Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“What they need is their mom rested, healthy, and safe, too, though. So will you please do me a favor and make sure that happens by doing as I’ve asked?”
Nodding her head, she took in a shaky breath. “Sorry, every time something happens I assume it’s them. I’m turning into a neurotic, paranoid mom,” she chuckled, but it was forced.
Lifting my hand, I moved a chunk of hair behind her ear, loving that I could feel it once again.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. It means you’re vigilant, dorogoy. And that means they’ll both be safe while they’re with you.”
This time her smile was small but genuine. “Thank you for that.”
“It’s only part of what I’m here for, baby. Now, lockup when I’m gone and remember what I told you to do,” I ordered as I stood up, gently helping her out of her seat until she was standing beside me.
Moving us both to the door, I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, wishing desperately that I could kiss her properly but knowing that she wasn’t ready for that. The hunger was so deep, though, that I left my lips where they were slightly longer than was necessary.
The knowledge there was a man who’d aimed for our sons waiting for me at our warehouse, made me reluctantly lift my head away from hers.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
I don’t know what it was about that sentence, but she flinched and took a step away from me, all of the easiness from seconds before gone.
“Of course. Have a good night.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but my phone started ringing again.
“Shit,” I clipped, pulling it out of the pocket inside my jacket. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I repeated. This time my tone warned her that if she ran, I’d follow her.
After she nodded, I opened the door and walked out, pissed that something had upset her and I wasn’t able to fix it right now.
I’d only just cleared the door when she shut and locked it, the noise almost making me flinch as she cut off my contact with her.
Chyort!
Hitting the screen of my phone, I snapped, “What?”
“Are you on your way?” Dmitri growled. “Because trust me, brother, we all want to know what this fucker has to say.”
“On my way,” I replied tersely, then looked at the men who were at the front of Nell’s house.
There were more around the property who were hidden in the shadows, and I trusted one of my best soldiers, Stephan, to relay a message to them all.
“You watch her with your life. None of you are to leave, and I want you to make sure she’s okay, no matter what.”
Nodding, he flicked two fingers through the air. “We’ll keep her safe.”
I continued over to where my car was, and climbed in the back with one final glance at the house. Tonight I had Zoran and a man called Gustav with me, as Simeon and Yakov had decided to help Stephan guard the perimeter of Nell’s house.
“The warehouse,” I told them, meeting Zoran’s eyes and nodding.
Shooting me a smirk, he turned in his seat and faced forward.
Unfortunately, we had no idea we were about to find something that wouldn’t make any of us smile again for a while.
Two hours later…
Interrogation isn’t something that you can do quickly. In order to raise the levels of fear in your mouse, you had to play with it like a cat.
I’d definitely played with my mouse. Starting by sitting in a chair opposite where he’d been tied, while sipping coffee and discussing politics with Dmitri.
The man who’d been aiming for my sons watched us for over an hour from where he was lying on top of a thick piece of wooden board that’d been brought in for him.
The defenses he had up began lowering without him even realizing as he listened to us and became more confused. That was how you played with your mouse, and when the time was right, you struck.
Eventually, I placed my cup onto the ground beside my chair, and shifted my seemingly relaxed body so that I could take him in.
He answered all of my preliminary questions in Spanish, even though we knew he could speak English because he’d spoken to my men who’d caught him, trying to excuse himself as one of the parents of a baby girl. When they’d found the note, he’d turned mute and apparently Spanish now, too.
Now came the strike.
Picking up the drill, I pressed the button and listened to the noise as the drill bit on it rotated quickly.
“Now, isn’t that annoying? They’ve been making some adjustments to the property, you see,” I told the man who was shaking his head rapidly. “But they didn’t put my special attachment back on it. You just can’t get the staff, can you?”