Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“I kind of feel sorry for her,” Aviana murmurs. “Poor girl hasn’t done anything wrong.”
I turn and glance at her. “We have no intention of hurting her. She’ll be okay.”
Aviana nods and stares at the young woman walking down the sidewalk. When she gets into a car and pulls out, we follow her. She lives not too far away, at a small apartment complex. We park right behind her, and Alarick gets out. Here’s hoping she doesn’t fucking scream. I get out, too.
We approach her as she goes to the passenger side to get something out. When she turns around, we’re right there. Alarick is pointing his gun at her. “Don’t scream, or I’ll shoot. We’re not goin’ to hurt you. We need your help.”
“Who are you?” she gasps, face white as a ghost.
“Friends of your fathers.”
“I can’t help you,” she shakes her head, “I don’t even speak to him, I swear. I can’t stand that man. Please, don’t...”
“Get in the truck,” Alarick orders. “Again, we’re not goin’ to hurt you.”
He waves the gun at her, and she obliges, climbing into the back of the truck. I get in the passenger side, and Alarick stands at her door until I can turn and point my gun at her while he goes around and gets in. She’s white as a ghost and staring at Aviana, no doubt figuring we’ve captured her, too.
“It’s okay,” Aviana says, her voice soft and careful. “Nobody is going to hurt you, I promise.”
“I find that hard to believe when he’s pointing a gun at me,” she says, her eyes going to me.
“It’s only so you don’t run. I’m not goin’ to use it.”
Alarick turns and takes over the job of watching her so I can drive.
Aviana said she knows about Benedict’s daughter from the time earlier in her life when she spent a few months with him. She said he had pictures of her, and she saw her name on one of those and knew she lived locally. Benedict had told her their relationship was strained, but he would do anything for her. It was a good fucking call, and I can only hope it all goes to plan, and he is more inclined not to turn on us if he knows we have his daughter.
“What do you want from me?”
“We don’t want to hurt you, Angelica. Your dad has something we want back, and we’re just holding you to make sure he returns it,” Aviana explains.
“How do you know my name?” Angelica asks, her voice shocked.
“I have heard your father speak of you.”
“Well, that must have been a rare time; he doesn’t give a crap about me now.”
Here’s hoping that isn’t the truth.
“I think you’d find that’s not true,” Aviana explains. “Either way, we have no intention of hurting you. You’re just something we need to ensure he does as we’re asking.”
“What has he taken that you want so badly?” Angelica asks.
“A daughter, who has never met her father,” I tell her from the front seat.
“Oh,” she says, her voice soft.
“Please, don’t be scared. We’ll have you home soon, I promise you.” Aviana assures her.
Angelica doesn’t say anything more.
We drive to the location Zariah has set up to hold Angelica, and when we get into the small house, we lead her to a cool, clean room in the basement. There is a television, a bed, and a bathroom. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s clean and tidy, and she’ll be safe here. Angelica looks around and then faces us once more. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“A couple of days.”
She’s scarily calm. It makes me wonder if this isn’t the first time she’s found herself being taken for something her father has done.
“After this, I’m changing my name,” she mutters, sitting on the bed. “Can I have a book, please?”
“Of course,” Zariah says. “Anything you need, you let me know.”
We walk out of the basement, locking the door. Zariah has secured all other entries and exits to make sure she can’t get out. Kendric has done a full sweep of the place to make sure there are no weapons she can use when we go down there.
“She’s calm,” Zariah says when we’re at the top of the stairs, and the door is closed.
“Guessin’ it’s not her first rodeo,” I mutter. “How did you find this place?”
“I know a lot of safe houses, joys of being a cop. Or...formerly, I guess. Now, let’s go and tell Benedict the great news.”
I nod. “I’ll go over with Aviana, and we’ll have him facetime her so he can see we’re not bluffing. Keep it short and sweet; hang up quickly when you’re done. We don’t want him seeing that she’s not distressed.”
Zariah nods. “On it.”
“Let’s fuckin’ do this.”
Finally, it feels like the end might just be closer than we think.