Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
"We've set up a command center across town," Deacon says, meeting us in the parking garage.
"What did Wren find?" Kincaid asks.
Deacons shakes his head, making my chest ache. "He hit a brick wall. Some of the cameras along the path are out of order."
"Convenient," Kincaid snaps.
"He is looking through more footage to see if they pick them back up, but as we all know there's a very good chance they'll switch out vehicles. Adair has been getting away with shit for a really long time. He's an expert with this shit."
"How long have the cameras been out?" I snap.
"Don't know," Deacon says. "Wren might look into that later but, he's not going to waste time on it now."
I grind my teeth. I know the man is the best in his field, but I just know that those cameras being down have to do with the hearing today. I have no doubt they were always a part of this plan. It puts my confidence in thinking Brielle wasn't a part of this on shaky ground.
"Let's get to the command station," Kincaid says. "We can work through everything there."
At a minimum, I thought we'd have months. I was working under the assumption that even if shit didn't shake out the way we needed it to here in Ohio, Adair would be shipped back to New Mexico to face the charges there.
I never even considered that he'd be released from custody.
My hands shake all the way to the command center, a small apartment BBS was able to lease on short notice.
The guys are incredibly efficient, having filled the place with seating, a coffee machine, and a huge war table in the middle of what would normally be used as the living room.
"We're going to find her," Kincaid assures me as we step inside. "Did she ever disclose any of the different safe houses that they keep?"
I shake my head, but I bet Nathan would've taken that risk into consideration in planning all of this out. He wouldn't risk the chance of being interrupted while he exacts his punishment on her for her year-long betrayal. I can only hope that her running instead of stepping inside that courtroom today garners her enough of a fucking reprieve from his anger that we have enough time to get to her before he hurts her.
I pull in a ragged breath, wanting to find one of the empty bedrooms and curl into myself in the closet, but doing so won't help the woman I love.
Chapter 32
Brielle
I lost count long ago of the number of houses Nathan owned. I used to wonder if he had a house that we could move around every day of the year and still have a new place to go to the next day.
It's no surprise that the goon of the week urges me out of the back seat of the car in front of one I've never seen before.
When we go inside, I'm not surprised either to see the house fully furnished.
What did surprise me was the house Xan took me to back in Farmington, but I imagine that place was only where we were meeting. Nathan would never spend any real length of time in a place like that. He's a fan of luxury and high-end living.
"Your room is over there," the scarred man growls, pointing to the door on the far wall.
The house isn't big, but I know from history that it will have at least three bedrooms. I swallow, thinking of Xan. If this house was acquired in the last several weeks, it may only have two.
"Go," the guy insists when I stand in the middle of the tidy living room.
My feet carry me across the room, but my mind is a million miles away in a place where I'm safe, a place where my mom never met Nathan Adair.
I know the butterfly effect of that fantasy would've left me never meeting Beck, but the pain I've been through in my life tells me that we should both be okay with it. My heart clenches as I open the door. It tries to tell me that destiny would've had us meeting in a different way, that fate wouldn't be so cruel to keep us apart, but I know better. Cruel is all I know, other than the time I spent with him.
It's eerie how familiar the room is even though I've never been here before.
The bed is covered in expensive white bedding. Nathan was always a fan of being able to easily see my blood when he hurt me. I know before I even get to the window that it will either be sealed shut or...
"Motherfucker," I growl when I pull back the curtains and see the bars.
I noticed them outside, and I knew the one window that was covered with them had to be mine.