Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
“She just paid random guys off the street to go do it,” replied Gerard.
“Are you sure? Because the scrambler’s trail ended in the side alley, but Therese’s car is in the lot—I can see it from here. So either she had assistance or another mode of transport. Who would help her?”
“I-I don’t know. If she dragged anyone else into this, she didn’t tell me.”
“Maybe she rented a vehicle,” suggested Blair in an unnaturally flat tone, cracking her knuckles.
“At least we know she’s alive, Deke,” said Tate, his eyes flinty. “You might not have an imprinting bond, but you’d feel her death. It would reverberate through you.”
“I swear, I never meant for things to go this far,” Gerard vowed.
“And yet,” bit out Camden, “you didn’t do a damn thing to stop the runaway train.”
Gerard pulled his shoulders up to his ears, lifting shaking hands. “What could I do?”
Deke leaned toward him. “Warn us where the danger was coming from so I could protect my mate!”
“She wasn’t your mate back then,” Gerard pointed out in a defensive mumble. “Look, I fucked up, I know, but—”
“And you set up others to take the fall for the profiles,” Luke reminded him.
Gerard shrugged. “I knew they’d be able to prove they were innocent.”
As if that made it okay? Unreal. “What about Ginny?”
“Therese wanted you to suspect the loner, so to scare the woman into relocating fast she made up some bullshit story about how Bailey planned to have her killed.”
A low moan escaped the female sprawled on the sofa.
Gerard crept closer to her. “Dayna?”
Her eyelids flickered several times and then lifted. Her brows squished together. “Gerard, what are—” She stopped speaking, awareness flooding her eyes. “Where is she? Where’s Therese? Fucking bitch tranq’d me after I parked in the lot, started hitting my face with the butt of her gun and then tried to gut me.”
Gerard’s eyes fell closed. “God, I’m so sorry.”
Havana loomed over him. “Where is she? Where would she have taken Bailey, Gerard?”
Dayna stiffened. “Therese has Bailey?” She shot to an upright position. “What the hell is happening here?”
“Where, Gerard?” demanded Havana, ignoring the redhead’s question. “Think.”
He spluttered. “I’m not sure, okay? I mean, there’s one place she might have taken her, but it’s a long shot, really.”
Deke took a lurching step toward him. “Where?”
“A bar that extremists frequent called Liberty,” the male replied. “She once talked of selling Bailey to them, but she said it laughing. Like it was a joke. I don’t think she’d go that far.”
Deke shot him an incredulous look. “She almost killed her best friend, Gerard. I don’t think she has many limits at this point.” He made for the door, aware that several people were hot on his heels. Pulling out his phone, he looked up the bar and found its address. “I’m going to—” He stumbled as a hot flash of fury surged through him.
“What’s wrong?” asked Havana.
He put a hand to his chest. “I just felt her. A quick flare of anger.” He dashed outside and hurried toward his car, hearing Tate shouting out orders for some pride members to follow in other vehicles.
“Bailey’s no easy prey, Deke,” said Camden, keeping pace with him. “Therese made a mistake in taking her. She doesn’t know what Bailey is capable of. Your mamba will be alive when we find her. And we will find her.”
Deke nodded. Yes, they would. He’d accept nothing else.
Therese smiled down at the screen of her phone. “Ah, people are running to their vehicles now. They’re off to look for Dayna’s killer. You.”
Unfortunate, but Bailey wasn’t holding out hope of a rescue anyway. She didn’t need one. The knot binding her wrists was almost loose enough that she’d soon be able to free herself. She simply needed to be careful how she went about it, since she didn’t want to get tranq’d again.
Therese still held her gun securely in her lap. Any abrupt movement from Bailey would earn her nothing but a damn dart to her chest. Lucky for her, there was a great way to distract the little bitch to give Bailey time to get out of this freaking chair. But there was no sense in launching that part of her plan until her wrists were free, since she’d need a few moments to also untie her ankles before she could rise.
Intent on keeping Therese occupied, Bailey spoke again. “So, you’re not going to tell me who my ‘ride’ is?” She’d asked once already, but Therese had only responded with a smug grin. She did that same thing yet again. Bitch.
Choosing another subject that would hopefully keep Therese occupied, Bailey said, “All right. I don’t suppose you’re interested in telling me why you killed Dayna, are you? Sorry, almost killed her? I’m curious.”
“Her plan was to leave for Australia next week. She’d invited Gerard to go with her. He was so excited. He literally couldn’t wait to start a life with her.” Therese swiped her tongue between her teeth and lower lip. “But then, earlier, she had a change of heart. She broke it off with him.”