Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I’ll go.”
Everyone gave her surprised looks. Even Keir.
“I’m coming. Let’s go. He’s in pain.”
“I . . .” Gerald looked utterly flummoxed. “That’s not a good idea, Miss Lottie.”
“I’m going.” She gave Gerald a firm look. “Nico, can you carry Ace? I’ll get, um. What will I need?”
“Your handbag,” Nico told her. “Phone.”
Right. The panic was already starting to overwhelm her.
Just breathe, Lottie. You can do this. He’s a child. He needs you.
She raced upstairs, feeling breathless and ill by the time she got to her room. There was her phone. She didn’t know where her wallet was. She never went anywhere.
No time. No time.
She dashed back downstairs, then saw Nico carrying Ace toward the front door. She stilled as she reached the door.
She flushed hot then cold, her stomach turning over.
Can’t do this. Can’t do this.
Nico turned, studied her.
“Lottie, you should stay here.”
God, she wanted to. So much. The thought of going somewhere with a bunch of strangers . . . she had to swallow down a mouthful of bile. What if she had a panic attack? Fainted? Threw up?
“Lottie,” Ace cried out.
But she had to do this for him. It was her fault that he’d hurt himself. She was supposed to be taking care of him but look what had happened.
“Lottie,” Nico said in a low voice. “Come to me.”
His words were filled with steel, and she found herself moving to him without thought.
“Why is Lottie breathing funny?” Ace asked. “Is she hurt too?”
“Lottie is fine. She just needs to keep her eyes on me. I’m going to help her. And she’ll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to her.”
Nico’s words slowly penetrated the panic threatening to send her spiraling.
“Deep breath in, nice and slow. That’s it. Take hold of my arm.”
There was that commanding tone again. It filled her with strength. She didn’t know how or why.
“Don’t let go unless I give you permission.”
Permission? Seriously? She should probably object to that wording. She didn’t need his permission for anything. But she still clung to his arm as they walked outside toward the waiting town car.
“Eyes on me, Lottie. Don’t you look away,” Nico commanded.
She couldn’t do this.
“It hurts,” Ace cried.
She had to do this.
5
Liam climbed into the back of the car beside Regent.
He blew out a breath as he sat back, and the car started moving forward. The partition was up between them and the front seat where two of Regent’s guys sat. There were two more in a car behind him. More security than either of them usually traveled with. But Regent had wanted a show of force for this meeting. With good reason.
“What did you think?” Regent asked, without looking at him.
To look at him, you’d think he was unaffected by anything that had just happened. But Liam had known him for a while now. He knew from the tight way he held his jaw to the forced casualness of his pose that Regent was concerned.
“There’s something off with him,” Liam said.
Regent let out a slight breath then nodded with a frown. “That’s what I thought.”
“Doesn’t mean he has anything to do with your problems, though.”
“No, but he could be willing to take advantage.”
Yeah, that could definitely be it. Patrick held control of a smaller part of New Orleans than Regent did. So if he wanted a bigger share, he could be waiting for Regent to fuck up then make his move.
“I’ve got a rat in the ranks,” Regent muttered.
They’d been friends for years, and Liam had nothing to do with Regent’s business dealings. Which is likely why the other man felt safe discussing this with him. “Nobody should have come close to intercepting the last shipment from Mexico and I can’t work out how they came so close unless I have a rat.”
Made sense.
“Victor is down there now, smoothing things over?”
“If by smoothing things over, you mean he’s busting heads and intimidating people, then yeah.”
Regent’s phone rang. He looked at who was calling and frowned, answering the call.
“Gerald? What is it? What? Why is she at the hospital? Fuck. Is it broken?”
Liam glared at Regent. Who was at the hospital? Lottie?
He tapped out a message to Nico.
Liam: Where are you? What’s going on?
No reply. Fuck.
“We’re on our way. No, stay there with them. Is she all right? Fuck. Yes. Fifteen.”
Regent ended the call with a grunt.
“What is it?” Liam asked, staring down at his phone. He was going to kill Nico. Liam preferred to move around without guards. Yeah, his wealth and connections could make him a target but he stuck to the shadows and there wasn’t much he wasn’t capable of doing himself.
But Nico was his weak spot.
Nico and now Lottie. Which meant that he might have to review how he operated. Because Lottie would need protection.
And if Nico wasn’t going to do what he fucking told him to and stay in touch, stay put, then he might find himself with a guard too.