Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I murmur, distracted as I stand. “So straight back to the hotel?” I ask.
“Yes, and then we will go.”
I nod. “Please be careful.” I look up into his eyes and I just have to say it. “I love you,” I whisper as I grab his hand.
He squeezes my hand in his as his eyes search mine. “Then start acting like it.”
I smile softly, and in that split second, I know it’s going to be okay between us. Relief mixed with adrenaline starts to pump through my bloodstream. We need to get out of here. Damn this drama. Why can’t we just be in our love bubble somewhere on a secluded luxury island? I stand and make my way out onto the street. I drop my head, and without looking up, I walk fast. I continue without hesitation until I get to the hotel where I turn and wait in the shadows of the trees next to the entrance door. For fifteen minutes, I wait.
Where is he? I glance at the time on my phone. He has been way too long. Something is wrong.
Shit.
What do I do? Do I wait here? He gave me the gun for protection, but who’s protecting him? I slide my hand into my bag to check that it is still there and I feel the cold, hard metal. I blow out a grateful breath. I bite my thumbnail as I stare out into the darkness.
It must be after 2am.
Where are you? Come on, come on.
He’s not coming. I walk to the edge of the curb and stare down in the direction I came from. I can’t see anything odd going on.
Fucking hell. I have to go back to see where he is. I glance back up at our hotel room window. Did he go in another door and I didn’t see him?
There is no other door, stupid.
Shit.
I walk back down the hill toward town, careful to keep in the darkened shadows, and I’m positive this isn’t bloody safe. Forget about Stucco. Who knows who else is here? I become super sensitive to all the sounds around me. I hear a can kick across the ground in the distance and I turn suddenly. My footsteps are magnified from the earlier downpour as I try and listen for unfamiliar sounds. I hear a woman scream in the distance and I stop still as I battle the fear in my throat. I turn and look back up at the hotel, and then back in the direction I am going. I slide my hand into the bag and grip the gun. My heart is trying to escape from my chest.
If you shoot anyone, you are going to jail. Stace’s words from earlier echo in my mind. I don’t want to go through all this shit to end up in a Columbian prison for life.
Don’t shoot anybody. Just don’t shoot anybody, I remind myself.
Where the frigging hell are you? I get to the row of shops and start to look around frantically. The street is still so busy. Why are there so many damn people around? Actually, that’s a good thing. I can’t imagine how frightening this would be if the town were deserted. A police car drives slowly past and I feel like jumping out in front of them and asking for their help, but I know they can’t help us. Nobody on Earth can help us. I walk past an alley between two restaurants and I peer up into the shadows. I frown and stop on the spot.
Three men are up the other end in the darkness, and one of them is Stace.
Fuck.
I immediately slink up against the wall in the shadows near the opening and listen. I strain my ears as hard as I can, but I can’t hear what they are saying. I need to get closer… but what if he gets out of it and then I am here and ruin the whole thing? But, what if they kill him?
That’s it. I’m getting closer. I slowly tiptoe towards them in the darkness, until finally I can hear what they are saying.
“I’m giving you one last chance. Where the fuck is she?” Stucco growls.
Oh God.
“I told you, I don’t fucking know. She took me hostage to get off the ship. I haven’t seen her since we landed.”
“Bullshit. That’s an outright lie.”
“Go to fucking hell. I don’t know where she is.”
“Get him,” Stucco says to the other man.
The other man grabs Stace and a scuffle breaks out.
“Get your hands off me,” Stace snaps.
A punch is thrown and I screw up my face as I slowly get the gun out.
“Vikinos wanted you alive, but I don’t care for that. You are better off dead.” Stucco growls.
“Fuck you,” Stace yells as he connects a hard hit to Stucco’s jaw. He staggers back and then regains composure and runs at Stace and they fall to the ground.