Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Chapter Twelve
Tyler
Death is a monster that guts you and ravages you, inside and out. I’ve felt its icy touch close around my throat and it is the most brutal grip of any I have ever felt. First with Allison, the woman who I dated and then who dated my father. The woman he killed. Then with my father. I cared for her. I hated him.
I love Bella.
I’m suffocating in the idea of her not coming home, and Dash is staring at me with hell burning in his eyes. “I don’t like where my head is going right now,” he says.
“I’m right there with you,” I assure him.
“Who can call this off, whatever this is?” he asks.
“My dead father.”
“Who else? His attorney? Reach out to whoever that is.”
“Here’s the interesting part about this entire fucked up situation,” I say on that dirty little topic. “My father’s attorney—yes, the one handling the will—has worked for the Allen family. This information brought to me, and now you, compliments of Dierk. This is all connected. That very same attorney is the one threatening, on my father’s behalf, to release the Allen case file, which for the record, makes me believe there is no case file. I sure as fuck can’t find it.”
“Then it’s all smoke and no flames?”
“Rarely was my father mere smoke, as proven by him killing Allison to shut her up and keep her from talking to my mother.” I grab my phone and dial the law office of Jones, Jackson, and Withers. “But let’s see what the old buzzard has to say.” The line rings and when the receptionist answers, I ask for Withers. “He’s already gone for the day,” she says.
“Call him,” I say. “Tell him Tyler Hawk called, and if anything happens to Bella, I will never stop coming for him. He knows what’s going on. I know he knows. I also know he’s involved.” I disconnect.
“Do you think he’ll call?” Dash asks.
“I have no fucking clue. He’s part of a game a dead man is playing. Frankly, all that matters to me right now is that Bella doesn’t end up in a grave too.” I dial Dierk on speaker, and when he answers, I say, “I’m with Dash. Anything?”
“Nothing worth hearing,” he replies. “We’re still going through the feed. I have my team looking for suspicious behavior and actions, even beyond Gavin himself. Anything from your people, Dash?”
“Nothing,” he says. “But it’s only been fifteen minutes that feels like a lifetime since I spoke to them.”
“Do we know where Gavin is right now?” I ask.
“We’re pinging his phone now. I’ll text you his location the minute I have it. More soon.” He disconnects and I curse.
“I haven’t actually called Gavin myself. Holy hell, how stupid am I?” I punch in his auto-dial and allow the line to ring on speakerphone. He shockingly answers on the first ring.
“Where the hell are you?” I ask.
“I’m at the courthouse. I know a lady in records. I trust her. She’s going to dig in the archives for the case file and no, it won’t get back to anyone. She’s a family friend, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of her in the first place.”
Dash squints in a “what the fuck?” expression and I’m right there with him. He appears oblivious to everything that’s happened. I’m not sure I believe him. “When will you be back here?”
“I just finished up. I’m headed back. Why? What happened now?”
“Meet me Cupcakes and Books in fifteen minutes.” I disconnect and eye Dash. “He’s just the kind of arrogant prick who would stand in front of me and lie.”
“But will he stand in front of both of us and lie?”
“While wetting his pants,” I assure him, and text Dierk: I’m meeting Gavin in fifteen minutes at Cupcakes and Books, if he shows. Send one of your men but have him stand down until I say otherwise.
I slide my phone into my pocket. “Dierk is sending one of his men to meet us in case we need him. If we find out that Gavin’s a part of this, he might not live to see another day if I don’t have someone to intervene.”
“Amen to that, brother,” Dash replies. “Amen to that.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tyler
With Dash to my right, we walk toward the coffee shop in silence, both of us striding long and heavy, and for my part, my mood is as stormy as the weather. The day is chilly. The strong smell of rain permeates the air, the heavy, gray-stained clouds above promising a downpour, but any bad weather we might endure is nothing compared to the turbulence of my clearly unchecked emotions. For a man who is all about control, the idea that Gavin is my best next step in Bella’s return is as good as quicksand under my feet. I’m drowning in her absence, our lack of answers and options, and downright suffocating in guilt.