Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Juan stormed in, grabbing my throat. “You will never speak his name again.” He squeezed, cutting off my air. “He is nothing to you now. Do you understand?”
I gasped for air, unable to push his hands away.
Heidi laughed. “Don’t kill her tonight. All this will be for nothing. Come to me, lover, and I will calm you.”
Glaring, he walked out, slamming the door so hard it shook on the hinges.
I lowered my head, trying to catch my breath and ignore the sounds coming from the other room. A phone ringing interrupted them, and I was grateful. Juan spoke in another language then filled Heidi in.
“The plane will pick us up at seven tomorrow morning. We need to be ready.”
Seven?
My heart sank.
Would Niall find me in time? I stared at the fragments of my bracelet on the floor and prayed I’d done enough.
If not, my life was over.
NIALL
We approached the racetrack on foot, parking far away so as not to arouse suspicion. There were only the four of us. Other men were already guarding the exits, keeping watch, making sure we got in safely. The moment Roman gave the signal, his men would move in.
But until then, we went in. Silent. Stealthy.
I saw the dark sedan, bending and confirming it was the same license plate as I had memorized from the video feed. Juan hadn’t cared at that point about hiding himself or the car. He thought he had pulled it off. That we wouldn’t be able to figure out where he was and that he had won.
Soon enough, he would know what he’d lost with his careless ego doing the thinking. Just like his uncle, he was lax.
In my ear, Aldo whispered confirmation the security was off for the door we approached, and he quickly picked the lock. Inside, we shut it behind us soundlessly and listened. From the outside, the racetrack appeared as it was supposed to be—deserted. Windows covered, no one around.
But in here, in the utter silence, we could hear it. Muted voices, footsteps.
I checked my gun and tugged on the straps of my vest. We were well armed, protected, and this time, not a silencer in sight. I wanted Juan to know the sounds of the gun that would kill him.
We knew the floor plan. Up the stairs and down the hall to the left. According to the blueprints our IT security team managed to produce, a set of living quarters was tucked behind the office Finn and I had been inside.
That was where they were.
We also had information on a small plane arriving early in the morning to transport them across the border. Another flight plan was found of them heading to Colombia.
None of them would be on time for that flight.
Two would be dead, and Anna would be where she belonged.
Safe in my arms.
Slowly, with utter precision, one by one, we crept up the cement stairs. Then we made our way through the door and down the hall. Ghosts, moving like shadows in the darkened corridor. A sliver of light spilled from a closed doorway. I could hear arguing coming from behind the door, one woman and one man.
We stopped and listened.
“If we drug her and put her in the suitcase again, there will be fewer questions. Less hassle.”
“She has barely recovered from earlier. She is already half dead.”
I froze, and Finn’s hand landed on my shoulder.
Calm.
“She’s pretending.”
“The amount you would need to keep her knocked out is too risky. I’ve paid plenty for the loyalty of the pilot. He doesn’t care if she’s struggling and screaming. We can give her a dose before we land.”
“It sounds as if you care too much for your little pet, Juan.”
“I have risked everything to get her. To kill her before I enjoy it? No.”
I’d heard enough.
Aldo bent, carefully sliding a tiny device under the door. Over his shoulder, I could see Juan standing with his back to the door. Heidi, who looked vastly different, stood across from him at the entrance to what looked like a closet. Her arms were crossed in anger. There was another door at the other end of the room.
I couldn’t see Anna.
Aldo lifted his eyebrows. All three of them looked at me. It was risky to go in and not know where Anna was. Bursting through the door and firing meant she could be caught in the middle.
Finn pointed to the door where Heidi stood and pointed to himself. Then he indicated the other door, and I nodded. We’d each look for Anna behind those doorways.
I nodded and Aldo withdrew the device.
I held up my hand, all five fingers spread wide.
We positioned ourselves, guns drawn, nerves steady. We had the same goal.
In. Out. Done.
I counted down, lifting my gun as I closed my hand into a fist.
And we charged.
Aldo was first through the door, shooting Juan in the leg. He spun around like a ballerina, his arms raised, the look of shock on his face almost comical as he fell.