Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Her heart pounded as the leader of the lair waited for the bodyguard to drag Theo down the hall and out of sight before he moved close to the door.
“Are you injured?”
She shook her head, reluctant to speak to him aloud. In any case, it would be good to know if she was right. Could he see into the darker recesses of the basement?
“I’m going to open the door and allow you to come out.”
No way was she going out there with four shifter males in a narrow hallway. She wouldn’t have fighting room. There would be no room to maneuver. She would have no choice but to speak to him.
“No one will harm you. And no one is going to sell you to the highest bidder.”
She shook her head again, keeping her gaze locked with his. He never changed expression.
“You have my word.”
Those eyes were flat and dead. Ice. Colder than ice. Frosted over and piercing the veil of darkness. At the same time, they burned over her. Through her. She swore if she’d been in the fires of hell, he would have found her there. If she’d been hiding in the densest glacier, he would have seen her.
“Forgive me, but you’re an Amurov. You don’t have the best reputations.” She was crazy to rile him, but what did she have to lose? She was already a captive. “If you mean what you say, unlock the door and leave. When I feel safe, I’ll leave the building and get out of your territory.”
Something changed. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but she knew the moment she spoke she was in trouble. Real trouble, and she couldn’t take it back. The lines in his face deepened. His eyes went from that gray frost to an eerie color even more penetrating. She could see his leopard looking straight at her, a steely bluish gray coming through that piercing stare. The blue wasn’t vivid—if anything, it was still as frosty as the gray was—but she could see the difference, and she knew the leopard was aware of her.
Maya shuddered and stroked her finger along the short blade of the knife in her hand. They would be coming for her. She had promised herself she would never be taken again. She wouldn’t allow Wraith to be savagely beaten, and she would never again submit to rape and other vile, depraved acts men subjected trafficked women to.
Gorya Amurov was coming for her. He wasn’t going to leave quietly and let her go into the swamp and disappear. His promises of not selling her and no harm coming to her were bullshit. She couldn’t trust him.
She pressed a hand to her churning stomach and fought down the rising bile. She detested male shifters. She detested their leopards. More than anything, she detested the Amurovs. She was willing to die, and she would take Wraith with her before she would let them take her. That was a solemn vow.
Maya moved farther back into the deeper recesses of the basement. If he was coming for her, he was going to have to come all the way into the room. She might have a chance to kill him. If she could face them one at a time, the man instead of his leopard, they would think she was small and weak. That was always the man’s downfall.
She heard the bolt slide and her heart accelerated. She took a deep breath and forced it under control. The door opened slowly, and light spilled into the room.
“Gedeon, this is the time to earn your money,” Gorya said. “Matvei, Kyanite, you are to stay out there no matter what happens. I hired Gedeon for more than to head up my security detail. His main duty is to ensure that my leopard doesn’t kill an innocent.”
The two bodyguards exchanged an uneasy look. One moved forward, but Gorya held up his hand.
“I’ve given him an order I expect him to carry out. I’ve already texted my cousins and let them know I’ve instructed Gedeon to kill Rogue if he attacks this woman, and Gedeon is not to be blamed or harmed. I expect you to protect Gedeon from them should they come. That is a direct order.”
His gaze met Gedeon’s. Gedeon’s nod was nearly imperceptible, but Maya caught it. Immediately she wished she could see through the little window. She knew there were windows along that hallway. Her best guess was that someone was outside those windows with a high-powered rifle. If one or both bodyguards made a move against Gedeon, they weren’t going to live through it.
But what did that mean for her? Maya heard truth in Gorya’s voice, but he wasn’t making sense. He believed his leopard might try to kill her. No, he believed his leopard would try to kill her. He fully expected Gedeon to have to shoot him. Why would he chance it? If Gedeon shot the leopard, it could kill Gorya. Unless Gedeon was such a good shot he was able to incapacitate the animal without killing both. She doubted anyone could do that with an experienced leopard attacking. She was certain Gorya’s leopard was extremely fast.