Total pages in book: 238
Estimated words: 231781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1159(@200wpm)___ 927(@250wpm)___ 773(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1159(@200wpm)___ 927(@250wpm)___ 773(@300wpm)
Evans’s chest rose and fell hard, fear etched across his face as I’m sure he wracked his brain to think about how he was going to get out of this.
But someone came up and grabbed him, force-walking him out of the park as the rest of the officers drifted with them.
“I’ll take care of it from here,” my grandfather told me. “Call Jack if you want the other one extracted, too.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
His assistant had been just as reliable as he had been, keeping in constant touch with me at Blackchurch and keeping my grandfather informed.
He stared at me and smiled. “Be safe. All of you,” he said. “I’ll be at the tavern if you need me.”
I nodded, watching him, Evans, and all the officers leave the park. I turned, seeing only our crew, Aydin’s, and Martin left to deal with.
Micah walked up to me. “You needed our families’ power then?” he asked. “The protection of their connections and their investment into your resort? You used us for our families?”
“Wanna use me for mine?” I tossed back. “I asked you to give me till the end of the weekend. I chose you. Now it’s your turn to choose us.”
We did need them, but I wasn’t inviting anyone into the fold I didn’t believe honestly belonged here. Micah Moreau and Rory Geardon were my friends, and in no time at all, I had every confidence that Michael and everyone else would consider them such, as well.
I turned to Aydin, squaring my shoulders. “Leave.”
He glanced over my shoulder. “He could be useful to me.”
Martin Scott?
Aydin Khadir had no interest in money, power, or business. His satisfaction in life came from playing people, and getting his hands on Scott would keep me engaged, Emmy prisoner, and Alex in his life as a result.
“I’ll ask you one last time,” I gritted out. “Leave.”
Em walked over, standing at my side and facing him.
He’d used her at Blackchurch. But even so, he guided her when no one ever had.
For that, I’d let him walk out of here on his own two feet.
He met her eyes, a moment of something I couldn’t place passing in his eyes. “Are you scared, Emory?” he asked her.
Her voice remained as still and calm as her body. “I’m the eye of the storm. You?”
He turned his head, looking at Alex, the longing stretching between them so strongly, I could almost feel it vibrating in the ground.
“I’m the storm,” he murmured.
Alex stayed rooted, Aydin standing there, feeling like a ticking bomb, and I saw someone shift out of the corner of my eye, but before I could place it, Winter spoke up. “Gun,” she said, sucking in a breath. “I heard someone chamber a round.”
I darted my eyes to Aydin, the hint of a smile on his lips, and then Martin reached for his gun in his holster, and I spun around, knowing all hell was about to break loose.
“Lev, take the kid!” I yelled. “Now!”
Lev grabbed the little girl and ran, everyone fanning out as we faced Martin and Aydin, some whipping around to face Aydin’s crew.
I looked to Em. “Hide.”
“Are you kidding?” she yelled.
And then she ran, shooting out her foot right into Martin’s chest, the gun knocking out of his hand as he fell back onto the ground.
The whole place descended into chaos.
Screams and shouts filled the air, someone taking Winter to the ground, and she kneed him right in the balls just as Damon got to her, pulling the guy off her.
Martin’s gun clanked across the pavement, and he scrambled for it, but Em kicked it away. I was about to dive in, but she jumped on him, fury in her eyes as she wrapped her arms and legs around him and fought.
I turned to Aydin, who stood ready and willing.
“I’m leaving with one of them,” he informed me.
I charged for him. “You’re not leaving.”
You had that chance.
I threw a fist across his face, taking him to the ground, everyone around us fighting and growling. Winter crossed my mind, and I wanted to make sure she was okay. Did anyone have a gun out and ready to use on us? Did Lev make it out with the kid?
Where were the moms? Jesus.
Aydin threw me over and climbed on top, pinning me to the ground, his fist landing on my jaw, and my teeth cutting the inside of my mouth.
Someone screamed and others cursed, Aydin’s blood pouring down my hand where it seeped out of his nose.
We punched and fought, throwing kicks, and then he grabbed me by the collar, lifted me up, and slammed me into the pavement, my ears ringing and an ache coursing through my skull.
“Fuck,” I grunted, whipping him off me.
Rising to my feet, I kicked him in the face, watching him fly backward, and then I dived in from behind and wrapped my arm around his neck.