Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“I saw you on the news. It was like a sign from God reminding me of what we had. A sign from Him to finish what I started all those years ago.”
“We didn’t have anything. You were stalking me,” I retort, taking another step back from him, and he takes one step closer. Looking behind him toward the door, I wonder if I should try to make it, but then he closes it, trapping me in here. Seeing my only way out closed off, panic overwhelms me. “You don’t want to do this. The place is surrounded with security,” I warn him, looking around for something, anything I can use as a weapon.
“How do you think I got in here?” he asks, reaching into his back pocket. Watching him flip open his wallet and show me a badge with the letters FBI on it, bile crawls up the back of my throat. “Now”—he reaches under his arm and pulls out a gun, a gun I didn’t notice before now—“you’re going to come with me.”
“Please don’t do this,” I plea while fighting the urge to cover my stomach, where Liam’s and my child is growing. I don’t know what he will do if he discovers I’m pregnant, and I don’t want to find out.
“No, I’m not letting you get away this time. You are old enough now that no one can keep us apart.”
“You have a wife and kids,” I remind him, hoping the memory of his family will snap him out of this, whatever this is.
“Emma!”
Hearing my name shouted by Liam, panic fills me and my eyes move to the door.
“Do not even think about making a fucking sound,” Ryan says, pointing the gun at me, and tears fill my eyes. “Move toward the window and open it up. It looks like we’re not leaving the way we came in.”
“Please… please don’t do this. Please just let me go,” I beg, but he shakes his head, motioning with the gun for me to move to the window.
“Go on. If your boyfriend comes in here, I will put a bullet between his eyes, so you might also want to keep quiet,” he suggests, and a sob I can’t control climbs up the back of my throat as I lumber out the window, listening to Liam shout my name over and over again.
“Is this a fucking joke?” I glare at my security team, Nion looking like he’s ready to take me down, knowing I’m about to break out in full on Hulk mode. “I want Emma next to me now,” I growl, and when no one moves, I yell, “Now!” It’s then everyone scrambles away, each man rushing to make sure they get me Emma.
I run my hands through my hair, the card falling at my feet. I look up at Nion. “I want this house to be locked down like Fort Knox. I want everything shut down now. No one in or out!” I walk toward where I know Emma is supposed to be.
“Liam, the grounds are full of people setting up for the wedding.” Nion tries to keep up with me while I open the door to the dining room, scanning all the people sitting around the table and I come up empty.
“Emma!” I shout her name in a panic, now running through the house. Sara opens a door, coming outside with Emma’s parents following her.
“What is all the noise?” she asks, confused by the look on our faces.
“Where is Emma?” I ask her, going into the room.
“She went to the bathroom,” her mother says as I walk past them, going straight to the bathroom door, turning the knob, and opening the door. The room is empty, so I start down the hall, shoving open door after door.
“What is going on?” I hear her father ask Nion.
“Someone just sent Liam a threatening note about Emma.” Nion tries to explain while her mother gasps in shock, her hand going to her mouth.
Getting to the door at the end of the hall, it doesn’t open. Barreling into it with my shoulder, it still doesn’t budge. “Emma?” I shout and am pushed aside by Nion, who gives one huge shoulder push and the door busts open.
I walk into the room and see nothing and no one. The window is open wide, curtains blowing in the wind. Leaning my head outside, my eyes scan the lawn. I turn around from the window. “Close the gate and lock it down. No one in or out till we find Emma,” I order as I head down the hallway, straight to the front door and swinging it open.
It looks like a circus, trucks on top of trucks on top of trucks. Food, flowers, tents…. The fear that she might get out makes bile rise up my throat. “This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.” I spin around in a circle in the middle of my driveway.