Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Fuck you,” I say to Cory. “Leave me alone.”
He shoots back an insult but his words are lost over the music. I turn back to Enzo and put my hand on his waist. “Your place is nearby, right?”
I regret it as soon as the words leave my mouth but I need to get out of here, away from Cory not just because I can’t fucking stand the loser, but because he’s just a few seconds away from showing Enzo our wedding photos or pulling up my social media accounts.
Mason says something, but it’s too loud to hear. I bring my hand up, putting my finger to my ear to try and muffle the sounds of the bar. Someone bumps me, and I accidentally catch my nail on the earpiece. It goes flying and my eyes widen. My first thought is fuck, if Enzo sees we’re done. And then I realize I won’t be able to hear any of Mason’s instructions anymore.
I stand frozen for what feels like minutes but is only a few seconds. Enzo throws a couple twenties on the bar and slides his hand around me as the crowd claps and cheers as the first song ends.
“What happened to the other guy I saw you with?” Cory continues, finally getting his phone from the ground. He leans in, trying to taunt me, and I smell it: the same aftershave Enzo is wearing. Oh my god. It wasn’t Enzo outside in the courtyard a few weeks ago.
It was Cory. He’s been stalking me—again.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
MASON
“Mira, Mira. Talk to me.” I suck in my breath and wait. It’s too fucking loud in the bar and everything inside of me is telling me to get her out. Something is off and she isn’t safe.
“We should get eyes on them,” Diego says, flipping through different cameras. “They went into a bar that had a long line to get in. Some band is playing tonight.”
“Yeah, I can hear.”
“I’ll move us closer,” Evan says and I try calling Mira’s name again. A bad feeling rises inside me with each and every passing second that I don’t hear from her.
“It’s too fucking loud,” Diego says and takes his headset off. “Do you think he brought her in on purpose?”
I shake my head as I inhale. “No, it didn’t seem planned. Mira brought up going in.” I regret not telling her to avoid loud bars like this because it makes it impossible to listen and for her to hear me. Evan drives us around the block, getting closer. I drum my fingers on the computer in front of me, waiting.
A song plays and ends and the sound of clapping and cheering comes through my headset. “Mira,” I try again. “Can you hear me?”
“What happened to the other guy I saw you with?” A man is talking, and it’s not Enzo’s voice, yet it’s familiar.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mira presses.
“Mira, use the code word and let me know what you need,” I say but don’t get a response from her.
“Man, back the fuck off,” Enzo says and right as the band starts up again. He says something else but I can’t for the life of me make out what it is.
“Cory,” I say out loud as the other voice comes to me. “It’s her ex-husband.”
“Oh, shit.” Diego looks at me. Oh shit is right. “Let’s move.”
Diego throws me a bulletproof vest with big FBI letters written on the back.
“Keep the engine going,” I tell Evan and Diego and I roll out, running across the street to the bar. “FBI,” I tell the bouncer, holding up my badge. He steps aside and lets us in. A few people scream when they see us rush in, rightly so, and the band stops playing.
“Everybody freeze!” Diego shouts and I scan the room. I don’t see Mira or Enzo anywhere. Fuck! Then I spot Cory, leaning against the bar. I can tell from here that he’s wasted. “Where did they go?” I ask him.
“It’s you,” he sneers. “The asshole from the other day. She’s with another asshole, asshole.”
“Where did they go?” I repeat and Cory tries to shove me away.
“I had her first.”
“Yeah, and you fumbled that one, asshole.” I grab his arm and twist it behind his back. “Where did they go?”
“Out back.” Cory resists and tries to pull away. “You’re hurting me!”
“You’re hurting yourself, buddy.” Diego comes over and cuffs him while I run through the bar, leaving through the back. They’re nowhere to be seen. Fuck! I grab my phone and pull up the tracking for “Mya’s” phone. She’s moving fast so she’s in a car and it looks like she’s headed toward Aurélien Apartments on the Gold Coast.
Shit.
Not wasting another second, I start running down Dearborn Street. I call Evan as I run.
“Aurélien Apartments,” I rush out. “Get a car there and pick me up along the way.”