Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Bale escaped a nasty bite only because he had stepped back as he hit the door, presumably because he’d hurt his already injured hand. Sharif and Morza roared a challenge, rushing the back windows. All three dogs easily could have launched themselves from the car. Shabina gave the command to hold. She knew if Bale suffered a bite, he would immediately go to the authorities and demand her dogs be put down. Even if that didn’t happen, they would be quarantined, leaving her without protection.
Bale swore savagely, reached into his jacket and dragged out a revolver. He stepped back again, aiming it at Malik—or her—she wasn’t sure which. She raised her gun and made certain he knew exactly who she was aiming at. Her hand was rock steady.
“I suggest you leave, Bale. The security cameras have caught everything you’ve said and done from the time you first pulled up. If you dare to pull that trigger, I’ll kill you. Even if you get me, you’ll be dead. I don’t miss. Not ever. I was trained by the best. The gates might be right here, but you’re on my property. It will be self-defense.” She kept her voice very calm.
She hoped Rainier never viewed the footage. He would be furious that she hadn’t shot Bale. He’d told her a million times if she had to pull her weapon, not to hesitate. To shoot. He would have killed Bale by now. If he witnessed half the things Bale had done or said to her, she would be very concerned for Bale’s life.
Bale glanced around him, looking for cameras. For a moment, he looked as if he might try to shoot out the camera over the gate, but he thought better of it.
“This isn’t over by a long shot,” he snarled. “And if you think those recordings are going to help you, forget it. Lawyer Collins has been my friend for years. He’ll destroy every scrap of anything you have on me.” He spoke with absolute conviction.
She didn’t deign to answer him, nor did she lower her pistol. He spit on the ground, shoved his gun back in his jacket and stormed to his Jeep.
She sat for a long time, head on the steering wheel, too shaken by the encounter to move. Just finding the spices and date was bad enough, but then facing Bale’s malevolent hatred was horrific on top of that. Worse, he’d brought up her past, bringing the memories far too close, threatening to open those doors she kept barricaded closed.
She had no idea how long she stayed in her car before she became aware of the dogs’ distress. They pushed around her, heads on her shoulders, Malik all but sitting on her thigh. She took a deep breath and forced herself to open the gates. Rainier had drilled it into her to put security first. She didn’t know if someone had broken into her home and stolen spices and dates out of her kitchen or if they had done so from the café.
Almost on autopilot, she allowed the dogs in the garden first, giving them the alert command to patrol. She stayed just inside the gates, her weapon in her hand. She’d already texted Raine asking for her to check the security feed at the café and at her home. She also asked her to make certain she had her own recordings in case the ones in the café and at her home were wiped out.
Shabina was careful how she worded her request to Raine, not knowing if the FBI could already be monitoring her phone. Could they legally do that without her knowledge? She didn’t know. That was another question for Raine. She feared she was becoming that needy friend. She was so dependent on Rainier, now she felt she was putting too much on her friends.
She was sweating but cold. Shivering. Her legs felt stiff, every joint painful. Her thigh throbbed with increasing agony. Leaning her weight against the gate to help hold her up, she tried to breathe deeply to slow her pounding heart. Her heart was racing so fast her chest hurt, making her nauseous. She concentrated on staying on her feet and keeping air moving in and out of her lungs, trying not to think too much about the suddenly all-too-vivid details of her time spent with Scorpion, his hideous cabinet and his mercenaries.
When the dogs returned to her without alerting, she sent Malik and Sharif into the house. Morza stayed with her, as was protocol in a situation where it was possible her home had been broken into, although part of that protocol was to inform Rainier there was a possibility of trouble. She didn’t do that. She knew if she did, he would drop whatever he was doing and come. He always did.