Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
The card opened the door to the suite. Upon entering, I had to turn left and straight ahead were floor-to-ceiling views of Chicago’s cityscape. It was impressive. The city was lit up enough that I didn’t have to turn on lights. The hallway ended with the kitchen to the right and a grand living room in terms of size in front of it. I turned between the kitchen island and the living room to go down another hall. I headed for the open door at the end, which I assumed was a bedroom. I was right.
The bedroom, like the rest of the condo, was designed with dark wood and gray tones with modern touches. The bed seemed to float off the ground against the wall to the left. I set Sleeping Beauty there. She didn’t protest and hadn’t opened her eyes since the brief conversation with the older couple by the elevator.
She curled into a ball, and I went back to the living room to grab a throw. When I returned, I covered her with it. Then I sank into a chair in the corner of the room opposite the bed and door. Since I didn’t know what she might be on, I would be vigilant in watching over her.
I pulled out my phone to see if I’d gotten any messages from Griff. There were none. To pass the time, I searched the news sites and caught up with what I missed over the last few months.
At some point, I let my eyes fall shut but kept alert, or so I thought, until I felt someone trying to take the phone from my hand. I opened my lids to find Tayla hovering over me.
“Want something?” I asked and held up the phone.
“I need to call my mom.”
“You can’t,” I snapped and immediately regretted it when she stepped back and flashed a hateful gaze my way. “If you call your mom, she won’t be worried.”
“Exactly,” she snapped and crossed her arms over her chest.
“And then Ruin will know you’re free.” She let out a noise of frustration. “When he had you before, did he ever mention your parents? Like knowing they were sad or worried and or still looking for you.” I’d hit the nail on the head because her expression changed. “If you let your mother know, again, you’ll be putting them in danger. He will do something to them or take your sister to draw you out. His ego won’t let your freedom lie.”
She tossed her hands in the air. “What am I supposed to do? Hide out with you here forever? I have a job. And if you didn’t know it, I work for the FBI.”
“And they kept you safe?” It was a dig and hit the mark.
“No. The op didn’t go as planned—” She stopped and looked at me with suspicion. “How did you know I was on an op?”
“You just confirmed it.” Which was true of sorts. My handler had given me intel, but I didn’t know for sure until now. “But what does that matter? They let you get caught. I’m the one that freed you. If you want to take your chances with them, go ahead.”
I wouldn’t hold her captive, no matter what it cost me.
“What is your plan? How do I even know who you’re working for?”
We were at a standoff, so I tossed back something for her to consider. “Your brother trusted me. By the way, what did you tell him after?”
She exhaled and said, “I didn’t have to tell him anything. He knew how I’d been found. He asked me to confirm what man I’d been with. I tried to keep it from him but eventually told him it was you.”
I nodded. “How did he react?”
“Pissed, of course, and told me to stay away from you. When I asked him why, he said you couldn’t be trusted. You worked for the mob.”
“Of course he did,” I muttered.
“Even if you do, I called him a hypocrite because he trusted you enough to send you to save me.”
She had me grinning again. “What did he say to that?”
“What could he say? We fought, and I told him to stop being such a child. That I could have sex with whom I wanted. And if not for you, things could have been a lot worse.”
Damn, if she wasn’t sexier to me right now, full of righteous indignation on my behalf. Then I sobered. “Any regrets?”
I needed to know if she was okay with everything that happened between us.
14
TAYLA
Bedroom eyes were a thing. Shawn had them in spades. I wanted to curl myself in his lap, run my fingers through his hair and kiss him until he knew without a doubt what my answer was.
I gave myself a mental pat on the back when my feet remained rooted to the ground, and I said, “Regret what? You didn’t die, and I wasn’t gang-raped. Yeah, no regrets there,” I said sarcastically.