Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
With each course, I remind myself that she’s safe.
Brody has the private room wired. He’s watching everything on surveillance, capturing every word. It’s not necessary for evidence.
He cracked their servers hours ago. He has hundreds of messages and enough dirt to take down a dozen world leaders, seven executive billionaires, and three of Wall Street’s top investors. That’s just scratching the surface.
But keeping it all wired so I can watch everything that happens was the only way I could go through with this plan.
I love this woman too much to risk losing her and the moment this is settled, I’m sliding a ring on her finger. If she wants to finish her degree in Europe, fine. If she wants to travel around the world, living in a different country every week, that’s fine too. But she’s not doing it alone. I’ll be the man by her side. Always.
Parker would never approve but he’s gone. My wife is gone. My son is gone.
Life is too short not to pursue love when you find it. This thing between us is definitely love. I felt it in the way she touched me last night, knew it deep in my soul. But I was a coward that wouldn’t let the words come. Now I wish like hell I’d said them. Even if she’d still left, she could have carried them with her.
“It’s almost over,” Brody says from beside me. He can sense my growing impatience, the fact that I desperately want to burst in there and pick up my woman. I’d carry her out, far and away from this place. From this living nightmare that she found herself in.
The strength it must have taken, first to escape. Then to return. Damn, she’s a warrior. A fighter, the toughest woman I’ve ever known. I plan to worship her on my knees every day for the rest of my life after this.
The meal is winding down and Von Hagel beckons Curtis closer. He says something in a low tone that our monitor can’t pick up. But it doesn’t matter. I already know their plan. Sierra will stay here at the hotel for the evening.
Once Von Hagel’s payment has been approved some time tomorrow morning, he’ll take her on a plane back to his private island. Or at least, he thinks he will. Fucker will never get that chance.
Sierra
I’m given a reprieve from Von Hagel even though it’s only for the night. Now that I’ve met him, I’m more nervous than ever before. I thought I’d slip away from him easily. Now I see that won’t be possible. He’s too rich. Too well-connected. This is really going to be my life.
The worst part is Colt is here. He’s followed me into this mess, and I need to send him away. It was everything I could do to keep my expression neutral in front of Von Hagel every time he came into the room. I wanted more than anything to throw myself into his arms and beg him to take me somewhere safe.
Curtis follows me and the enforcer back up to our floor. He gives the bulky man a nod and waits for the two of us to enter the room.
The lights are dimmer than I remember, and I move to the side table to turn one on. I really don’t want to be in the dark alone with that big brute. As if the universe is confirming that my instincts are correct, there’s a quiet thump.
I flick on the lamp and spin around. I’m expecting to come face to face with my warden. Instead, he’s slumped over and being lowered to the floor. By Colt.
Colt is with me. Even though I knew it during dinner, my heart leaps in my chest. He’s in danger, but I still feel relieved. He found me. He came for me. He came to rescue me.
It’s the last thought that has me swallowing hard. This won’t work. Not when there’s a man as powerful as Von Hagel involved. If this were some small criminal ring, maybe we could get away. But I don’t doubt that these men are vindictive enough to chase me to the ends of the earth.
“You need to go,” I force the words out from a throat that’s too tight. This will never work. Whatever Colt’s plan is, we’re no match for these people. I didn’t realize that when I dragged him into this. I thought it was just my dad and Curtis, a two-man operation. Now I see that I was wrong.
“Do you trust me?” He straightens, content that the enforcer is out cold. I’d be worried that he’s dead, but I can see the shallow breaths and the slight way his chest moves.
I nod mutely. I trust him but I’m not naïve. Not since coming here. They’re dealing in millions of dollars. They won’t let me just waltz out the door on Colt’s arm, no matter how many special skills he has.