Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“It’s not about that. It’s shielding my woman from any pain. That’s my mission in life now,” I tell him honestly. I don’t know the story between him and Grace, but I know every single time Grace had to be around Vector, she withdrew into herself.
I’ve let her keep too many secrets. It’s my fault she’s not here with me. I will get her back and I’m going to protect her from anything that hurts her. That’s my vow, and I’ll make it to her—as soon as she’s in my arms again.
Vector doesn’t question me any further and I’m damn glad. It’s an awkward conversation as it is. With things settled, I punch the code into the private elevator meant for the offices and penthouse suite, and we walk in. I’ve got a woman to find and bring home.
16
GRACE
“Who the hell is that?” I hear a man ask.
I’m disoriented and my head is killing me. I lay still, afraid to move as I get my bearings. I’m lying on something hard, but I can tell I’m in a vehicle. I can hear the hum of the engine. I think there’s a window cracked too because I can hear the difference in the wind.
“Fuck if I know. They’re on our ass back there,” another man says. Hearing his voice brings back when I was abducted at the casino. That guy is the one referred to as Zero. I don’t know them, but apparently, they were after me because I was talking to Andrew. I heard them say that much. It’s just my luck Andrew would show up in my life once more and get me kidnapped. Jesus, my grandmother was right. I really am cursed. Right now, I need to figure out how to get myself out of this situation. I have Asher to think about. He needs me.
“I say we pull over and cap the motherfuckers,” Zero answers.
“Do you have a brain in there somewhere, Zero? Prez told us to keep a low profile. Leaving dead bodies along the way is not low profile, you idiot.”
I slowly open my eyes, looking around. I need a plan. Well, really, I need a gun. I get the feeling these guys aren’t smart, but I doubt even they are dumb enough to leave one of those lying around. Before I even get the chance to find anything that might help, the vehicle jerks and starts skidding violently.
“What the fuck? This has to be Vector. How in the hell did the asshole find us so soon?”
“Who knows? He probably went to get his dick wet by his bitch and discovered she was gone,” the other guy growls, finally getting the van back under control. The only good thing about any of this is the dumbasses aren’t paying attention to me. Our van gets rammed again while they start fighting. I quickly look around for some type of weapon. There’s nothing. I want to cry.
I refuse to do that.
After my relationship with Benny, I wanted to be able to defend myself and protect Asher. I enrolled in every self-defense class that I could find. Every instructor I’ve had tells me I’m one of the best they’ve taught. I don’t know if they were just being nice or not. I do know I tried extremely hard. It was important to me. That doesn’t mean I’m not terrified right now. I’ve never had a real opponent. I’ve always gone against other members in the group I was in, or my instructor. What if they weren’t really trying? What if everything I thought I have learned amounts to nothing? If I attack Zero, there’s a good chance he will kill me. Then again, if I don’t, he will kill me anyway. Basically, I have nothing to lose.
I feel the vehicle following us hit ours again. Zero and whoever the other guy is, are yelling at one another, much louder than before. I hear panic in their voices. If I’m going to take my shot, it has to be now. I have to hope they’re right and that it is Andrew following us. For some reason, I imagine Ford in my mind, coming to my rescue. My heart squeezes in my chest a little and I find myself wishing it was him—imagining that I was important enough to him that he’d hunt down my kidnappers and whisk me away to safety.
Stupid.
Life has taught me that no man is going to save me. There’s no happily ever after for me. I sit up slowly, shaking off the nausea and dizzy sensation that threatens to take over. I can’t let it. They put something over my mouth earlier when they began pulling me toward an exit. I tried to fight, but I’d already made a mistake by letting them get the jump on me. My instructor would have had my head. If I survive this, I’ll have to let him know what an idiot I was. I slowly get into a crouching position. I don’t want to draw attention to myself. Luckily, my kidnappers are busy still arguing with one another. I clasp my hands together and bring them down, hard and fast, to the back of the man’s neck. Hearing him argue—this time while paying attention—I know this is probably the one called Zero.