Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“Absolutely fucking not. She’s shooting at you. She doesn’t want to kill me.”
“She? Who’s out there?” And where had Riley gotten off to? She’d seen him moving before she’d jumped on Josh. “What does she want?”
Instead of the answers she wanted, a cell phone trilled and Josh cursed.
He shoved his hand into his pocket and brought the phone to his ear. “I did not invite her along.”
Though the phone was to his ear, she was close enough she could hear an eerie robotic voice over the line. “You know what happens when you disobey, Joshua.”
A chill went through her. This wasn’t something Josh wanted. This wasn’t some business he was trying to hide from the press. He was in trouble, the kind that had him doing near suicidal stuff like jogging through the canyon at midnight.
“I wasn’t trying to. I was doing exactly what you asked and I got waylaid by a fucking rattlesnake,” Josh growled into the phone. “If Kay hadn’t come along, I would have died and then where would you get your cash? Because I assure you there’s no way you’re named in my will.”
There was silence for a moment. “I would have handled it. I’m not a bad shot myself. Get rid of your friends and complete the transaction or I’ll take them out one by one and you’ll still give me what I want.”
“I won’t,” he replied quickly. “You hurt her and I swear you won’t see another dime out of me. You hurt her and you better kill me because I won’t care about anything else. I’ll spend every dime I’ve got tracking you down and making your life even more miserable than you’ve made mine. Or you can let me make the drop and get the fuck out of here.”
“Send the girl.”
Oh, the girl was so ready to be sent. The girl was ready to meet whoever this bitch was and show her exactly how the girl handled threats to her man.
“No.” Josh’s tone had gone completely flat.
“Let me go,” Kay said.
His eyes found hers and she shivered at the anger she saw there. She’d known he would be pissed. When she’d seen him fall, heard that damn snake rattle, she’d known the game was up and she would have to scramble to save her job. She hadn’t hesitated. There had been no mental list of pros and cons, not a thought in her head about the mission. All she’d cared about was saving Josh.
That voice came over the line again. How many times had Josh heard it? How many of these “missions” had she sent him on?
“Send the girl, Joshua,” the voice over the phone said. “Give her the key and send her. You won’t make it. She can. And if you don’t do it quickly, I’ll kill the man first. You don’t care about him, right? I’ve got a nice line of sight and I can take him out with a headshot, no problem. I’ll do it simply because I’m irritated.”
Riley? Where was he? She tried to look around, but Josh had her pinned and in this case, her experience was nothing compared to his sheer weight and strength.
She needed to make him understand. She couldn’t let Riley get killed. “Please, Josh. Let me do it. I don’t think you can make it down that path. Your ankle might not be too bad, but that’s uneven ground. What happens if you roll it again? You won’t be able to make it back up. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
Those eyes of his were black in the dark, as black as the night, with only the whites of his eyes holding any color at all. He wasn’t her lover in that moment. He wasn’t her client or even her friend. He was her Dom and he was pissed.
He was in a corner, and she got the feeling it wasn’t going to go well for her when he found his way out.
He forced himself to sit up, the phone still at his ear. “You hurt her and you heard what I said.”
Kayla winced at the pain in her back. Now she couldn’t hear what was said from the other side. He’d moved, obviously unconcerned about whoever was out there. She glanced down and was happy for the tree she’d nearly broken her back on. If it hadn’t been there, they would have kept rolling and rolling, right down to the bottom.
“Then shoot me fucking now because I’m done with you. Do your worst,” Josh was saying.
She was silent, allowing him to deal as much as he could. It was apparent to her what the outcome was going to be. He winced every time he tried to move that right foot. He might be able to make it back to the parking lot, but it wouldn’t be without help. There was zero chance he could maneuver further into the canyon. Not on his own.