Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 118965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
My heart keeps beat in my temples as I pull back the bolt and flatten my palm on the metal. I stop breathing when I shove the flimsy door open. It’s dark inside except for a small circle of light that comes from a torchlight that stands in the middle of the floor.
Whack.
Something hard hits me on the head. The impact makes me stumble. Before I have time to come to my senses, a vicious blow on the back of my knees causes my legs to fold. I go down as another thwack rattles my brain in my skull. Someone jumps on my back and grabs my neck in a strangling grip.
My men’s footsteps fall hard on the ground behind me. Their grunts sound in the dark as more punches rain down on us.
“Wait,” a small voice calls from the corner. “It’s Angelo.”
Sophie.
The assault stops abruptly. My attacker lets go of my neck and jumps off me. A man switches on a torchlight and shines the light around us. The faces of our attackers are caught in the beams—my nephews.
Thank fuck.
“Sorry,” Johan says, holding a plank in his hand. “I thought it was them.”
I rub my head where an egg is growing. “So you decided to take them on? With your bare hands?”
He raises the plank. “Not with my bare hands.” Squinting into the light, he leans closer. “I broke skin. You’re bleeding.”
Little rascal. Pinning him with a stare, I say even as my chest expands with pride for his courage, “You’re never to put your life at risk again. Understand?”
The lift of his chin is obstinate. “We weren’t just going to hang around here like sitting ducks.”
I take in Étienne and Guillaume’s dirt-streaked faces. My relief is so great it leaves me weak in the aftermath. I feel like hugging the lot of them.
“Angelo,” Sophie exclaims, running from her corner and throwing herself into my arms.
I hold her small body in one arm and slip the gun into the back of my waistband.
“I don’t like the men who brought us camping,” she says. “I’m hungry.”
My chest squeezes. It’s the first time she’s taken ownership of her feelings without projecting them on her doll. I’m so fucking grateful I can only stand there for a moment, pulling Guillaume under my other arm.
“I want to go home,” Sophie whines.
“We’re going, darling. Heidi can make some cocoa and fix you a warm meal.”
“I want Sabella,” she says, sounding close to tears.
“You’ll see Sabella. I promise.”
The men have finished searching the room. The one in the lead gives me a nod. I tilt my head toward the door, indicating that they can give the green light. The driver will bring the vehicle. Two men stay just outside the door. The others will remain in position just in case.
When the kids and I are alone, I lower Sophie to her feet. “Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head. “They were mean, but they didn’t hurt us.”
I look at the boys. “You?”
Johan puffs out his chest. “We’re fine.”
“Waldo?” I ask with caution.
“Dunno,” Johan says, the set of his jaw hardening. “They grabbed him in the parking lot at the school. They put bags over our heads.”
Fury rises in me.
“They only took them off when we were outside the village,” Étienne says.
“They had guns.” Contempt sparks in Johan’s eyes. “Otherwise, I would’ve taken them on sooner.”
I take in the fuzzy hair that thickens along his sideburns. I’ll have to teach him how to use a razor soon.
“Come on,” I say. “Let’s get out of here.”
The 4x4 pulls up as we exit. A man jumps from the passenger side with blankets and water. Once Johan is settled in the front and the other three in the back, I instruct the driver to go back to the road and to wait for us to catch up on foot. The terrain is too rough for the SUVs.
While we trek the short distance over the field, my priority is calling Heidi so that she can prepare for the kids’ arrival. I let her know they’re uninjured lest she calls the doctor out in the early hours of the morning.
“Oh thank you, dear God,” she says, gushing about how grateful she is in my ear.
That makes two of us.
She ends her long reply with, “I’ve been going out of my mind. I wanted to go over to Sabella, but the guards didn’t want me to leave.”
“I didn’t want you or Sabella on the road today. Once I’ve dropped off the kids, I’ll go to the new house and fetch Sabella myself. The kids can do with a warm bath and a meal. It’s been a long day for them. They must be starving.”
“They didn’t feed them?”
I clench my jaw. “No.”
“Dear God. They’re children! What kind of people do that? Who took them?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s over.” I check the surroundings out of habit, ensuring no new dangers are lurking. “Their psychologist is going to have a field day with this.”