Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
I twist, trying to look back through the rear window.
The black SUV. My house. The men.
Did they kill all of them?!
But it’s gone behind a curve of forest and houses before I can make sense of what just happened. Before I can even know if those men are alive or if they're dead or if they’re currently in the Escalade following us.
Terror grips me, as the very worst-case scenario in every woman’s mind grabs me by the tits and drags me to the deep end of its waters.
There were three men I didn’t know trying to force me to go with them to an undisclosed location for completely undisclosed reasons, and I’m pretty sure at least one of them is dead in my driveway.
And now, the Slater brothers—whom I do know—have successfully managed to take me. Against my will.
I’m being kidnapped. Actually fucking taken like some sort of Liam Neeson bullshit without my own Liam to find me. I thought I knew the Slater brothers—Alyssa thought they were harmless.
Turns out we were both really fucking wrong.
Turns out there are a hell of a lot of men in this freaking town we need to be very, very afraid of.
The doors are locked, and the handle doesn’t budge as I fight and claw to try to open it. As Kane drives us to an unknown destination, I start begging.
I know this is bad, but maybe, just maybe, I can reason with them before things really get out of hand.
“Guys, guys, please. You don’t need to do this. Please just take me to a police station or something. Or better yet, take me to my gammy’s. I won’t even go to the cops! I won’t tell anyone what happened or what you did to those guys, and we can all just go on with our lives, okay?”
“Ky, relax,” Rook coaches, his voice as soft as I’ve ever heard it, which, quite frankly, pisses me right the hell off.
“Relax? Relax? I’m pretty sure one of those men back there is dead, and you and your band of brothers just fucking kidnapped me, Rook! If you want me to relax, do relaxing things…how about that?”
“She’s funny,” Kane remarks from the driver’s seat, and without thinking, I throw my arm forward to punch him in the neck.
When he catches my fist with ease—sight unseen—my eyes widen to the edges of my face. Scooting back gently, I press myself into the leather of the seat and gulp.
“What the hell is going on here? Who were those men? And why, why, why are you guys doing this?” I question through heaving breaths. My hands shake uncontrollably as my mind spins from trying to understand what is safe and what is to be feared. My hands shake uncontrollably and I shove at the door handle again, but of course, it doesn’t budge.
Tears prick my eyes. Fuck!
Rook is beside me, one arm braced across the seat like a barrier, not touching me, but close enough that I can feel heat radiating off him.
My eyes are wild as I look at him, and I reach out to shove him in the chest. But his chest might as well be made of fucking stone for as much good as it does. “Tell me what’s going on!” I demand, voice cracking. “Right now!”
His gaze flicks to my face, then away again. Like looking at me hurts.
“Kylie,” he says, low. “I’m sorry.”
That makes my stomach turn colder.
“Sorry doesn’t cover this,” I whisper. “Those men…who were they?”
He doesn’t answer.
“Rook.” My voice breaks. “Who were they?”
His hand flexes once on his knee like he’s trying to stay restrained, like he’s trying to keep himself contained. “I can’t explain it now.”
“Pretty sure now is the perfect fucking time to explain it!” I scream. “There’s no better time than right fucking now!”
“I’m sorry, Kylie. Not right now. We have to get somewhere safe first.”
“Safe?” My laugh is maniacal. “Nothing about anything that’s happening right now feels safe, Rook! Nothing feels safe!”
More tears prick my eyes when Rook doesn’t respond.
Why won’t he tell me what’s going on?
Because he doesn’t trust me? Because he thinks I’ll scream? Because he’s insane? Or because what he’s about to say is worse than the part where three men tried to take me out of my own house?
I swallow hard. “Stop the car. Let me out.”
His jaw clenches. “I can’t.”
“You can,” I hiss. “Your brother is driving the car.”
“I can’t,” he repeats, and I hear something final in it that makes my breath catch.
I stare at him, shaking, then glance toward the front seat where Kane’s hands are steady on the wheel and Calloway’s eyes are scanning the road like he expects company.
I don’t know what I just got pulled out of. I don’t know what those men in my driveway were trying to do to me. I only know I’m trapped in a car with three men I thought were just…guys.