Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
My first hurdle is making it through the gates before Igor alerts security, and they close the gates on me.
Just as I think it, the gates start to close. So I put my foot down hard on the accelerator and, with a scream, close my eyes as I hurdle toward them, barely making it through before they close.
I start to laugh. A crazy maniacal laugh.
You can do this, Brooke. Just keep going until you find a police station.
But I don’t have to find the police. Because five miles down the road I see the distinct flash of red and blue behind me and pull over.
Relief tears through me. I’m safe.
I stop on the side of the road and open the door. But the moment I step out of the car, the police officer pushes his palms toward me and growls for me to stop. “Turn around and put your hands on the vehicle.”
“Officer, thank God I’ve found you. There’s this man—”
“I said put your hands on the vehicle, ma’am.”
His words hold a threatening edge, so I do as he says.
“Officer, I need to tell you—”
“This vehicle has been reported as stolen,” he says, walking up to me and grabbing my wrists.
“Hey!” I cry when he proceeds to cuff me. “You don’t understand—”
“I understand plenty.”
“No, you don’t. There was this man and—”
He yanks me around to face him. “I’m arresting you on suspicion of grand theft auto.”
I hear the roar of a speeding car coming toward us. A Lamborghini. It speeds up the road and pulls in behind the patrol car. Lev climbs out like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“Officer, it’s him, he’s the man—”
“Whose vehicle you stole.”
“Yes, but I had to get away from him. Last night, he took me to his house and—”
“And when you woke up this morning, and he wasn’t interested in it being any more than one night, you took offense and stole his car.”
“Wait, what? No.”
“No, you didn’t spend the night?”
I glare at him. What is this guy’s problem? I can feel the judgment washing off him in waves.
I straighten my shoulders and glare at him. “Yes, I spent the night, but only because he forced me to.”
He smirks, and if my hands weren’t cuffed, I’d punch the smugness right off his face.
Lev strides over to us, and the officer gives him a friendly nod. “Mr. Zarkov.”
Lev returns the nod. They clearly know each other.
Which doesn’t bode well for me.
The moment Lev lays those dark eyes on me, an amused grin slides across his lips. It’s a grin that declares I’ve won.
I scowl at him. Asshole.
“I found her just after you called,” the officer says.
“I trust she didn’t give you too much trouble,” Lev says. He’s talking to the officer, but his dark gaze is fixed firmly on me.
“No, sir.”
“Then I don’t think we need the cuffs, do you?” Wickedness moves through his expression as he cocks his eyebrow. “As much as I like seeing her in them.”
I roll my eyes at the innuendo. As if I couldn’t find another reason to hate him, he just handed it to me on a plate.
“Of course, let me take care of that for you.” The officer removes my cuffs.
I decide it’s now or never. Surely, if I let the police officer know what’s going on, he has to help me, right? Okay, maybe not this guy, but if I could get to the police station and speak to someone else, it might be my chance to fix this.
“Officer, I think you should take me down to the station. I stole this car. I should be arrested for—”
“Hey, Jonah, are you and your lovely wife still coming to the party at the Zarkov Estate next month?” Lev says, interrupting.
The officer smiles. “Yes, sir. Me and Rita wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’ve been looking forward to it since the last one.”
Lev smiles, but it’s aimed right at me. “And you’ll remind the others down at the station, won’t you?”
“No need, sir. You know how much they look forward to attending your events. Don’t think any one of them would miss it for all the money on Wall Street.”
I resist pulling a face at his obvious devotion to the asshole standing in front of me.
Lev’s gaze is unwavering. “Good. You know how I value my relationship with all the law enforcement around here.”
“Yes, sir.” The officer looks pleased but remembers his professionalism. “Are you interested in pressing charges?”
Lev cocks an eyebrow. “I don’t think that will be necessary, do you, Miss Masters?”
I open my mouth and then close it again. Resigned that he’s won, I shake my head. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
“It was just a misunderstanding,” Lev adds.
“Well, then, I’ll be on my way,” the officer says, walking over to his patrol car. “I’ll see you next month, Mr. Zarkov.”