Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 110360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
“Babe.”
“I know you’re going to tell me you’ll be okay and you’ll come back and you’ll get her.”
“All of those things are true.”
“And I have to let you go because I have to get her back.” Her voice cracked straight down the middle. “But he killed Marty. And Derrick. And he shot Alex. He has nothing left to lose, and I can’t—” She stopped, shoulders shaking. “I can’t lose you too. I’m telling you right now. I can’t do it.”
I put both hands on her face and forced her head back to look into my eyes. “You won’t. I am not going anywhere. I’m gonna go get her. I’m gonna bring her back. And then you promised me forever. I can’t miss that.”
“I’m scared,” she confessed.
“I know. But I have to do this. And I need you to let me go so I can hurry up and get back, because for the first time in my entire fucking life, I got a woman worth holding on to. And nothing, especially not Jason fucking Horton, is going to stand in my way. Okay?”
Something moved across her face. God, she was so damn scared. But deep down, inside those blue eyes that absolutely owned me, was the sparkle of trust.
I kissed her. Brief and complete, pouring every bit of myself into it as if it would give her something to hold on to until I could get back . And there was no question about it, no matter what it took, I was coming back to her.
“I love you,” she whispered against my mouth.
“I love you too.” I smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Figure out what you want for dinner while I’m gone. I’m assuming sushi is out, but I think we’re both gonna need the trifecta tonight.”
She half-laughed, half-cried.
I lowered my mouth to her ear. “The paparazzi are outside. I need you at that window for thirty seconds. Just stand there. Let them see you. Give Leo and me a clean exit.”
She pulled back and eyed me closely.
It was a big ask in the middle of such a traumatic situation.
She nodded without the first blink of hesitation.
I kissed her one last time and then walked to Brooke.
She looked up when I stopped in front of her. Whatever she saw in me made her eyes flash wide.
I crouched to her level, bringing us eye to eye. “You may not like me, but I swear on my life, you can trust me. I’m gonna get her back. You have my word. I need you to send me that address and then delete it. Wait about fifteen minutes and then go tell the cops you got a call. Give them all the details. Don’t mention that he sent a location until you hear from me, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I offered her a warm smile. “It’s gonna be okay. I promise.”
She reached out and gripped my forearm. “Be careful.”
“Always.”
When I righted myself, Leo was already at the door, ready to roll.
Fuck it. I guess he couldn’t fire me twice.
Sweeping my gaze to Jude and then Lark, I dipped my chin.
I didn’t have to say a word.
Jude moved to Lofton’s shoulder.
Lark moved to Brooke.
I glanced back one last time.
Lofton was already at the window. Cardboard peeled back. Cameras erupting on the other side of the glass. A wall of light aimed directly at her, and she stood in the center of it without flinching, giving them exactly what they came for.
Leo and I walked out the door and disappeared.
32
DEVON
I tucked the car against the curb in the shadow of an old storage container. Just around the bend, maybe a hundred yards out, the Chatsworth warehouse sat low and dark against the dusk folding in around it. Chain link perimeter. A single overhead light flickered above the truck bay like it was deciding whether to die or not. Jason was just out of view. Until I was ready to approach, I didn’t want him to know we were there.
Apollo’s voice came through the speakers. “Okay, I’ve got a visual from the traffic cam. Pushing it to Leo’s phone now.”
Leo’s screen lit up. Grainy. Timestamped. But clear enough.
Jason.
He paced tight loops. Arms flailing. Mouth moving like he was arguing with himself.
My jaw locked so hard it hurt.
Oh, yeah. He was on something. And if he’d been hooked on coke before, he’d graduated. Hard.
His head snapped toward the road every few seconds, twitchy, paranoid, then right back to pacing.
I leaned forward, forearms braced on the steering wheel like I could physically force the scene to give me more.
“Where is she?” I asked Apollo.
“I haven’t seen her since he got there.”
“He arrive in the sedan?”
“On foot.”
My teeth ground together.
I could still hear her screaming.
Still see her being dragged away.
Still feel Lofton fighting me like I was the enemy.
I swallowed it down.