Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
He shook his head. “The others were thicker.”
I nodded and gave him the signal to go through with slicing the band in half with the butcher knife he held. There was a single fatal slice before Kelsey took the severed band. “Let me measure it first,” she said.
If Griff had asked to do it, I would have shut him down, not wanting any man to touch Tayla except me. Instead, I gave a barely perceptible nod to Kelsey.
“I’ll get the bolt cutters,” Griff said and exited the condo.
Kelsey went over to Tayla and measured before holding out the rubber band to me. “Here,” she said. She’d marked it where I should make the second cut.
Channeling all the frustration I felt from not getting Ruin yet, I chop the band, uncaring that it hadn’t belonged to us. Like Griff, I sliced through the thicker rubber with ease. I took the measured piece and walked over to Tayla.
“Do you want Kelsey to do it?” I asked, fighting the desire I felt every time she was near.
“No. You can,” she said in a near whisper.
Just skimming my finger across her collarbone was enough to do me in. I focused on the task and worked the rubber under the collar. As I finished, Griff breezed through the door.
“Honey, I’m home,” he said, and Kelsey admonished him with whispered words for him to hush.
It was then the magnetic hold between Tayla and me eased off. I turned toward Kelsey and Griff. His brow was raised in question. I held out my hand and Griff stepped forward. “You sure you don’t want me to do it?” he asked.
He sidled up behind Tayla so she didn’t see him teasingly wink at me. I couldn’t glare at him, or Tayla would suspect that we were having a silent conversation about her.
“I’ll do it,” I said instead.
“Griff, why don’t we go get something from the van,” Kelsey said.
He frowned. “What?”
She rolled her eyes. “Something to check for trackers,” she said and tugged on his arm.
He flashed me a smirk before Tayla shifted her focus toward them. Griff let Kelsey lead him out of the condo. Then it was just us.
“This will work,” I said, trying to reassure her.
“I know,” she breathed.
I kept my cool, keenly slipping the tips of the bolt cutters just right. Internally, I counted to three while holding her gaze, then snipped. There was a zip of electricity that was stopped by the rubber, and then she was free.
Her eyes drifted shut as if she was saying a silent “thank you” that it had worked. I held there a second before removing the collar and taking a step back. It was then that she opened her eyes and her gaze landed on me.
I held up the collar. “I don’t think you want a souvenir,” I said with levity.
She shook her head. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I nodded and turned away. The pull between us was too compelling to ignore, but I had to. I turned and took a few steps to the counter and put the collar there. Ruin was more than a bastard. The metal disks that held the thing together were strung like pretty jewelry but were deadly.
Tayla stepped beside me. She smelled like wild berries, making my mouth water.
“Do you think there’s a tracking device in there?” she asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“I wouldn’t doubt he’d do something like that.” I didn’t add that I’d been a fool not to consider that. It was too late now.
“There might even be a silent alarm that lets him know I’ve taken it off,” she suggested.
“Maybe. We have to consider everything.”
Griff and Kelsey walked in with Griff on the phone. Kelsey headed in our direction and Griff stayed near the door.
“Any problems?” Kelsey asked.
Tayla’s lips curled in a small smile when Kelsey reached us. “No,” Tayla answered.
“Why don’t I take this? I’ll check it for trackers and get an idea of what it could do,” Kelsey said and picked it up, examining it.
“Just what we were thinking. Tayla also thought we should check for any fail-safe alarms that might have alerted Ruin it’d been removed.”
Kelsey nodded as Griff ended his call. “Everything is in place. We’re going to get this fucker tonight,” Griff announced.
“Yeah,” I said and glanced at Tayla.
Her eyes narrowed and she circled back to the conversation we hadn’t finished earlier. “Don’t even think about leaving me here,” Tayla said.
That had been exactly what I’d been about to suggest.
16
TAYLA
Everyone stared as if I had pulled a pin on a grenade, so I let the elephant out of the bag. “I know what you all are thinking. That this man has caught me twice. And that’s true. The first time, I was reckless and too emotional. I wager that you all would have acted as irrationally as I did if you had a little sister being preyed upon.”