Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Tori laughed softly.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Taking Tori with me was a risk. But leaving her behind felt like a bigger one. Especially if there were other Sanderson members lurking around that could identify her as putting away one of their own. I had to keep her close. That was the only way I could guarantee her safety.
We set off down the hall. Tori didn’t say a word but gestured each time we made a turn, directing me where to go. We kept our weapons ready, and when we started down the hallway she tapped my shoulder, holding up her fingers. Three, then two, then three.
Unit 323.
I sucked in a quick breath and bashed the door open. A guard lunged for me, and I dropped him with a single shot. Tori entered the fray a moment after his body hit the ground, and we both trained our guns on Richie.
“Paige! Are you all right?” Tori said, keeping her place beside me.
Paige was still locked into her metal folding chair. Richie made a move for her, and I shot him in the knee. He let out a horrendous scream and collapsed back against the wall.
“You fucked with the wrong people, Dalton.”
“Go to hell, Starr.”
I gave him a wicked smile. “Actually, it’s Agent Marshon. FBI.”
Richie’s eyes widened, and a thrill of satisfaction rushed through me.
“Here,” I said, fishing a knife from my back pocket. I tossed it to Tori, who flipped it open as she hurried to free Paige from her bonds.
When Paige’s plastic cuffs snapped off, she popped up from her chair, rubbing her own battered wrists, and the two women raced to get behind me. It wouldn’t be long till Richie’s backup got there.
“Go, Tori. Get Paige out of here. Take the same path we came. Shoot anyone who tries to stop you,” I said, not taking my eyes off Richie’s. Footsteps sounded, and I trusted she was following my instructions.
Richie moved toward his piece, and before he could get a grip on it, I squeezed off three quick shots and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. As I watched Richie crumple to the ground, I stepped over him and made my way to catch up to the girls.
Tori and Paige were pushing through the side door as I caught up to them. Outside, the sirens were getting closer, and soon, this mess would be wrapped up, and Tori and I could start our lives together again.
It was over.
Tori remained by my side through all of the questioning and moment-by-moment replays. Richie’s men were hauled away by the handful until only the fed’s working the scene remained. With the number of weapons in their possession, none would see the sun for a long time.
A fact that made me deliciously happy.
Pax wandered over with two Styrofoam cups, coffees from the shop down the way that had just opened for the day. As Tori and I approached twenty-four hours without sleep, we took them gladly.
“So, guess there goes the big case, huh, Bulldog?” Pax said, slapping me on the shoulder, sloshing my coffee.
I shot him a scowl and shook the hot liquid off my hand. “Actually, Pax, I’d say it all worked out even better than expected.” I gave Tori a meaningful glance. “Richie Dalton is dead, and all it’s gonna take is one or two of his little pals to give into a plea deal to get the big fish we were after all along.”
Pax shrugged. “Suppose so. Unfortunately, I think you’re burned from working those cases.”
I smiled at Tori. “You know, I’ve been thinking about retiring for a while anyway. Maybe it’s time to travel. See the world. Live a little.”
Tori’s blue eyes gleamed up at me.
Pax muttered something I didn’t care enough to hear, and I kissed Tori on the cheek. “What do you think, baby?”
“I’ll go anywhere that you can be Bennett, and I can be Tori. And we can be together.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” I quipped before kissing her again.
The scene still crawled with men and women in FBI, LAPD, and ATF jackets. Lights flashed, radios buzzed, and orders barked across the lot as more special teams filtered in and out. The shitstorm would take days—possibly weeks—to fully clear out. The investigation would drag on for months after that.
I didn’t care about any of it. The only thing I cared about was sitting right next to me in the cab of my truck, her feet on the dash and her hand on my thigh.
Without waiting, I revved the engine to life and shot Tori a sideways smile. “Let’s get the hell outta here, baby.”
Tori smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. “To us.”
“To us.”