Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
The pretty brunette shrugged. “My lower back has been bothering me all day but I also have sciatica with this pregnancy. So who knows what it is? It’s my third.” She blushed at the admission.
Raven winced, hoping it was back pain and not labor. “Well, let’s get you out of here. Where are the women I saw you with earlier?” Raven asked.
The brunette frowned at the question. “They’re work friends not friend friends, if you know what I mean. And I learned they won’t ever fall into the latter category.”
They made it to the door and walked out. Except for Stevie, the barback watching the emergency exit, and Remy who was taking care of a woman who looked ill, everyone was out. She wasn’t worried about there being an actual explosive in the bar. Lance wouldn’t involve the NYPD and she was sure it was some kind of crime to call in a fake bomb threat. She had no doubt they would all be outside soon.
While she watched for them, she stood with the woman she’d helped, waiting for an ambulance. The sidewalk where they’d met up was crowded. To her surprise, instead of giving up and going home or to another restaurant, most of the patrons gathered and stayed, everyone talking, asking questions and mostly wanting to appease their morbid curiosity. She likened the people gathered to those who passed an accident on the highway and slowed down to watch, causing traffic on the other side of the highway.
An officer began to urge people to cross the street and move away from the building, or better yet, to disperse. Not many listened.
Two ambulances pulled up to the curb alongside the police cruisers, blocking traffic so they could park in front of the bar. The paramedics hopped out and took the pregnant woman inside one of the vehicles, leaving Raven to cross the street and try to look for Remy or the guard who he’d assigned to watch her.
With the growing crowd, she was being jostled and shoved. She wasn’t comfortable so she backed away from the tight group of strangers, instead walking along the periphery and occasionally rising onto her tiptoes to scout out someone she knew, to no avail.
She sighed and leaned against the building, away from the bulk of gawkers. She didn’t have her purse but she had her cell phone in her pocket and she pulled it out to call Remy. As she held it up to her face to open the screen, she got the feeling she’d had weeks ago, that someone was watching her.
She spun around, facing away from the gathered people, but didn’t see anyone. Her heart pounded harder and again she searched for Remy or a familiar face.
“Raven.”
At the sound of her name, relief that one of her coworkers had found her first filled her… Except it wasn’t a friendly face she saw.
It was Lance.
Chapter Twenty
Before Raven could blink, Lance clamped his hand around her wrist, causing her to drop her phone, as he pulled her around the corner, giving her no time to run. Instead, she opened her mouth to yell and he clamped a hand over her lips, squeezing her cheeks too tightly.
“Don’t,” he said in a harsh, brutal tone that sent chills down her spine. “You scream or make a scene and I promise you I will hunt down every friend you have and make them wish they’d never met you.”
She wished she’d never met him.
He released his hold on her face and grabbed her forearm hard enough to leave a bruise, but not before moving his sport jacket and revealing a handgun tucked into his dark jeans. “Got it?” he asked.
She took the threat seriously and managed a curt nod. She was both relieved at how he could screw up his parole by carrying the weapon and afraid of what he might do with it.
The pain in her face lingered and tears filled her eyes. She was frustrated that after all their preparation, Lance had found her without her protection detail. Then again, the area was mass chaos because of the bomb threat, which made her a much easier target. Something he’d no doubt planned because she was sure now that he’d made the call.
Luckily, Lance let the gun remain in his pants, not pulling it on her. She wondered if she grabbed the weapon, would she be able to fire at an actual human being? She had to believe that yes, she could… if her life depended on it.
“Let’s go.” Lance dragged her around the corner where they were hidden from view, and since she had no choice because of his threat, she followed.
With a rough grip on her arm, he leaned against the brick building and peeked out at the main street. His head darted from side to side in a jerky motion. His erratic movements worried her.