Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
He falls back against the door and then crumbles down to the ground just as I get to the door. The last guard lunges for me, fear trickling into his features as if he knows the fate he’s about to be delivered. Expecting it, I greet him with a punch to the chest, knocking the air from his lungs. A gasp slips from his lips, and before he can recover, I press the muzzle of my gun to his stomach and pull the trigger. Like a tiger, I move through the foyer and toward the kitchen.
A scream pierces the air and bounces off the walls of the house, and like a beacon, I’m drawn to it. Dove needs me, she fucking needs me, and I’ll be damned if I fail her again. Turning, I walk back toward the hall, where I hear a whimper instead of a scream this time. I’ll rip his heart out of his chest if he hurts her.
Uncontrolled, and like an animal hunting its prey, I move deeper into the hall. I can sense Ivan behind me, his movements mimic mine, but he doesn’t intervene or try and stop me.
“Time to go, princess.” Christian’s smug voice pierces through the heavy fog around my head, and I hide slip into the room, hiding behind the door. When I peer back around the corner, Christian is tugging Dove down the hall with him. I only catch a glimpse of her face; her cheeks are stained with tears. “Your little knight thought he could save you, but all he did was damn you. You should thank me for killing you and putting you out of your misery.”
Dove’s cries are muffled, but I can feel her pain, taste her fear on the tip of my tongue. I have to stop them before they get to an exit and get outside. Christian wasn’t prepared for us to show up here, and so we have the element of surprise right now, but I’m sure he’s called more men in, and they’ll be here soon.
Too bad Christian will be dead before that happens. Tiptoeing in the direction he went, I lift my gun, watching as he tugs Dove by her arm toward a door. She struggles in his grasp, and as she fights him, her gaze swings toward me. Panic. Fear. Adoration. Love. Each emotion reflects back at me.
Shaking my head, I release myself from her trance. The door opens, and I lift my gun, firing two shots into Christian’s back.
I don’t think, I pounce like a thief in the night, rushing toward them. Christian releases Dove at the last second, and before I can grasp what is taking place, he shoves her toward the open door. Fear like I’ve never felt before, pulses through me with its own heartbeat as I watch her disappear into the dark space. I hear every stair she hits, my heart cracking inside my chest, and as Christian turns to face me, a sadistic smile on his lips and a gun in his hand, I lift my own and shoot him in the head at point-blank range.
Shock flickers in his eyes, and then blood and brain matter explode everywhere, painting the hall in death. Christian’s stare becomes vacant and reflects back at me. He crumbles to the ground, landing in a heap at my feet. I step over his body and rush down the stairs, my hands shaking, and my body vibrating with fear as I reach Dove.
She is lying on her side, her arms cradling her head. I kneel next to her on the floor, not sure if I should pick her up or if that would hurt her more. I gently grab her arms and pull them away from her face, so I can get a better look at her. Brushing the sweat-slicked hair from her face, her eyes flutter open and find mine in an instant.
“Are you okay?” I ask, my voice raw with emotion.
“My head hurts, but I’m okay… are you? Are you okay?” Her eyes move over the front of my shirt before she reaches for me, her hands fisting the material in her hands.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” I murmur against her forehead as I pluck her off the floor and cradle her frail body in my arms. I’m not sure what kind of injuries she has, but I need to get her out of here. More of Christian’s men could arrive at any second, and I’m not going to fall into that trap. Racing up the steps, I meet Ivan’s dark stare at the top.
“Is she okay?” he asks gruffly, his eyes flicking over her face.
“I don’t know. He shoved her down the stairs, and she’s complaining that her head hurts. She’s not bleeding, but I need to get her to Xander’s and have the doctor check her over before I can be sure.”