Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
This is ridiculous.
Massive men guarded the entrance. Each built like a brick wall. They wore their brutish expressions as badges of honor. A cold, detached readiness flashed in their gazes.
Unfortunately for them, they were not the scariest men I had ever seen.
Tisha grinned. “Is this it?”
I smiled.
“We must be careful to not step on these little ants.”
I snorted.
Valentina grabbed the gifts off my lap. “You may need your hands.”
“But, let’s hope that I will not.”
Tisha spoke, “Do you have a plan to get the Eye?”
“Money. Land. Power. He should want one of those things.”
Tisha bobbed his head. “That would make things easy.”
Valentina looked Rafael’s way. “Cutey, what do you think?”
Rafael glanced over his shoulder and blinked. “Are you talking to me?”
She chuckled. “Is there anyone else that is a little cutey in this vehicle?”
Rafael blinked again. “I do not know how to answer that.”
I scowled. “Do you think it will work with the Don or not?”
Rafael let out a long breath. “I must be honest with you. The Don is an asshole. Therefore, I honestly expect the worst.”
He better be on his best behavior with me.
Wassily parked the SUV.
Rafael kept his voice low. “Also, they will take our guns before we enter.”
“I assumed as much.”
One by one, we stepped out of the vehicle. Men rushed to us, taking our weapons and checking for others.
I handed over my gun and further took in the space around me.
The air was thick with the musky scent of damp earth and stagnant water. A pungent perfume filled my nostrils. Every breath was too intimate a taste of the wilderness.
Odd, unnerving noises sounded—the soft splashing of water in the swamp that hinted at reptilian predators lurking just out of sight.
And even more, I could feel the moisture in the air, clinging to my skin, making my linen shirt uncomfortably stick to my back. It was a dampness that seeped into everything. I desperately yearned for air-conditioned air.
Get this damn Eye and get back to Emily and my sons.
I couldn’t help but glance up at the moon, a silvery crescent half-hidden behind a shroud of clouds. It cast a ghostly glow on the water, painting the swamp in shades of silver and black. The sight was mesmerizing.
Please, God. Let me get this Eye.
One tall guy got in front of us. “Come see.”
And then he walked off.
Valentina gazed at Rafael. “Come see what?”
Rafael shook his head. “Come see means Come here.”
Valentina let out an exasperated breath. “I already have problems with English and now I will need to learn a new dialect?”
“As most would say in New Orleans, ‘they talk funny ‘round here.’” Rafael headed off.
Chapter eleven
The Alligator Don
Kazimir
This better not take too long.
With a deep breath, Rafael led us through the gateway, stepping into the shadowy expanse of the Alligator Don’s den.
Inside, the compound was an unsettling blend of rustic charm and lethal functionality. Nature fought to consume the man-made structures. Patches of moss clung stubbornly to the wooden beams. Vines sprouted from the thatched roof and dangled like bizarre green chandeliers. Well-worn furniture stood scattered, revealing hints of the Don’s eccentricities.
We continued forward, passing a wall adorned with tons of hunting rifles. The scent of gunpowder and stale alcohol lingered in the air.
Down the hall, a huge door stood flanked by two men holding machine guns.
I glanced at Valentina. “What do you think?”
“If things go bad, we will have to fight our way out of here.” She frowned. “I hope the rifles on that one wall are loaded.”
I smiled. “Smart.”
“But I do have two small knives under my breasts. Men never check well in that area.”
“You are thinking like a number one.”
She parted her lips and kept my pace.
“Oh.” Rafael came closer to us. “I forgot to add that when we enter, the Don will be silent for a while so you can drink the sight of him in. It’s his thing. Remember. Lots of theater. Just wait for him to speak first.”
I rolled my eyes.
He better not take too long.
As we approached the door, Rafael held up his hand, signaling for us to stop.
One of the guards stepped forward and pierced me with an icy stare. “I will need to check you again for weapons.”
I held out my hands. “And where would I keep this gun, in my ass?”
Silent, the man came over, patted me down, and then checked the others. Once he was satisfied, he signaled to the other guy.
The door creaked open, revealing a massive dimly lit cavernous space.
What is this place?
Never had I entered a huge room like this.
We crossed the threshold and took in the eerie sight.
Around thirty feet before us, set upon a raised dais, a man sat on a wooden throne. He must have been in his early thirties which surprised me. All this time, I thought he would have been much older.