Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Glass exploded inward, and Marc barely managed to get his left arm up to protect his face, though he could no longer tell which way he was pointed. He released the wheel and just prayed that the truck had spun him in the direction of the hill rising up along the side of the road rather than the steep drop.
He didn’t know how long the car drifted. Couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds but it felt longer before the passenger side slammed into something solid and stopped moving.
Marc groaned and rested his head back against his seat with his eyes closed. Adrenaline pumped through his body. He could feel blood running down his hand and arm. The pain hadn’t kicked in yet. It was coming, and it was going to be bad.
Before the rush of ambulances, cops, and chaos finally broke through the eerie silence of the moment, he had enough clarity of thought to realize one thing: someone was trying to kill him.
Chapter Two
Lucas Vallois was an arrogant prick.
Marc was sure that Lucas was making him wait just because he could. Of course, he would have done the same damn thing if the roles had been reversed, which was the only reason he managed to not pace the luxurious lobby outside of Lucas’s private office. The entire area was decorated in neutral beiges, brushed nickel, and black, while large floor-to-ceiling windows looked down on the city. The cold, gray sky didn’t improve his mood. Winter hadn’t been horrible, but like the rest of the city, Marc was ready for the early signs of spring to start peeking through.
As far as he could see, the only other offices on the floor were for Lucas’s personal assistants. The male assistant had spent every second since Marc’s arrival on the phone, making a seemingly endless series of phone calls. The woman, Candace, had personally greeted him and fixed him an espresso while informing him that Lucas was just finishing up another meeting.
Meeting, my ass.
There was a nagging voice in his head prodding him to just get up and walk to the elevator. He could handle this on his own. He didn’t need Lucas Vallois and his connections. He didn’t need help.
But even as the voice needled and poked, his eyes caught on the white bandage around his left hand. The bandage stretched up his wrist and forearm, hiding long scratches and more than a few stitches. Yeah, that was why he was willing to reach out to Lucas. He’d tried to handle things on his own, and he’d come too damn close to dying.
He and Lucas had their differences and a past that wasn’t exactly positive, but Lucas was friends with Rowe Ward, and he needed Rowe’s security company to deal with his problem. And if the culprit was who he believed, then he couldn’t risk being seen walking into Ward Security. Which brought him right back to waiting on Lucas to finish with his so-called meeting.
The soft thump of heels across the carpet drew Marc from his thoughts to find Candace approaching him with a polite smile.
“Mr. Vallois is ready for you now.”
Marc gave a brief nod and grabbed the black rectangular box with a bright red ribbon he’d brought with him before he pushed to his feet. He followed the short woman into Vallois’s private domain, and he had to give the new billionaire props—it was a damn nice office. Classy and intimidating all in one. A mix of traditional with little touches of modern coolness to give everything a somewhat cold and detached feel. So much like the man himself.
Lucas stood behind his desk, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He listened to the caller, but his eyes tracked Marc as he crossed the room to him, a slight smile on his full lips as if he was already amused that Marc was there. His free hand was in his pocket, and his suit jacket was unbuttoned to reveal a crisp, white shirt under a gray vest. It was like the man was posing for a photo shoot.
“We can talk about it over dinner tonight. It’s time you told Hollis about your little plan,” Lucas murmured into the phone. He paused, his smile growing. “Fine. But he needs to know about the new restaurant before you attempt to set a wedding date. We’ll talk tonight.”
Lucas ended the call and placed the phone on the desk, turning his attention fully to Marc. “It’s good to see you, Marc.”
“Lucas. Congratulations on your marriage.” When he reached Lucas’s desk, he handed over the black box. “Considering that it only made the society page, I’m assuming everything went well. No unexpected fires or shootings.”
Lucas’s smile tensed just a bit, and Marc nearly cackled. Just over a year ago, Lucas and his businesses were constantly in the news for his near death, a car chase, and several businesses burning to the ground. Not exactly what you’d expect from a stylish property developer.