Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
“By torturing and threatening me? By making me do things I didn’t want to do? Spy on people? Help you?”
“Exactly.” He coughed.
“You’re not in a good way. You should surrender and then we’ll get you medical help.”
“Not happening! I’m going to survive and you’ll all pay!” He suddenly drew out another gun, aiming it right at her.
“Nooo!” someone yelled. She couldn’t tell who. Suddenly, she was pushed to the ground as she felt a burning pain in her arm.
Other guns were fired, but she could only lie there, staring at the dirt.
Suddenly, she was turned over and she screamed. Around her, people were talking frantically. Roman’s concerned face appeared above her.
“Is she all right?” Salem said frantically.
“Where is she shot?” Alexei demanded.
She’d been shot? Oh, that explained the burning pain in her arm.
“Is he dead?” she asked.
Roman winced and Alexei took his place.
“He’s dead, Bunny.”
She closed her eyes. Good. That was all she needed to know.
57
Salem was determined that today she was going to let them in. She was going to let them see her.
Day after day they’d come to the hospital in Zimbabwe to see her and she had refused to let them into her room.
Alexei was about to lose his mind and Roman was close to faking a marriage certificate to give them some rights.
They just wanted to know how she was. To see her.
To explain a few things.
Like the fact that she was theirs. And that she wasn’t going anywhere.
Roman had managed to hack into the system and find out that she was doing all right physically. Thankfully, the bullet had just grazed her. She’d likely fainted due to dehydration and shock.
She’d had broken ribs, two broken fingers, and countless bruises.
But they would make sure she was taken care of. As soon as they made it clear to her that she was coming home with them.
“I’m seeing her today,” he told the nurse at the station. “No one is stopping me.”
He’d left Alexei and Roman back at the hotel, not wanting them to get arrested along with him if things went bad.
They’d all been given leave from their jobs. Riordan was just glad that both Roberts and Pinky had been caught.
Although to say he was shocked by the identity of Pinky was an understatement. It wasn’t every day that you learned your half-brother was the criminal mastermind you’d been trying to track down.
Pinky was dead.
The world had been rocked to find out that Patrick O’Connor was a wanted criminal. And Ireland was in complete upheaval.
Things weren’t in a good way. Innocent people were being accused of helping him, while those who were likely guilty were scuttling away to hide in the shadows.
Riordan was still being treated with suspicion, even though Salem didn’t believe he was guilty of anything.
Mark Roberts had officially died by drowning, although Salem wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in the ocean. And he didn’t care. It definitely easier that he was dead since they couldn’t have him talking about Tamsyn.
He’d had to come up with a cover story that didn’t include Tamsyn or the people they’d called in to help them. Thankfully, the officials had bought it.
So they were free to take care of their girl.
“Mr. Adel!” the nurse called out, rushing after him. “Wait!”
He opened the door to her room.
It was empty.
What the hell?
He whirled around to glare at the harried nurse. “Where is she?”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you. She left sometime in the night. We don’t know where she is.”
Fuck, no!
A roar of pain escaped him, and he leaned against the wall, unable to stand.
This couldn’t be happening.
He wasn’t going to lose her!
58
Tamsyn stood on the top of the bluff, staring out at the crashing waves.
It was getting lighter; the sun would rise soon. Not that it would get much warmer. The island had a harsh climate which matched the towering cliffs and raging ocean.
She’d tried not to come back here. To move around, not wanting anyone to follow her.
But it was time to let go.
She couldn’t live without them. And there was no way they would want her anymore. However, she’d felt them hunting her.
Likely to bring you in to punish you for what you’ve done.
She’d come here to say goodbye to her friends. The last few days, they’d fussed over her, trying to feed her, horrified over her lingering bruises.
But she was mostly healed after four weeks. She had some experience with blocking pain.
It was fitting to come back here.
Full circle.
“You best not be thinking about doing what I think you’re going to do.”
The voice startled her.
How had she not heard him?
“You move quietly for such a big guy,” she told him without turning.
She tried not to react, but this was a problem. She couldn’t go back with them. She was too cowardly to face a trial. But she also didn’t want them to see do this.