Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Again, there was that feeling of tension winding even tighter. Ambrie looked up at Master. He was definitely affected by the things Czar was describing. She tried to think back if she’d ever encountered a woman who looked like the one Czar was describing. She was extremely good with details. She knew her talent with finances came partially from a psychic gift, intuition and the fact that her brain thought in numbers. But she had a rare gift for remembering details, almost like a photographic memory.
The details Czar had given were thin. There were many women tall and thin with model-like features. “You say she has dark hair. Is it brown? Black? What is the length of her hair? What color are her eyes? Did she wear her fingernails long? Were they fake nails? Was she in a dress or pants? Can you get specific details? I know it sounds silly, but it helps.”
Seychelle came up to the table, Savage one step behind her. “I’m Seychelle, Ambrie, it’s so nice to meet you. I haven’t actually met this woman, but I’ve heard some things about her. She seems to be a shadowy figure in the background.”
Savage pulled up a chair at the table for Seychelle and then dropped into the one beside her. Ambrie was grateful for the couple’s presence.
“You have such a beautiful voice, Seychelle. Thank you for coming to my aid when I was falling apart earlier. I could feel you lifting my burden. I didn’t like you having to shoulder my grief for me, but I really appreciated it with the sheriff being here.” She leaned into Master. “I don’t want my new husband to think I’m an eternal faucet.” She made a small attempt to smile up at him.
Master swept his arm around her. Like a great bear surrounding her with a fortress. It felt protective—good. He rarely smiled and he didn’t now, but his eyes, looking into hers, said he didn’t mind her falling apart.
“I can take on physical healing, bullet wounds, diseases, things like that, and I can change moods to some extent,” Seychelle confessed, “but unfortunately, I can’t take on emotional pain.”
“But someone . . .” Ambrie began.
“We need to get back to the subject of the Russian woman,” Savage interrupted. “Master, you got us a name, correct? Helena Smirnov.”
“That’s what she was calling herself, but he said it wasn’t her real name. I gave the report to Czar and Code. They gave it to all of you.”
Ambrie looked up at him curiously. There was a caution in his voice, a reluctance, and she knew it had something to do with her.
“I’d like to see it, Czar. If this woman is hunting you and your family, she may frequent the clubs I go to with my friends. That’s why her clothes and nails are important. If she calls you Viktor, not Czar, she may be hitting all the various clubs in an effort to find you. The business district has cafés and restaurants as well as clubs. She may have her tentacles reaching into those places, looking for you.”
“She has a point,” Master said. “Helena didn’t know you belonged to an MC at first; she was trolling for information at the De Sade, not about you, but your name came up; that’s how she got onto you in the first place. She may have looked for you everywhere. You’re not listed anywhere. The farm is. She can’t find you through normal channels.”
“That’s true,” Ink said, his voice rough, very unexpected. “But the children make you vulnerable, Czar. Especially Kenny and Darby.”
“They know to keep it tight,” Czar said, instantly defending his oldest children.
Maestro took up the argument. “They’re not babies you can lock up anymore. They both have jobs. They have phones and friends outside our circle.”
“I want to circle back to Ambrielle’s question about Helena’s appearance,” Absinthe said. “I questioned those who saw her and spoke to her in the De Sade club. She had very sleek hair—most used the word dark but a few recalled brown, but dark, dark chestnut brown. All of them included the word shiny. Her hair was in a bob style to her chin. Very sophisticated. She wore earrings—small, very expensive gold with real gems. She wore one ring: a snake made of gold coiling around her index finger. I was told it was beautiful and very detailed, a work of art. The ring was delicate, and the snake had diamond eyes.”
Ambrie frowned. “I haven’t seen her, but that’s a very distinct piece of jewelry. If it means something to her, then she’ll wear it again.” She turned to Seychelle. “Right?”
Seychelle nodded. “For sure. Especially if it was an exclusive designer piece. The diamonds for eyes would be unusual. Ice might know. I think there are a lot of snake rings, but Ice is really up on the artists.” She seemed to take a deep breath before she looked at Czar. “I’m really sorry this is happening to your family, Czar. I hope Blythe and the kids are all right.”