Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 129980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Mechanic swore under his breath. “Sorry, Maestro. I thought we’d have it all when she went in.”
The worst of it was, there was no doubt that Azelie was frightened. She held it together, but Maestro couldn’t see her. He could only read her heart rate, and at times it was frantic. Once, she changed positions in the chair, shoving away from the desk, and they caught a glimpse of Billows coming close.
“The discussion is a long one,” Lana said. “I can’t see her directly, but I’ve caught several glimpses of her reflected in the computer screen. Can you enhance that, Code?”
Maestro looked to Code, the miracle worker. Code immediately tried to adjust the screen on the scene he’d frozen. He stepped closer as if that would get him what he wanted—her safety. Could he leave her hanging out there virtually unprotected to finish what they’d started more than two years earlier? Did having relationships make you indecisive?
“I’m sorry, Savage,” he murmured aloud. “Really sorry, brother. I’ll go to Seychelle and apologize to her.”
“You did apologize to her, multiple times, Maestro,” Savage reminded him.
“Yeah, I know, but I didn’t mean it the way I do now,” he admitted. “I told her I was sorry, and I was, but it was because I hurt her. Seychelle isn’t a woman who ever deserves that kind of hurt. She didn’t think I wanted her with you. I’m sorry for making her feel that way. I was trying to save the two of you, keep her from getting hurt when things got extreme, but I still didn’t understand.”
Savage touched him briefly on the shoulder. Savage rarely touched anyone other than Seychelle unless he was interrogating them—and no one wanted to be the man Savage was questioning. It was shocking to Maestro that Savage gave him that brief moment of affection and reassurance. And it meant a whole hell of a lot, especially when he felt so confused and frustrated.
Maestro didn’t do well in the world of confusion or frustration. It was the reason he always maintained control and demanded it in his life. It was safer for him and everyone around him. Not knowing whether to allow Azelie choices when her life could be in danger was maddening. He was a decisive man. He was in charge.
He guarded their vice president for a reason. Every move was instinctive and precise. He could easily run an army if need be. His brain worked at high speed to solve puzzles, particularly problems that put those he cared about in jeopardy. Yet now, when he needed clear thinking the most, he found emotions hampered him.
“I can see her reflection much clearer on the screen,” Lana reported. “What about everyone else?”
All of them could lip-read, but Reaper was particularly adept at it. He appeared totally absorbed as he stared at the screen.
“She’s telling him she doesn’t have the skills to track money that was stolen from the accounts. She’s being upfront with him about what kind of specialist he needs.”
It was all Maestro could do to keep from laying his hand on the screen. He wanted to touch her. To hold her close. In the reflection, her expression appeared surprisingly serene, but they had the evidence of a pounding heart to clue them in to the fact that she was terrified.
“Look at that woman of yours holding it together,” Reaper said, awe in his voice. “She knows he’s an asshole and dangerous, but she’s standing up to him. I have no idea what he’s saying to her, but she’s not letting him walk on her.”
“Can you tell what the conversation is about?” Lana asked. “It seems intense.”
Reaper shook his head. “She turned her head, and I can’t see her mouth anymore. I suspect she’s looking directly at him.”
“Another spike in her heart rate,” Code reported. “Big-time.”
“I’m looking as close as possible at her reflection in the screen,” Reaper said. “I can see the side of her face, but there doesn’t appear to be a change in her expression. That woman is pure ice.” He grinned at Maestro. “You’ve got your work cut out for you living a lifetime with that one.”
“I can read her.” Maestro was confident he could. She might try to hide from him, but he was too adept at reading people. It was a gift, instincts he’d developed and honed over the years. He didn’t miss the slightest nuance when he was with others. He knew when someone lied. He knew when they were uncomfortable. He knew when women were attracted to him. He was always aware of the most dangerous man in the room and kept his eye on him. He knew who was a bully and who was the real deal.
He’d started out learning the hard way about deception and betrayal. After years of living with both deception and betrayal on a regular basis, it wasn’t difficult to begin to see the signs in people the moment he met them. He had been so ready to condemn Azelie, and yet, despite what she’d gone through, she was honest. A ray of sunshine in his dark world.