Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
I stared at him in frustration. It looked like I didn’t have a choice so I got into the SUV and we drove away.
“Take me to my former apartment please,” I said and they complied without any arguments.
I kept the gun pointed towards the front and my eyes on the two men via the rearview mirror. I felt terrible. They had saved my life and protected me, but I knew of no other way. If everything worked out the way I planned I would tell them that they were never in any danger. There had only been one bullet in the chamber and I had fired it at the wall.
When we arrived, I waved the gun at them again. I was sure they would try to stop me but they didn’t. Instead, they jumped out and fanned out around the car, their eyes looking all around for signs of danger. I got out of the car and hurried over to my apartment. I didn’t stop until I got to the elevator. I put the gun in the pocket of my jacket and rode the elevator up to the twelfth floor. I knew Dante would be furious with me, but by my reckoning, my plan carried less risk.
“This will help Dante,” I whispered to myself as the elevator doors slid open. I ran towards my apartment. I had no keys so I rang the doorbell. The door was pulled open, and Antoine stood before me. Behind him, I could see Detective Mellor.
He looked at me, shock in his eyes, and then he pulled me in for a huge hug. My mind registered the familiar warmth and I couldn’t help but completely sink into it.
“They said you had been kidnapped?” he accused and I held onto him even tighter.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized.
He pulled away and looked at me with a confused expression. “For what?”
“For dragging you into my mess. I couldn’t think of where else to meet her.”
He made a face. “Ugh! She’s horrible. Imagine having to sleep with that.”
My eyes widened. “Hush,” I whispered.
“Zola,” Detective Mellor called.
“Yeah, I’m here,” I said and moved into the apartment.
“Don’t leave without talking to me first,” Antoine said just before he disappeared into his bedroom.
I stopped in the middle of the place that used to be as familiar to me as breathing, but now it seemed so strange to me, it was as if I’d never lived here. For one it seemed incredibly small and way too bright. Had it really always been so bright?
“I'm happy you contacted me,” Detective Mellor got to her feet.
“Please sit down,” I said.
She smiled and did as I had asked.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Some water will be fine,” she said.
I retrieved a bottle from the refrigerator.
“With ice and lemon?” I asked.
“Those would be nice. Thank you.”
When it was ready I brought it to her. In another glass, I had Antoine’s famous persimmon iced tea for myself. She acted like she didn’t have a single care in the world and suddenly, I knew I’d made a mistake. I swallowed.
“You wouldn’t let me leave here even if I wanted to, would you?” I asked.
She shook her head and smiled. “No. You’ll either leave here as a participant of the program or in handcuffs.”
“For what?”
She shrugged. “We’ll figure something out, but we need you in our custody and not where Ugo can easily reach you.”
I was so incredibly annoyed to hear that bastard’s name.
“Moretti isn't aware you’ve left … is he?”
“I never said he had me.”
She chuckled softly. “Understood. He’s sure to be pissed though.”
I drained my glass, eager to move on to the matter at hand. “So … how are we going to do this?”
“It’s just like we discussed,” she replied. “We’ll take you into custody as a part of the program. The story will be that you managed to escape from the crash and returned to a place familiar to you and then you called us to come pick you up. Stricter measures will be put in place to protect you.”
“And if Ugo should attack me again?” I asked.
“We’ll be more vigilant this time around, trust me,” she said. “We already lost two of the best, so like I told you on the phone this is no longer just about Moretti. Ugo has severely offended us as well and we will not let him get off. This is not Mexico where you can get off with blatantly attacking the police force. He will be brought to justice. You are very much a key witness in Moretti’s case as you are in Matthew’s and Sarah’s. By the end of all this, there will be no prison time for Ugo. He'll face the death penalty and I’ll make sure of it.”
At the bitterness and conviction in her tone, I felt myself relax just a little bit more. “Okay,” I said. “I’m ready.”