Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Get out. It’s my turn.” Cooper’s voice is a low, focused growl.
Hellfire taps his wrist to remind Cooper he doesn’t have all day, and nods. We close the door behind us. Whatever happens now is on his head.
“What are the chances of him being sensible and just putting a bullet between Kane’s eyes?” I ask.
Savage runs his hands over his face, looking tired and annoyed. “Zero.”
“Shit. If this was a spy movie, I’d be yelling at the screen for him to just get it the fuck done before something goes wrong.”
He looks at me like I’m the problem here.
“What? We’re all thinking it.”
“Yeah, but you don’t fucking say it out loud!" Hellfire snaps.
"That's the problem, isn't it? If he eats shit, how's he gonna pay?"
Voices carry through the door. He must've taken Kane's gag out, because they're shouting at each other. We exchange glances.
“It’s fine. He’s tied up so tight the only way he’s getting loose is if Cooper cuts him free and that would be—”
Whatever Savage was about to say gets cut off by what sounds like all the windows exploding at once.
I hear the sound of boots running our way, and we all draw iron as Hellfire slams open the door. We stay out of line of sight for a moment in case someone is going to start shooting, then I cautiously look inside.
The windows are all blown out, and Kane is standing behind Cooper, with a knife blade pressed to his throat. Where the fuck did he even get a knife?
“He had nothing on him, I swear to fucking God,” Savage snarls. “We both checked him.”
Kane sneers. "Put the guns down and bring me the girls if you want this idiot to live."
6
JESSICA
“Are they going to kill my dad?” Anne asks softly.
We’re being kept together, along with Marissa in one of Kane’s meeting rooms downstairs. When they first threw Marissa in with us, she was sobbing so hard it felt like she was trying to win an Oscar, but when it didn’t win her any attention, the tears dried up fast. Ghost and Tex are watching us, along with a guy named Jackal who has his jacket draped over one shoulder and a makeshift bandage tied around his arm.
“Of course not,” Marissa snaps. “He’s worth too much. I’m sure they just want money.”
Ghost laughs, but it sounds more mocking than amused.
I stay quiet, not wanting to lie, but the truth isn’t easy.
Anne looks down at her hands. “It’s because he’s a bad person, isn’t it? I’m not stupid, you know. You can tell me.”
“I know you aren’t.” I look around, helplessly.
Tex walks over and crouches down in front of us. “What do you know about your father, kid?”
“He does business with bad people. People who hurt people. He… he hurt Jessica.”
Tex looks up. His rich hazel eyes take me in. “Why would he do that?”
I can’t hold his gaze and look away, adjusting my glasses even though they don’t need it.
“Oh my God. You can’t really be falling for Jessica’s pathetic little mouse act, can you?” Marissa whines. “Anne likes her because she’s a pushover. Victor has to be strict. Otherwise she wouldn’t get anything done at all.”
“For fuck’s sake, woman,” Jackal snaps. “Your pussy must be magic if Kane puts up with you, but you’re so fucking sour I’d be afraid my dick would fall off.”
Anne’s jaw drops before she slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle the gasp.
The door slams open and everyone jumps. The three men all reach for their guns, going from vaguely bored to full attention in the blink of an eye. They relax when they see it’s one of their own at the door, a man with thick, unruly black hair and sharp features.
“Poe? What’s going on?” Ghost asks.
“Kane’s got Cooper. Bring the women up.”
My blood runs cold. “No.”
Poe nods. “He’s threatening to kill Cooper unless we bring them to him.”
Tex takes me, Ghost takes Anne, and Jackal leads Marissa up to the second floor where they were holding Vincent. There’s no teasing or joking this time. Every step feels like an eternity. I was so close to finally getting away from him, and now I might end up right back where I started, and after this, he’ll be looking to find someone to beat on. Maybe he won’t care about me. It’s Anne and Marissa that are important, right?
“We’ll be okay, right?” I ask, feeling like Anne when Tex’s silence is my only answer.
We are marched into Victor’s library upstairs. The wall of windows is nothing but sparkling rubble, with thousands of chunks of glass strewn around the floor and outside onto the terrace. Victor stands near the window, forcing a man’s head up with his arm under the man’s jaw and holding a knife to his throat. A trickle of blood is dripping lazily from the blade.