Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 106600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
I throw my head back as I’m lifted off my feet, hoping to connect with this bastard’s face. When I don’t make the connection, I begin to panic more. He starts to head for the door with me still in tow.
My instincts begin to kick in. If they get me outside of this apartment, I’m fucked. The vision from the kitchen comes back to me. Maybe this has nothing to do with Ricci.
These guys seem a bit off and uncharacteristically tall. I really start to panic as I think this could be some unnatural shit happening to me.
I kick at the guy nearest me, and he stumbles back. I then kick out at the one holding me and connect this time. He drops me and I spin to kick him again.
As I drop him to his knees, the third one comes at me. That’s when I get this feeling to just hold out my hands. As soon as I do, an axe and shield appear in my palms. I don’t know how, but I know exactly what to do with them.
I twirl the axe in one hand as I hold the shield in front of me with the other. The first guy I kicked recovers and throws a bolt of light at me. I knock it away with the shield and throw the axe at him.
It catches him in the forehead, and he falls back. I grin with satisfaction as his body drops to the floor. The one who grabbed me is now back on his feet and looks like he’s about to toss an orb of light at me.
I block the attack just in time as I cross my arm in front of me. The orb bounces off my shield and returns to the sender. The asshole bursts like a water balloon and falls to nothing more than a puddle on the floor.
With a quick glance, I note that my axe is now sitting in a pool of liquid as well. The guy whose head it was lodged in is now gone. The last one comes at me, but my fighting skills kick in and I kick his ass using my shield like a weapon instead of a guard.
I tire him out quickly, then wish the shield had a sharper edge so I could slice his throat and be done with it. As I hit him in the side with the shield, it comes away with blood on the edge. I narrow my eyes and see the edge gleaming like the edge of a sword.
I take a chance and swing for his throat. Suddenly, his neck is slashed and then he too bursts like a water balloon and falls to the floor in a puddle.
I bend at the waist, panting. My mind is reeling and now my heart is racing ten times as fast as it was when I was fighting for my life. I knit my brows in confusion and reach to clench at my T-shirt.
My veins feel like they’re on fire. My skin feels like it’s going to peel right off my bones. I may have bested those assholes, but did they slip me something to kill me?
This is madness. I’ve gone twelve rounds in the ring and have never been this winded. My mind races for answers.
What the fuck is wrong with me? I start to become lightheaded. That’s when a slow clap begins from behind me. I turn quickly to find Ardan standing in my living room, looking back at me. I hold my hand out and the axe comes to me.
“Did Candido Ricci send you and those fucks to finish me off?”
He tilts his head to the side and studies me. “I’m not here to do Ricci’s bidding, baby girl. I’m here for you.”
I snort, then freeze. “Hold on a minute. Did you just stand there and watch me get jumped?”
“I stood here and watched you take them down without batting an eye. Impressive. I wasn’t going to allow them to hurt you, but I got the feeling you would have fought me if I jumped in,” he says as he looks me over with a heated gaze and amused smile.
As my adrenaline starts to come down, I can think more clearly. I jerk my head back as I stare across my apartment at him, leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest. None of this is making sense.
What the fuck just happened? How did I get these weapons in my hands? I don’t know how I know they will, but I drop my hands to my sides and allow the axe and shield to vanish.
Placing my hands on my hips, I speak my thoughts as I try to get my heart rate under control. “How did you get in here? You didn’t come in with them and you couldn’t have come through the front door.”