Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“You know I like the chase. This one is too easy. They’re all willing to spread their legs once they get hungry enough.”
Winston laughed. “See, that’s what I love about people, dumb and predictable. Realizing that makes you powerful.”
The audio ended. Madison’s mouth hung open. That was more than a smoking gun. That was enough to end any chances Winston had of winning another election. It should be enough to put him in prison, too. And now that his core voters—and so many of the American people—knew, maybe that would actually happen.
Where the hell had Genie and Matt procured that bombshell audio clip? She looked to Matt in utter shock and a question on her face. He bobbed his head toward the side of the stage. Ramona, Willa, and Sadie were all holding hands and grinning from ear to ear. They’d secretly recorded the Pershing men? Madison wanted to hug them. Ramona and Willa would probably be out of jobs, but they looked more than willing to suffer that consequence for doing the right thing.
Suddenly, Winston groaned.
Madison whirled around in time to see him stagger. His chest buckled, and his eyes bulged in his florid face. He gasped for breath.
“Medic!” Logan shouted. “We need a goddamn medic!”
A couple of EMTs rushed in from the sidelines as the younger Edgington brother and Joaquin settled Winston’s supine form on the stage and backed away, allowing the medical personnel to kneel at his side with their equipment and get to work.
“Heart attack?” Logan asked.
Neither EMT answered at first. Finally, one nodded. “We’re losing him.”
Todd ripped free from Zy, who hovered as her husband fell to his knees at his grandfather’s feet. He turned on the EMTs. “You better fucking save him.”
“Sir, we’re doing all we can. Back up. You need to give us room…”
Todd rose, searched the stage with wild eyes, then caught sight of her and stormed in her direction. “Fucking cunt. You and that cowboy nobody you spread your legs for? I’m going to fucking end you both.”
Madison dodged him, but Todd was full of rage—and he was faster. He wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed mercilessly. As she struggled for air, she choked and flailed. God, was he crushing her windpipe? She feared the answer as pain and dizziness wracked her. Adrenaline surged, and she kicked and elbowed him while trying to stamp her heel into his toes. But she’d been too queasy to eat her lunch. The heat had sapped her. She felt lightheaded and weak. Still, she fought on for herself. For her baby.
Matt, Zy, Logan, and Joaquin all closed in, their faces full of grim determination.
Todd chose that moment to pull a switchblade from his suit coat and press it against her neck. “Back off! I’ve already severed a head from a body. Don’t think I won’t do it again. This blade is a lot duller than the kitchen knife I used on my cousin, but I’ll put in the extra effort to kill this bitch.”
Matt shouted for her, his eyes wide. Panic. She saw it through his calm facade as the black tunnel of her vision narrowed. Her alarm spiked. She thrashed and wriggled—to no avail. From a distance, she saw police rush in, guns drawn. Another level of fear clawed her. This scene was spinning out of control.
Todd pressed the knife deeper. It pierced her skin. Blood ran warm down her neck. Hyperventilating, she clawed at Todd’s arm. He didn’t give an inch.
As one, Matt, Logan, and Zy lunged for him, but Todd dragged her back. “Come a step closer, and I’ll stick this in her carotid.”
Madison’s vision narrowed even more. All the voices sounded far away, even the man shouting over the counting and beeping in the background.
“He’s not responding,” someone said. “Paddles!”
An electronic beep followed by a jolt. Electricity seemed to fill the air. Everyone froze.
Then Todd let out an inhuman sound and whirled on the EMTs. “You fucking keep trying.”
With that demand, he loosened his hand on her throat enough for Madison to wheeze in a huge gasp of air. Her vision focused again. But Todd still clutched her trembling body, her back to his chest, the knife under her chin.
“Sir, he has no pul—”
“Shut up and keep trying.”
She caught Matt’s eyes. He looked terrified but stoic and resolved. He refused to lose her. That fact was all over his face.
Todd’s instability was the wild card.
Madison reached out for Matt, hoping to break free while Todd was distracted. But if there was any chance she was going to die, she wanted to touch the man she loved one more time.
Todd yanked her back. “Stop it, you whore.”
“I’m sorry,” the EMT said. “Your grandfather is gone.”
“He can’t be dead!” Todd roared, shoving the edge of the blade harder against Madison’s skin. “No, goddamn it! No. This is your fault!” He yanked on her hair so hard her eyes stung. Her back arched. The dull blade scraped the delicate skin of her throat as he kicked at the EMT. “Don’t you dare give up on him!”