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)
“Carly?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
I tensed the muscles in my arm, barely keeping myself from punching the stone. Where the fuck was my woman?
“I’ve got a twenty on her,” one of Nic’s men informed me. Air rushed from my lungs, making me almost dizzy with relief. We weren’t clear by any stretch of the imagination, but at least I knew she was here. “She’s in a small structure out back, looks like a guest house or servant’s quarters.”
“Is it visible from the pool deck?” I inquired as my mind raced over our options and attempted to formulate a plan.
“Partially, but from what I can tell, the room she’s in isn’t.”
“Bran, ya got company,” Conor growled in my ear. “Security is makin’ the rounds.”
“Armed?” I asked.
“Looks like pistols only.”
Conor gave us the location for each of the three guards and one by one, we picked them off before they could sound an alarm. Then two of the boys dragged them into the bushy area across the access road.
It was time to breach, but I hesitated, torn between going to Carly and dealing with the scum who had taken her. I knew Carly would kick my ass for choosing her when Thomas or Aiden could just as easily do it. But, my heart ached to see her, to know she was alive and unharmed. However, the thought of her safety in the long run, and our determination to shut this faction of the business down, was what made the decision.
“Thomas, take three guys and secure my wife. Aiden, you’re with me, we’ll meet back at the rendezvous point.” Thomas started to argue, wanting to switch places with Aiden, but I cut him off, commanding him to do as I said. I needed someone calm and logical to counter balance me. Thomas was too close to Carly, and I was afraid our rage would make both of us irrational and easily provoked into doing something incredibly stupid. He huffed in irritation but dropped the issue.
I entered the compound through a side entrance in the gate, followed by Aiden and five other guys who immediately spread out, staying hidden. The others would wait at the back until I signaled for them to make their move. Sean and Josué would be dead by the time I left, but I wanted Carly far away and safe before we got aggressive. We would serve as a distraction while they got her out.
Aiden and I snuck up the concrete steps leading to the pool deck, pausing near the top to listen in on the squabble being had.
“She’s no good ta me now,” Sean whined, “I’ll have ta take the territory by force instead of gaining it through marriage. Which means I’ll need capital.”
“What do you expect me to do, estipid?” Josué asked in a thick Haitian Creole accent. “She’s too old to fetch much of a price, even if she weren’t pregnant.”
Fucking hell. How did they find out about the baby when Carly hadn’t even admitted to being pregnant yet?
“Why don’t ya keep her? It’s not like ya care about their condition as long as they’re strong enough ta be broken. She’s a feisty one, she’ll fight harder than the other girls. An I’ll only charge ya half the fee.”
Rage consumed me and I could barely see the steps as I tried to barrel up them. They were talking about my wife. I was yanked backward before I could ascend even one stair.
“They’ll get what’s comin’ to them, Brandon,” Aiden hissed. “But, you’re no good to Carly if you go rushin’ in thoughtlessly an’ get yourself killed.”
He was right. I hated that he was right. But, it was why I’d brought him with me in the first place. We needed to find out where they were keeping the girls.
“Oke,” Josué said, his tone somewhat gleeful. “If you’re right, maybe she’ll be enough to entertain me for a while.”
Dead man. Dead man. Dead man.
“Just make sure she disappears when yer done with her,” Sean snapped. “Now, send someone to load up the shipment, I need to get the feck out o’ here.”
It was exactly what we needed. I motioned for one of the men with us to turn around and go back. He’d heard the discussion and knew what I wanted. A few of them would follow their guy to what was most likely a local brothel and clear it out.
Before I broke eye contact, I gave him one more order, my voice deadly. “Burn it the fuck down.”
TWENTY-TWO
Carly
“No fecking way!”
I’d recognize that voice anywhere, had heard it for most of my life. I still kept my eyes closed for a moment, terrified I might be imagining my childhood friend was here to rescue me, just like I’d expected Brandon to be standing in front of me when I’d opened my eyes after dreaming of him. Pushing down my terror, I lifted my head, opened my eyes, and found Tommy standing in front of me with three of my men behind him.