hovered above his chest. “Zach, you’re …” She made an awful little sound. “You’re shot!”