Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
“What?” Leah ran into him and then paused, holding her stomach as she gasped for breath.
He looked down at her flushed face. “Kurjans. Can you sense them?”
She lifted her head. “No.”
Wonderful. They really needed to work on that skill.
“They’re covering what I thought was a safe house.”
Taking her hand again, he turned in the opposite direction, walking silently with her behind him for nearly an hour. He turned and looked at her. Her hair hung haphazardly around her face, and her dress was a disaster, the bottom part ripped and half the sequins gone. Splotches smeared her makeup, and filth covered her delicate feet from running on the cobblestones.
No doubt he looked like a fucking serial killer. Dried blood still coated the side of his face and neck. His jeans were ripped and bloody, and his light T-shirt showed plenty of his blood, as well as that of the Kurjans he’d fought. He knew because it kept burning him. Nobody would help them in this state, and the Kurjans had taken his phone.
He leaned down to whisper to his mate. “I don’t think we can get close enough to anybody to pick a pocket.” He peered out at the street and then tugged her back into the alley. “We need to find a much rougher neighborhood.”
She gulped, a streak of mascara mixed with dirt smudging her entire left cheekbone. “No problem. The charity auction should conclude in about thirty minutes. We can capture George as he leaves. I can jack an older car. Let’s stay away from CCTV.”
God, she was hot. Sexy, dangerous, and fragile, all in one little package. Now, she wanted to kidnap an asshole and jack a car.
He grinned.
Chapter Nine
Darkness began to fall as Leah followed Jasper from around the side of a crumbling tenement. “That one.” She pointed at a Peugeot 205 parked across the road—dented and battered but probably drivable.
Jasper winced but nodded, hurrying forward and snatching a stick off the ground on the way. He opened the driver’s side door and crouched. “You keep a lookout.”
“I can jack the car,” she said.
“It’s all right. I’ve got this.”
“Hmm.” She looked around at the desolate and deserted area as the wind spun rubbish against the forlorn buildings. At this dusky time, the neighborhood lacked any sense of safety. Weeds clogged the street, breaking through the desperate cement to seek some sort of life.
Jasper used the stick to pop off the plastic cover under the steering column, and then his fangs dropped to strip a small section of insulation off the battery and ignition wires.
“Don’t forget the yellow wire,” she whispered.
“I’ve got it.” He twisted the yellow with the two red ones. The engine instantly started. Okay, so he was better at that than she’d expected.
She limped around and opened the passenger-side door, settling into the worn seat. Something poked her butt, and she shifted her weight. The car’s interior smelled like burned cotton and rotting meat. She rolled down her window. Jasper hefted himself inside the tiny vehicle, shoving the seat back as far as it would go. He overpowered the entire interior.
“This thing’s too small,” he grunted, slamming the door. His knees still touched the dash.
“It’s all we’ve got. Let’s go,” she urged.
With his overlarge hands on the small steering wheel, he drove away from the curb. The vehicle bucked a couple of times and then settled into a smooth ride. “We can’t go anywhere near the front of the convention center in this thing.”
“I scouted the entire building just in case,” she said, her mind going over the schematics. “We can park in the alley next to the center.”
He turned down an alley to reach a quieter street. “Then what?”
“Then we’re taking George.”
Jasper drove as quickly as the older vehicle would allow. Soon, the city lights illuminated their way. He drove around several buildings to a nice tavern area a couple of blocks from the center before parking in the back.
She stared at a pile of sequins on the dirty floor. “We need fresh clothing.”
He shook his head, grunting as he shoved his bulk out of the small car. “There isn’t time. The auction is letting out already.”
She exited and quietly shut the door, limping to peer around the building. Swallowing, she glanced at people pouring from the convention center’s front entrance, all in tuxedos, nice suits, and gorgeous gowns.
“Where is George?” Jasper asked.
She shook her head, watching the multitude of people streaming out. “I don’t see him.” She looked around for a better vantage point.
“Here.” Jasper pivoted, grabbed her waist, and threw her into the air. She landed with her feet on his shoulders, slapping her hands against the brick building.
“Some warning would have been nice,” she hissed, shifting her weight so both feet were on his left shoulder and she could turn around, positioning one foot on each side of his head. She leaned against the brick building. They were completely in shadow, just where she wanted to be.