Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“I don’t know,” I answer simply.
“Do you need him alive for something? What am I missing here?”
He’s missing just as much as I am. Because no, I don’t need him. I never should have followed him or brought him with me. I should have killed him already. “I was shot. He can take care of me,” I say.
“Jesus. Maybe you should have led with that? How bad?”
“Shoulder. I’m good. I’ll probably need some shit though. I’ll ask the doc what you should get and have you bring it out to me. We’ll need some food, too. It’s probably better that I’m out of commission until we can figure out what to do about the Bellini brothers. Once I’m healed up, I’ll figure out what to do with the doc.”
“Kill him. That’s the only thing you can do with him. I’m still trying to find out why you have him at all. We have people who can take care of you.”
I drop my head back against one of the pillars on the porch, just before the doc turns to look at me. He watches me through the window, studying, plotting, trying to figure me out. What he doesn’t understand is that I need to do the same with him.
“Just give me a few days, a week tops. You get some answers for me. Clean up my fucking mess at the hospital. Make sure no one else is in danger. If so, Cillian needs—”
“Cillian will be safe. You know that. I don’t think they’re organized enough to go after him or anyone else, but I’ll make sure they know to keep an ear to the ground.”
“Tiernan will need to know what’s going on, and Cillian needs to know I’ve been shot. I won’t keep something like that from him. Not anymore. No one needs to know about the doc. Make sure they’re all aware of those fucking brothers, though. I’ll text you a list of supplies.”
“Okay,” Conan replies. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I don’t have any fucking clue, but instead of telling him that, I say, “I do. I’ll get healed up, and we’ll figure out how to deal with the brothers. I’ll kill the doc, and we’ll get the job done.”
“Agreed. Those things have to happen, Rian.” It’s not often Conan tells me what to do, what needs to be done. Hell, this is likely the first time. It’s not his place, and he knows it, but he’s also my friend, and I know he’s only saying what he is because he knows it’s the only thing that can be done, that it’s what’s best for the family.
“It’ll be done. See you soon,” I say.
“See you soon, brother.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Abbott
If I had to make a guess, I would assume Rian is speaking to someone about me. He’s paced the porch, dropped his head back against a pillar…watched me. I’m sure they’re planning what to do with me. I still don’t get why he was following me or how I ended up in this situation in the first place, but it’s clear that he didn’t know who I am. He didn’t plan to kidnap the governor’s son, but now he has me, and that—and by that, I mean me—is a huge problem for him.
It’s a whole lot easier to get away with kidnapping and murdering someone who doesn’t have the kind of reach my father does. While we might not get along, and I’m not the son he wishes for, he will never let an opportunity pass to gain sympathy or attention from any story. My kidnapping will be no different. While it might take a few days for anyone to realize I’m gone since I’m off work, once they do, I’ll be all over the news. That has to work in my favor, right? I have to find a way to hold out until then.
I watch as Rian pushes away from the pillar and comes into the house. “You should let me check your wound,” I say as he closes the door behind him.
“I need a list of everything you’ll need to treat me.” He grabs paper and a pen from the drawer in the kitchen.
“Oh, are we having guests? I’m beat after being up all night. I’ll need a nap and a shower before I can entertain.”
He smirks. “A sense of humor, huh? Who would have thought?” He nods toward the paper. “Write.”
I do as he says, partially because I’ve got to at least try to get on his good side. If I can get him to trust me, that will give me more of an opportunity to escape, but also because I really had been telling the truth earlier. Despite the situation, I don’t have it in me not to try to help him to the best of my ability.