Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
“What the fuck?” he mutters.
All of a sudden, the door is torn open and one of his men staggers in, face bloody, limping and scrabbling across the floor. He collapses in a heap and is still. Cole’s eyes grow wider, his face etched with uncertainty. His dick falls even limper in his hand.
“What the fuck?” he squeals.
I crane my neck, trying to see what he’s staring at. I hear and feel the heavy thump of footsteps approaching. Cole takes a step back, a look of absolute horror dawning on his face.
“Back the fuck away from her. Now!”
My heart lifts at the sound of Burke’s voice. I crane my neck and see him stepping into view, and new tears, these of relief and joy, wet my cheeks. Burke steps forward, his gun pointed directly at Cole and a look of pure malevolence on his face. He stops and cuts a quick glance down at me.
“Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’m okay.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. You got here just in time.”
Relief floods Burke’s face. But that one moment of distraction is all Cole needs, and he launches himself at Burke. He drives his shoulder into Burke’s midsection, and a shot rings out.
Terrified that Burke is hit, I struggle and strain to see, but the zip ties hold me fast. And the chair is fastened to the floor.
“Motherfucker,” I hear Burke growl somewhere behind me.
Cole comes stumbling by me, moving backward and pinwheeling his arms. Burke is on him in a heartbeat, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and delivering a punch that snaps his head backward. Blood flies, and Cole stumbles backward again, then falls hard on his backside. No bounce.
Burke turns and looks at me, but I notice Cole reaching under his jacket.
“Burke!”
Burke turns and strides forward, delivering a vicious kick to the side of Cole’s head. Cole’s eyes roll back, and he slumps. He’s unconscious before he hits the ground. Burke steps forward and quickly pulls out the gun hidden beneath Cole’s jacket. He tosses it away. He turns back and pulls a knife from his pocket, then cuts my zip ties loose.
He pulls me gently to my feet and wraps me in a warm, tight embrace. I melt into him, and the emotion of what happened overwhelms me. I bury my face in his chest and sob uncontrollably. Burke just holds me and strokes my hair.
“You’re safe now,” he says. “You’re all right.”
The sound of more footsteps fills the warehouse, and I turn to see an army of men in uniform pouring through the door. A tall man in a suit with a stern expression on his face quickly walks over to us. He studies me for a moment, then Burke. A pair of uniformed cops put the unconscious Cole in handcuffs.
“Are you all right?” he asks.
I nod. “I am.”
“Good. That’s good to hear,” he says. “We’re going to need your statement.”
“Of course,” I say, my voice shaky.
“This is Curtis. You can trust him,” Burke says, then turns to his friend. “Thanks for letting me come in first.”
“Glad you didn’t get shot.”
“Me too.”
“And thanks for the heads up. Busting up this trafficking ring is going to look real good come promotion time,” he says with a wink toward Burke. “Also, if anybody asks, you were on scene first and went in before we could stop you.”
“Copy that,” Burke replies.
Curtis nods. “Get her down to the station to take her statement,” he says, then offers me a small smile. “Then get her home and take care of her.”
“I plan on it,” Burke replies.
With his arm around my shoulders, Burke leads me out of the warehouse. Cole and his men are sitting on the ground in various states of consciousness. They are lined up loosely and cuffed. Burke tenses, turns to them, and I get the idea he wants to run over and give them all another kick in the head.
He controls himself, though, and instead leads me to his SUV. He opens the door and helps me into the passenger seat, then walks around and climbs in behind the wheel. He turns to me, and his expression softens.
“You sure you’re up for this?” he asks. “I can ask Curtis—”
I shake my head. “Let’s just get this over with,” I say, then smile softly. “Then go home.”
The idea of going home with Burke feels good. It feels right. And something in his eyes makes me think he feels the same way. He reaches over and gently picks up my hand and kisses the back of it, his eyes fixed on mine.
“Sounds good, works for me,” he says.
13
CHAPTER 13
BRYNN
“Come here,” he says.
My hair’s still wet from the shower, and I’ve a fluffy robe wrapped around and my arms folded over it, but I feel a faint smile form as I sit down beside him on the edge of the bed. Burke opens a small box and then lays my hands on his thigh. He pulls out a tube and offers me a small, tight smile.