Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
“Why would they know who hired them?” Lou asked the pertinent question. “I can’t imagine they would be involved in the decisions about who to take on as clients. Also, aren’t we afraid they’ll send someone else when they realize Uncle Ian isn’t dead?” Her hand slapped across her mouth. “I called him uncle.”
They’d been so careful up until now because they’d been actively hiding their family ties from Ben Parker. “It’s okay now.”
“I watched Gabby call back to base and explain that she’d wounded me but some asshole pushed me out of the way so she’s trying again.” Her father took another sip of the Scotch he would use to blunt the discomfort he had to be in. “According to her she’s got forty-eight hours to complete the assignment, but they’re wary because they can’t confirm the injury. Which is why Tris is uploading Aidan’s report. It will state that I was admitted to Parkland and spoke with police but have no idea what happened.”
“Are we back to faking your death?” Kala asked with a hint of glee. “Because I have thoughts.”
“She does,” Lou agreed. “She has a notebook and everything. It’s both inventive and disturbing.”
Her dad sighed. “No. And while I know they aren’t consulted on the clients, from what I can tell they’re housed in the same places the other less targeted trained girls are.”
“So they were kept in a brothel.” Ben’s hand came out, and he covered hers. “I would be interested in a client list. From what I’ve heard, this would be for men with money and power.”
“I am not going to fuck this up,” a quiet voice said.
Sosa stood in the doorway, Gabby behind her. “We saw the laptop and folders, and we are not foolish, Mr. Ian. We are not going to look at them and tell the people who hurt us. Was that what this was about? Did you lie when you said you would help? It’s okay if you did, but we would like to know so we can choose our own way.”
“I will not shoot you again, sir,” Gabby promised. “I don’t actually like shooting people. The only fun thing was being able to climb the tree, but then the Bratz doll pulled me out of it and now I have an ache in my backside. Oh, no, Sosa, there are two of them.”
Sosa nodded. “I tell you. One of them is goth version.”
Kala grinned. “Damn straight. Welcome, weirdoes.”
It took everything she had to not roll her eyes. She turned and tried to remember that she was the lucky one with great parents and friends and a wonderful life where she wasn’t forced to be an assassin. She’d chosen that all on her own. “Sosa, we had to test you.”
She nodded. “I understand, and I know you will continue to. I know it will be hard to be trusting, but it is hard for me, too. I wouldn’t trust at all if it weren’t for Miss Charlotte. She understand. If she cannot help, then there is no help in all the world.”
“She’s going to help,” her father said in a far more careful tone than he usually used. “The only reason she isn’t here now is she needs to get our boys ready to travel. She’ll join us. She wouldn’t miss it. She wouldn’t miss the chance to help out girls who were hurt like she was.”
It was so shitty. Why couldn’t she have her love story without a bunch of sad-sack, traumatized young adults hanging around? Kala hadn’t had to deal with mini-moms. Lou hadn’t been forced to handle sarcastic newbies. Still. She had to be who she was. Kind. Patient. Open. “I will help you as well. As soon as we finish the mission we’re on, I’ll help take down everyone who hurt you.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” Kala vowed.
“Then we will help you, too.” Gabby stepped inside and smiled shyly Eve’s way. “It was good to talk to you, Miss Eve. Even if you think we are crazy.”
Eve’s head shook. “Traumatized. Not crazy. There’s nothing crazy about coping mechanisms, even when they’re extreme. Can you tell us anything about who hired you? Where does the boss find clients?”
Sosa selected a seat across from Ben and sat down, Gabby in the one next to her. “Our house is run by woman, but her boss is man. What you should understand is the house does many tasks. Some girls are used sexually, and they bring in money that way. Others work on the Dark Web. They are good at scams.”
“They get to eat the pizza.” Gabby had a sullen look on her face. “I tried to tell them I should be hacker, but they don’t believe me.”
“Because you are terrible with them.” Sosa looked to Kenzie’s father. “She cannot remember how to reset password. Also, despite the fact that she works with scammers, she is easy to scam. Sometimes they let us use the computers to study, but she clicks on everything and gets all the viruses.”