Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
It wasn’t that either he or Zach needed the money. They each came from wealthy families and their college hacking venture had led to them meeting important contacts, one of whom had purchased the anti-hacking software they’d developed, paying a huge amount of money.
As a result, both Zach and Remy were wealthy in their own right but they weren’t lazy and liked to work. Admittedly, Remy enjoyed the job more when he didn’t have a willing woman waiting for him but he was on his way to Raven’s now.
He was drumming his fingers against the steering wheel in time to the beat of the music on the radio when his cell phone rang and the name of the alarm monitoring company showed on the dashboard screen. The clock nearby said it was nearly eleven.
Remy answered via Bluetooth speaker. “Remy Sterling here.” The bar occasionally had alarm faults and he was used to these calls.
“Mr. Sterling, this is Paul with Alpha Monitoring. What is your security code?”
The company was required to hear the code in order to know they were relaying information to the right person.
“Gloria,” he said, a pang twisting his stomach as he spoke his mother’s name. Once he’d taken over the New York City bar, it had made sense for him to change the code to something he’d easily remember.
“Thank you. The alarm at The Back Door was triggered. Zone 24, far back apartment window, glass break. The police have been dispatched.”
Remy had made it his business to know the zones in case of an emergency and this was Raven’s apartment, her bedroom window.
“Thanks,” he muttered and disconnected the call. Ignoring his increased heart rate and the panic that spread through him, he pressed his foot on the accelerator, instructing his vehicle to call Raven’s cell phone.
It went straight to voicemail and the ride from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, to Manhattan felt twice as long. Remy drove well over the speed limit, his pulse hammering in his throat the entire way.
As far as he knew, Lance was still behind bars, and Remy hung on to that thought, pushing aside his assault on Emily and his attempt on Raven. By the time he finally pulled up to the back parking lot, parked and rushed to the bar door, his nerves were shot. He was glad the main entrance was in the rear, hence the name of the bar, so he didn’t have to waste time going around to the front of the building after parking.
A uniformed cop stood at the patron entrance. Remy flashed his license and explained he owned the place and was close friends with the tenant.
“Remy?” Raven’s voice called out to him and the officer stepped aside.
He took three steps and Raven came running, crashing into him and wrapping herself around him like a spider monkey.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, as he held on to her, giving her the time she needed to calm down. Time he needed as well.
Raven held on to him, breathing hard into his neck.
“Ma’am?” The voice came from farther inside the bar.
Raven released her hold and turned, but Remy wasn’t ready to let go and pulled her against him, so they faced the second officer together.
“Yes?” she asked.
Despite Remy’s desire to take over, he knew Raven needed control so he kept her tucked against him, taking what he needed, too.
“The apartment is clear,” the uniformed man said. “Nobody was inside but the window is shattered. It’s unlikely anyone could have crawled through the glass without being cut up and leaving a trace of blood. But we still need you to look around and see if anything is missing.”
She stiffened against Remy.
“Come on. I’ll go with you,” he said.
She drew a deep breath and he watched from the corner of his eye as she paused. He had no doubt she was mentally arguing with herself until she nodded, straightened her shoulders, and stepped out of his embrace. On her own, like the brave woman he knew her to be, she walked toward the back of the bar. She might be shaking inside but she’d pulled herself together and while he was glad, he knew that meant she no longer needed him. Nor would she show any further weakness.
Once in the hall outside her open door, she stepped inside and looked around, then made her way toward the bed.
“Look, don’t touch. We don’t want to mess with anything forensics might discover,” the officer said.
Remy did his best not to roll his eyes. Of course, they would find Raven’s fingerprints all over her own apartment but he let the officer maintain his jurisdiction over the scene.
Raven took in her bedroom and the destruction near her bed. “My jewelry is still on the dresser, my laptop is on the nightstand that isn’t near the window.” She paused, still glancing around. “My Kindle is on the bed…” She shook her head. “Nothing seems missing… Oh my God.”