Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
He walks around the car, keeping the gun trained on me. He’s definitely the guy who spilled coffee all over my laptop. His hand trembles as he gestures with the firearm. “To the bar. Now.”
Nothing good will happen if I do what he says. I need to stall. This may be a quiet neighborhood, but I saw a car go by a few minutes ago. If I get lucky, maybe another car will notice us. Damien isn't exactly being subtle with the gun he’s waving around.
“How did you switch the number?” I say, trying to get him talking.
He smiles thinly. “This goes deeper than you can imagine. This goes to the root of your entire existence, girl.”
“Did you break into my…” No, that’s not it. Oh, fuck. “You threatened Ellie, didn’t you? When I visited her, I went to the bathroom. I left my phone with her. Right before I left, she looked… terrified. You threatened an innocent woman who has cancer.”
He walks right up to me, prodding me with the gun, causing a fresh wave of terror to drench my entire being. “I’d change your tone if I were you.”
“But I’m right.”
“Luke owes me. His entire company owes me. I’m the man behind it all. I’m the kingpin. I’m the big dog.” He barks in my freaking face. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so terrifying. “Now – walk.”
With no other choice, I move slowly across the street, holding my hands high above my head, praying someone will notice me. I take small, slow steps, then stop, panting as if I’m on the verge of a panic attack. It’s easy to fake it… or I’m not totally faking it.
“Walk, bitch, or I’ll shoot you right here.”
“Puh-please,” I say, almost choking on the word. “Please, just let me—”
“Walk. Oh, fuck…”
That’s when I hear it, the sound of tires approaching. I want to cry out in relief, but I can’t claim victory. I need them to stop, I need them to care enough to save a life. Thankfully, I still have my hands up in the air.
All I’m hoping for is a distraction to run away, but when I turn to look, I’m pleasantly surprised by what I see. A man with a big, bushy mustache pokes his head out of his pickup, holding none other than a shotgun. He looks like can handle the gun well. It is Florida, after all.
“What do we have here?” the man yells.
“Mind your business, old man,” Damien yells. “Or I shoot the bitch.”
“You shoot her, I shoot you, mister.”
“You can shoot me; I’m already dead.”
“But there are things you want to do,” I say. “Think, Damien. If it all ends here, how will you get what’s owed to you? How will you take control of NeuroDrive? You need to stay alive long enough to take what’s rightfully yours, don’t you? You need to be smart about this.”
Damien groans. “I’m accurate with this gun, mister.”
“That makes two of us,” the man says, racking his rifle. Damien must not know a lot about guns because a shotgun isn’t a firearm known for it’s precision. A buckshot could take us both out. So, either the big man is bluffing, or he’s as crazy as Damien.
“Now get!”
Damien doesn’t say anything for a minute, but my potential savior isn’t too patient.
“Move it now! This is your last warning.”
“Okay, okay. I’m going to back up, but I’m keeping the gun aimed on her. If you make a move I don’t like, I’m going to blow her fucking brains all over the road. Got it?”
“And if you make a move I don’t like, I’m going to explode your head like a watermelon dropped off a skyscraper. Just so we’re clear.”
The next several seconds are tense as pure terror pulses through me. Damien backs away. I can’t see him, since he’s behind me, but I know where he is because the driver never takes the barrel of his gun from him. Damien climbs into a car and screeches away, but the man never lowers his weapon.
When he’s gone, I slump to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and shivering. I can’t stop. The man climbs from his truck and drapes a blanket over my shoulders. Soon, there are sirens in the air. Despite that, I can’t stop shivering.
For the next two hours, I go from the hospital to the police station. I give them my statement about Damien, starting in Vegas and ending with the switched phone numbers. He’s still at large, so they put a police escort on me. They try to comfort me by saying they’ve informed all their officers to be on the lookout for him. His travel is also going to be restricted.
I feel raw after what happened. As the police give me a ride, I take out my phone, open my socials, then mentally kick myself. I’ve got several messages from Luke.