Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“You’re risking your life to take out those men after me, I think it’s a fair trade.”
“No fuckin’ way,” Cohen growls. “We know nothin’ about this fucker and you’re not goin’ anywhere with him alone. One thing we’ve learned from all of this, is that nothin’ we do is secret. If he has any idea you’re comin’, you’ll be killed.”
I glance at Cohen. “It’s the only option. He sees a group of bikers coming for him, he’s going to have a hell of a lot more men than you can take on after you. If I go alone, I have more chance of getting him alone. He liked me, believe me when I say he’ll be happy to see me.”
“And if he questions why you’re not with that fucker who held you captive?” Alarick questions.
“Then I’ll tell him the truth, I ran away. If he still communicates with him, then he’ll know for certain that I’ve gone. If I lie, he’ll know, and it’ll be over. So, I’ll tell him the truth and hope that maybe he takes it as his chance to have me, which he always wanted.”
“It’s too fuckin’ risky,” Cohen growls. “I won’t allow it.”
“We have no other options,” Mykel says, leaning back in his chair. “We’re walkin’ into an ambush if we try to go in alone. The only way to get this fucker out, is for Aviana to do it.”
“Gotta agree,” Samson mutters. “Seems like the only option.”
“It’s fuckin’ suicide!” Cohen barks, clenching his fists.
“It’s our only choice,” Alarick calmly tells him. “We’re sendin’ her in.”
“No,” Cohen growls. “No, you’re fuckin’ not.”
“Cohen,” I say, my voice steady and careful. “I know this man better than any of you. This is our only choice. Let me do this, please.”
Cohen walks over to me, leaning in close. “I let you down once before and because of that your life was fuckin’ ruined. I will not let that happen again.”
My heart twists, and I want to say so many things, but now is not the time.
“The difference between then and now is that this time I have a choice. This is what I want to do.”
“You could die.”
“If I do so bringing this operation down, it’s worth the risk.”
Cohen shakes his head. “I can’t let you do this.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
With an angry growl, he turns and walks out of the room, slamming the door so hard it shakes the frame.
“He’ll get over it,” Alarick says, then looks to Kendric. “Zariah meetin’ us tomorrow still?”
“Yeah, she had some shit to sort out but she’s going to be here.”
“Good, get her onto looking into Benedict more before she comes, anything we can find out the better.”
Kendric nods and stands, leaving the room.
Mykel looks to me. “You sure you’re good with this?”
I nod.
“You’re braver than me, girl.”
I laugh. “I hope so.”
He grins at me and then leaves the room too, Samson following him out, but not before he gives my shoulder a squeeze. I’m doing this for him, too. For his daughter. She doesn’t deserve to live out there with people like that. She deserves to be home, to be safe.
“We’ll have eyes on you at all times, anything goes wrong, we’ll be there,” Alarick tells me.
“I know,” I say, nodding. “I should go and talk to Cohen.”
I reach the door when Alarick calls my name.
I turn back and look at him.
“Appreciate your honesty, but know this, if you try to do anythin’ to hurt my family, I will take you out. Is that clear?”
I nod. “It’s clear.”
“Good.”
I walk out, exhaling as I do.
One step at a time.
That’s all I can do right now.
Just take one damned step at a time.
And hope like hell it works out.
“WE NEED TO GO OUT AND drink.”
Waverly’s voice fills the motel room we’re sitting in, silently. We’re one more town away from Benedict now, and the closer we get, the more I realize what I’ve signed up to do. It is dangerous, that’s for damned certain, it’s also the only option. If something happens to me, then it’s all over. For them. For me. For all of us.
I have to be smart.
“I agree,” Briella stands, clapping her hands together. “We’ve been moping around these motel rooms for days. I’m bored out of my mind. Let’s go to the bar and drink away this misery.”
“Sounds good to me,” I say, standing too.
“Fuck it, let’s go,” Alarick murmurs, taking Briella’s hand and pulling her closer to him.
She smiles up at him, and the love I can see in her eyes make my heart yearn for the same thing. Not only that, but it makes me wish I had the same friendship with her that I had years ago. I haven’t exactly made things easy since I came home, and I can feel the distance between us. Maybe tonight is a good time to change that.