Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
His gaze hardens, almost like he’s trying to see if I’ll break under the pressure. Luckily, he has no clue what I’m truly capable of and the lengths I’ll go to save the woman I love.
“I’m trusting you, Zane. Don’t make me regret it.”
I don’t respond. Instead, I give him a blank look. I’m going to find Dove and kill every fucker that touched her if it’s the last fucking thing that I do.
Punching the GPS coordinates that Matteo gave me into the car, I rev the engine and leave his mansion—my prison—in the rearview mirror. My muscles are tense, and I’m ready for a fight. I’m consumed with the need to find Dove. All I can do is hope and pray that Xander left her there, though the likelihood is slim. Mercy isn’t something that man shows, and I doubt he would just leave a vulnerable, beautiful woman alone to fend for herself. Grinding my teeth together, I try not to think of that bastard putting his hands on my Dove. The drive is a little over an hour, and I white knuckle the steering wheel the entire way.
I see the car with Matteo’s goons following me the entire time. Useless idiots. Sending them is an insult more than anything. As if I couldn’t take these two out if I wanted to.
As the miles tick down, knots of fear tighten in my belly. What if they hurt her? Raped her? What if she’s broken, and I can’t fix her? What if it’s too late? The thoughts keep coming, suffocating me with fear. I need to get a grip, to focus, but the idea of finding Dove unsafe and hurt is enough to make me sick.
I slow the car as I turn onto the road where the compound is supposed to be. Off in the distance is a ten-foot fence surrounding a house. That must be it. The organ in my chest starts to gallop, beating a little faster the closer I get.
One would think a place such as this would be guarded, but I suppose there aren’t any guards left. Knowing Christian, he probably went into hiding the moment the Rossi’s ambushed him. I mean, he’s always had me around to fight his battles, without me, I can’t imagine he’s going to be picking up a gun to protect himself or rid the world of his enemies. No hiding is more his style. Turning onto the road and driving through the beat-up gate, I spot two men lying on the ground. As I pass their bodies, the bullet holes in their foreheads confirm to me what I already knew. Everyone here is dead.
Closing in on the property, the feeling of dread consumes me. There are three more bodies lying on the lawn. I park the car and kill the engine. Then, I grab my gun and climb out of the SUV. I doubt I’ll need it, but I’d rather have it than not.
The car with Matteo’s men pulls up behind me, and the two guys get out of the car a moment later. I try to ignore their presence completely and concentrate on finding the woman I love.
I don’t know what I expected when I showed up here, but it wasn’t this. Crossing the lawn, I walk around the side of the house. There are more men, more dead bodies. Reaching the side door, I don’t bother opening it since it’s already kicked in.
As soon as I step inside, I smell it. Death. Blood. Mayhem. It’s everywhere. It coats the walls, the floor, the air. There is only one thing in my mind as I walk down the hall… please, don’t let her be dead.
Ignoring the bodies, and the smells assaulting my nose, I make a quick sweep of the house, checking every room as I go. Before I go into each room, I fear that I’ll find her dead inside, lying between the other bodies. But over and over again, I find the rooms empty, a short burst of relief rushing through me every time.
Not finding her dead might be a relief, but not finding anything at all intensifies my anger. I need to find a clue, anything that will help me find her.
When I find a door that leads down into a basement, my heart skips a beat. Running down the steps, I’m desperate for something, anything. Before me is a long hallway, and as I start to walk down it, I find that there are cells on both sides. The space is far too quiet to have anyone in it. Still, I can’t let the hope in my chest die.
My eyes scan each cell, looking for the slightest clue. I grow more and more disappointed as each cell leaves me with nothing. Reaching the last one, my heart leaps out of my throat, and I rush into the room, grabbing the thin jacket I gave Dove the day we left the bunker. It’s lying on the floor next to a dirty mattress. There is a bucket in the corner of the room where she was most likely forced to piss. The place is… it makes my stomach churn. It’s hell on Earth.