Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
He arches a dark brown. “You sure about that?”
I’m warmed by his protectiveness, a sign that these brothers Luke has found in our time apart, welcome me with open arms. As Adam said, he would die for me. Savage would do the same, but I would not want to meet his wife in the aftermath. I want to meet her with him alive and well. That means I need Kurt to talk to me. Really talk to me.
I give a tiny nod. “Positive, but thank you, Savage.”
He grunts. “I’m not positive,” he rebuts, “but I’ll be in the kitchen.” He scowls at Kurt and then saunters in that direction.
I claim the seat in front of Kurt, and for a moment, just a moment, guilt stabs at me, for allowing the man who sheltered and cared for me, to sit tied to a chair. But then a memory surfaces, me in a cave, my hands, and feet tied up as punishment for being captured by the “enemy.” The enemies were his men, and the mission was training at The Ranch. If my guilt was a word written on a chalkboard, my memories of his actions are the eraser that wipes it away, and does so in a clear, swift swipe.
“I knew you’d be back,” he states, a gleam in his eyes that almost reads like pride, though this emotion is illogical for most, it’s not for Kurt.
I tied him up. I took control. These are the actions of the person he taught me to become. More and more, I’m not sure I’m proud of that person. “Why come back now?”
“I told you why.”
“Tell me again. Because based on what you’ve said thus far it’s hard for me to believe you have a man on the inside of this operation we’re battling. And yet, you got here. You knew we were coming and that indicates that you indeed, do have an insider view of what’s going on.”
“I hired a hacker, some guy out of Germany. He’s monitoring everyone I know is involved, including Parker.”
“Then you have to know who Parker was reporting to,” I assume.
“Your boss, who’s now dead. He emailed him. That’s how they communicated. The three-day pledge was communicated to Mike.”
“That means they also know we don’t have the package.”
“Parker wrote about his belief that you were coming here to The Ranch, because the package is hidden here. We still have three days.”
I’m not sure I believe him, but I lean toward yes, at least on this. We all need to hope that’s a fact. Right now, I want to know why he’s back in this moment, and not a previous one. Aside from the idea that this package has surfaced.
“Were you working for or with Mike?” I ask, referencing my boss, who is now dead.
“No. A guy they called Maverick. Real name: Ted Maverick. He’s dead.”
“Did you kill him?”
He barks out a laugh. “I wish. I wanted to kill that little prick a hundred times over. He’s the one who used you as a weapon against me. The only reason I let him live was because I wanted him to lead me to his boss. I wanted to end this. And he did. Or so I thought. That was your boss. Turns out he was Maverick’s replacement. Once Mike came on the scene, Maverick had a heart attack. Translated to, he got himself killed off.”
“When?”
“Right after Kasey died. You can see why Luke leaving right at that point in time, set about as well as spoiled milk sits with me. Real damn sour.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ana
For just a moment, I’m back at Kasey’s burial site, reliving that godforsaken, brutal day…
I’m standing alone after everyone else has left, a cold drizzle tormenting my body, while the casket in front of me shreds my heart. Kasey is gone. Kurt is gone. And I don’t even know what is happening with me and Luke. He killed Kasey, and damn him, I know Kasey was troubled, but why couldn’t he have found a way to save him? Or let someone else do it at least. How am I supposed to love the man who killed my brother? Why do I still love him so damn much? And why isn’t he here with me now?
It’s then that I feel this tingling sensation, as if I’m being watched, and my gaze jerks up and toward a cluster of trees. Luke steps out of the coverage of those trees, and I’m both relieved and elated to see him here, well and alive, after the bullet that ended up in his gut. I didn’t mean to shoot him, but some part of me knows, I should have wanted to shoot him. I was really trying to protect him from Trevor when my gun had fallen and I’d tried to catch it.