Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Maybe things were moving too fast and her feelings were getting too deep. But she couldn’t seem to put on the brakes.
Especially after Thursday night at the club.
She’d spent a lot of time thinking about that scene she’d watched. And wondering if it was something she wanted.
“Opal! Opal!”
She turned to see Barney waving at her frantically from across the street.
“Barney! What is it?” She stood and looked over at him.
“It’s Aunt Grace!” he cried. “Can you come and help me? She’s fallen over and I’m having trouble waking her.”
“Oh my God! Let me grab my phone to call the ambulance.” Where had she left it?
“I have already. I just . . . I need help . . . I don’t . . . I can’t . . . please!”
“Whoa. It’s okay.” Poor guy was in a complete panic.
She rushed across the road and into the dark house. Jeez. She’d never been in here and it smelled kind of musty. It was filled with dark furniture and most of the drapes were pulled.
It didn’t seem like a healthy or nice place to live.
“She’s down here.”
Barney moved down the stairs to what had to be a basement level. Opal’s house didn’t have a basement. Which was a bit of a relief.
“Um. Down here?” she asked, trying to peer into the darkness.
“Yes, oh, she’s moaning.”
“I could wait up here for the paramedics.”
“Please, Opal,” Barney begged. “I-I just n-need you to check o-on her.”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” She moved down the stairs and then she saw the Grackle lying on the floor.
She had her eyes closed, but was that . . . was that duct tape on her mouth? She turned as she felt movement behind her.
Then there was a sharp pin prick to her arm.
And nothing.
Renard frowned at his phone.
He’d tried texting her. And when that had gone without a reply, he’d called her.
Nothing.
He glanced up as the back door of the restaurant opened and Saxon rushed in, looking uncharacteristically flustered. Behind him was Duncan Jones.
“What?” he snapped, his gaze moving between Saxon and Duncan.
“It’s Opal,” Saxon told him.
“What? What the fuck is going on?”
“We got a call about an hour ago,” Duncan explained. “One of her neighbors was out walking their dog when he noticed that Opal’s front door was open. Then he saw her phone on the ground. He went looking for her but couldn’t find her.”
Fuck. Shit.
“She might have gone out,” he said.
Without her phone or shutting the door?
“I went to check the house,” Duncan explained. “Looked like she’d just finished gardening. Her keys were inside. Her phone had several unanswered texts and calls. I’m sorry, Renard. But it looks like she’s missing.”
28
God, her head hurt.
Why did it hurt so much? And why did she feel so nauseous and cold? She couldn’t remember going on a bender last night.
Opening her eyes, Opal glanced around the dark room.
Where was she?
This wasn’t her bedroom. Her heart started to race.
A whimper sounded from across the room. She turned her head slowly. There didn’t seem to be any windows. But there was a lamp in the corner of the room letting off a dull light.
Another whimper.
That person sounded like they were in pain. She attempted to sit up and that was when she realized that her hands were tied in front of her.
With rope.
Had she started a scene with Renard?
But that made no sense. This rope was coarse and tied so tightly that her hands were starting to grow numb.
Renard wouldn’t do that to her. And he wouldn’t leave her on her own.
Fear filled her, making her stomach roll.
Shit.
What was happening?
She managed to sit and she shuffled closer to where the noise was coming from. As she grew closer to the whimpering sound, she froze.
The Grackle.
Mrs. Gingers lay on her side, staring up at her pleadingly. With duct tape on her mouth.
That’s when it came back to her.
Barney calling her over. Her rushing into the house.
The basement.
Mrs. Gingers lying on the floor.
A pinprick.
Then nothing.
Barney. That fucking asshole. He’d totally fooled her. She’d thought him some bumbling, slightly pathetic, sad guy. Who she’d felt sorry for.
And the fucker had kidnapped her? And his aunt?
“Oh, I don’t think so,” she grumbled. “Where is that motherfucker?”
Ignoring her fear and nausea, which she guessed was from whatever he’d used to knock her out, she shuffled over to the Grackle.
Then she took no pleasure in ripping off the duct tape from her mouth.
All right. So she took a small amount of pleasure.
Hey, she’d never claimed to be a saint.
“B-barney . . . he . . . he . . . I’m gonna kill him!” the Grackle yelled.
“Be quiet,” Opal warned frantically.
But it was too late. He obviously hadn’t been far away since the door opened soon after the Grackle yelled.
“You took off the duct tape,” he accused, stepping into the room with another lamp like the one that was on.