Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Because that’s who Sergio is. He knew that my husband, or rather the man who calls himself my husband, would always be a threat to me until Sergio did something about it.
There has to be an explanation. I'm not going to jump to conclusions anymore, I am going to stop believing that things won't work out. I've been in dark, dark places, and I know. Sometimes you have to believe that you'll make it through. Sometimes you have to know that you have superhuman strength, like Sergio had when he lifted that car off his hurting cousin, his best friend, and saved his life.
Only it’s my life and my sister’s I need to save now. I don't know what will happen between me and Sergio, but I know that right now I need an ally and he’s standing right in front of me.
I tell Seth, “Order them to stop hurting her. Order them to let her go, and I'll go back with you."
My entire marriage to Seth has been a lie, so if a lie is what will get me out of this now…
"It's not that easy."
Something beeps. Sergio looks down at his phone. This time, an actual smile lights up his face. “Playtime’s over.”
Seth stares. “Just because she's with you, and you've been working to conspire against me—"
Sergio snaps his fingers. I watch, in awe, as a dozen uniformed police officers appear out of what seems like nowhere. They're armed, and dangerous.
Seth goes impossibly paler. One of the officers stands in front of him. "You're under arrest."
“Do you have any idea who I am?” Seth recovers and glares at them.
“Sir, we know exactly who you are, which is why you’re under arrest.”
“I have a right to my attorney.”
But Sergio’s had enough. He crosses the distance between them, grabs Seth by the front of the shirt, and throws him. His phone clatters to the ground. Sergio bends and picks it up.
“Always gotta do it the hard way,” he says, shaking his head.
He taps something on the screen as an officer secures Seth’s wrists in handcuffs. But I dismiss Seth from my mind.
He’s only a rodent on a hamster wheel, after all.
I shift my attention to Sergio, who’s holding Seth’s phone.
His voice booms loud and clear. "You are surrounded by my men. Release Starla. I repeat, you are surrounded by my men. Release her and give yourselves up to the police. We know who you are and what you've done. The only chance for mercy now is if you do what I tell you to."
"You won't get away with this," Seth seethes like a comic book villain.
I imagine him running on his little hamster wheel, running and running and running, getting nowhere and disturbing no one.
Sergio shows me Seth’s screen. My heart soars. It's Sal, Gino, Timeo, even Ricco. I see Mario, and a woman I don't know, and so many people my heart beats faster. Sergio’s brought his crew to rescue my sister.
Can you love someone who isn't yours? Because I love this man.
“They’ve located the building where your sister is. Come with me to go to her now."
“Do they have her?”
“Not yet.”
Starla. We’ve come to get Starla.
Seth is going to jail, and Starla will be okay.
My heart still aches, but now… there’s hope again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Eden
We drive in silence. When we're almost there, Sergio says, quietly, "We have to talk soon. There's a lot of explaining that needs to happen. But let’s focus on getting Starla first."
I nod, and for this brief little moment in time, I'm so happy he's here, that he can take the next step with me.
It's exhausting always deciding the next step yourself.
"Where are we going?"
“When Seth located you, he and his associates suspected that you were working with us. They had you followed. They evacuated everybody from the compound where they were because they knew we were coming. Not sure where they all are, but the ones that matter are here.”
"So they're not at the compound anymore? Wow."
He shakes his head. “No, babe.”
God, I don't want him to call me that. I don't want any tenderness from him right now. I am barely holding myself together and tenderness from him might completely undo me.
"They planned on using your sister as bait. They knew that if they got you, no one else could leave. They aren't who you think they are, Eden."
Is anybody?
I want to believe him so badly that I almost want to deny what's right in front of my eyes. But I'll wait. I could rush in, and I could make a decision right now. I could decide to be quick to judge, but that won't get me anywhere. I draw in a breath and square my shoulders.
"Let's get Starla."
We drive in silence down a long, winding road, and I wish that I wasn't so scared. My knees practically knock together, thinking about facing whoever is holding her captive.