Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Nic’s friend Brecken was a security specialist and had resources we didn’t have access to. He’d been invaluable when we’d been protecting Anna several weeks before. It gave me a tiny level of comfort to have him on our side once again.
Thomas was suddenly at my side and I spun around, fisting my hands in his dress shirt, pulling his face up to mine, which lifted him a couple of inches off of his feet.
“What the fuck happened?” I ground out, doing everything I could to tamp down the rising need to pulverize someone.
He shook his head, his eyes filled with guilt and fear, some of it directed at me, but I could tell it was mostly from concern for the woman we both loved, albeit in very different ways. “She needed to use the bathroom and I told Greg to watch out for her while I took a piss. When I came out they were both gone and Greg’s comm was off.”
“Who the fuck is Greg?” I roared, shaking Thomas violently.
“He’s one of my men. I’ve known him my whole life. I didn’t think—”
“No,” I interrupted, “you didn’t fucking think! I don’t know him. I specifically instructed you not to leave the safety of my wife with anyone who wasn’t on the list I gave you. Where is he?”
“He’s—he’s gone too,” Thomas stuttered.
I dropped him and delved my fingers into my hair, pulling the strands in an effort to keep from killing him.
“Sean won’t hurt her,” he insisted. “He’s after power and the easiest way to gain it is by marryin’ Carly.”
“She’s already fucking married!” I bellowed.
“There are ways around that.”
“Over my dead body,” I growled.
“Yeah, that’s one of the ways. The other would be an annulment.”
“He can’t annul it,” I croaked.
“He doesn’t know she isn’t a virgin. Catchin’ her before the weddin’ night...” he trailed off. “He won’t hurt her.”
It felt like someone had my heart in a grip, twisting it tighter and tighter until I couldn’t breathe. I fell to my knees. “What about when he finds out she’s pregnant? Are you still confident he won’t harm her or our child?” My voice was hoarse, betraying how broken I felt. She was everything to me. My whole life.
Thomas looked shell-shocked for a moment, then I watched as worry turned to fear, then to terror. I surged to my feet, my riot of emotions finally causing me to lose the reins of my control and my fist slammed into his face. I heard the crunch of bone as Thomas flew backward from the force of the blow.
“If we don’t find her, if he harms her in any way,” I threatened savagely, “you’ll pay for it with your life.”
He stared at me silently as he tried to stem the bleeding from his nose which was most likely broken. I was stunned at what I didn’t see in his gaze. There was no anger, no fear, only guilt and acceptance. He simply nodded and began to turn away. But, he stopped and looked back at me, “I’ll hand you the rope to hang me with.”
Blood trickled down Greg’s neck as I ran the very tip of my knife across his skin, leaving a shallow cut below his jaw, from ear to ear.
“You know my reputation,” I said quietly, displaying a calm I didn’t feel. “Now add on to the fact that you’ve not only betrayed your leader, but put the love of my life in harm’s way. I think it’s safe to say you should fear me a fuck of a lot more than that motherfucker, Sean.”
Brecken had come through for us and we were able to catch up to the limo at an executive airport in White Plains. It was one of the small airstrips where the O’Reillys had a private hangar for smuggling girls and drugs.
The plane had just lifted off as we’d arrived, but the limousine was tearing away from the small airstrip. Ewan drove his SUV straight into the driver’s side door. The crazy motherfucker. He would definitely be getting a raise.
It killed the driver instantly, but Greg stumbled out of the front passenger seat and took off on foot. He wasn’t more than two yards away when he was forced to stop, finding himself locked in a circle of vehicles. He’d looked like a deer in headlights, and I’d cracked my knuckles in anticipation of seeing that panicked look turn to one of horror.
I had spent the last five minutes interrogating him, making small, shallow cuts in his skin. Greg was obviously confused at my actions considering the cuts didn’t cause much pain. He’d understand soon enough, though.
When I was satisfied with my handiwork, I signaled to Conor, who then walked over carrying a small box. Standing back, I motioned him forward. One by one, he removed leeches from the container, placing them over the wounds. Greg began to struggle, his confusion quite cleared up. He pleaded with Conor but it fell on deaf ears.