Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Joshua might have admired the man under other circumstances. He wrapped his arm around Sonia. “Walk right behind me, baby. Evan and Kai will be behind you.”
She nodded. “I’m going to say good-bye to him,” she announced, stepping away from Joshua toward Sasha.
He caught her by the pocket of her jeans, yanking her back to him. “No, you’re not. You’ll do all that after I talk to him and make my own assessment about what kind of danger he poses to you.”
Sasha turned his back on them and went to the front door, calling out to his men with a soft two-way note indicative of the black-bellied whistling duck. His men came out of the shadows, looking a little perplexed.
“Let them through,” he ordered.
The men looked shocked as first Joshua emerged, Sonia behind him, and then the two bodyguards, Evan and Kai, walking backward in perfect synchronization. Their leopards allowed them to know when the ground changed and to feel for any objects close. They moved in silence to the road and as they did, one by one the others joined them. All but Gray.
Sonia looked around for him. “Is Gray all right, Joshua?”
He glanced down at her. In the morning light she was gorgeous, her skin flawless. Eyes dark. Lashes long. He could see her nipples pushing against the fabric of her tee, the outline of the generous curve of her breast. “Gray’s just fine. He’s hanging back to make sure a sniper isn’t up on the roof or in the trees looking to kill you or me. You’re the one who needs to start worrying whether you’re all right or not.”
She frowned at him. An adorable little frown. It wouldn’t get her out of trouble, but it made his cock ache and he wanted to smile. He didn’t.
“Why would I not be all right? Sasha didn’t hurt me.”
“No, Sasha took you from me. Wait, no, Sasha didn’t take you, you went right out my fuckin’ front door and got into his car. Then you drove away and told your girl posse to wait five minutes to give the bastard Russian a head start.”
He saw the comprehension on her face, the quick glance darted his way. “Everything turned out all right. I’m alive. Did Bastien get back?”
“The point is that you might have been dead. There was a fifty-fifty chance he’d kill you. You were the one who thought he put a bomb in your car, yet you go straight to him when he tells you to. Do you ask your man for help? Hell, no. You just run off with your murderous ex-husband.”
“We were never married.”
Joshua caught her hand and trotted the rest of the way to their vehicle. He yanked open the door and as she climbed into the passenger seat, he slapped her ass hard. She yelped and glared at him. He indicated her seat belt and she snapped it in place. He shut the door with controlled violence. Every time he thought of that moment when Molly came running into the kitchen to tell him that his woman had delivered herself into the hands of her ex-husband, the man who had tried to kill her, it made him sick all over again.
Everything in him had gone still. Frozen solid. Ice had run in his veins then because it had to. He had to find her and then get to her. The rage would come after, but he had to be fully functioning while he hunted for her. He yanked open the driver-side door and set the car in motion.
“Is Bastien back yet?” she asked in a small voice.
“How the hell should I know?” He knew he sounded irritated with her and he needed to take a breath, but it was there again, that feeling that he’d lost her. That the one decent thing he had was gone. He’d let her down, let those maniacs get to her. “All that mattered to me, Sonia, was finding you. For all I knew they were taking a blowtorch to you.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. I knew you’d come.”
“It doesn’t take long for someone to hurt you. Less even to kill you. Five minutes is too long. He had you a hell of a lot longer than that.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Joshua. I didn’t think beyond saving Bastien, and I knew you’d come.” She repeated it a second time.
He glanced at her. “I’m not beating the hell out of you, babe, if that’s what’s putting that scared look on your face. Spanking maybe.”
“Your spankings tend to turn me on, not make me cry,” she pointed out. “I’m not afraid you’ll beat me or spank me. I’m afraid for Bastien. I should have insisted Sasha tell me where he is. What if he can’t get free on his own?”
“We’ll find him. Let me get you home. Security is already beefed up. We’ve got a few surprises if we’re attacked. And this time, Sonia, don’t you move without telling me first.”