Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Zade approaches a huge estate, and he does his best to keep concealed, but in broad daylight in the countryside, that’s not as easy as it sounds. There are no other cars around, not even parked outside the mansion, and it makes it just a little easier to breathe. Over the past few weeks, while I’ve learned I have more fight than flight instincts, jumping headfirst into a hostile situation really isn’t my cup of tea, despite having the boys here to save my ass when everything inevitably goes wrong. Because let’s face it, when has anything ever gone right around here?
Zade parks on the side of the property behind a row of bushes, and while we’re concealed from the mansion, there’s practically a big red arrow pointing us out to anyone driving past. All four of the guys look over the property, taking in every inch of it and searching for possible entry points and threats, and I do the same just to fit in, but honestly, I’ve got no fucking idea what I’m searching for.
“I don’t think anyone is here,” Sawyer muses, his gaze narrowed toward the mansion. “It’s too quiet.”
Easton shakes his head. “There’s at least two guards patrolling the east end of the property,” he says. “Another farther back in the bushes.”
“Yes,” Sawyer agrees. “I meant inside. I don’t think Zade’s mom or her team are here. There’s no movement, no noise. It’s too still.”
“I agree,” Zade says, his brows furrowed. “She’s not here. We’re too vulnerable out here. She would have attacked by now.”
“She could be trying to lure us in,” Dalton says. “Give us a false sense of security only to attack once we’re behind enemy lines.”
“Either way,” Zade mutters, checking his gun. “We came here to do a job. Whether she’s here or not, we go in. Gather what intel we can, find out what she wants, her goals, her team. I want to know what makes her tick.”
“And her security?” Easton asks, not taking his eye off the two guards he pointed out on the east side of the property.
“If they pose a threat, take them out. Otherwise, let’s not draw attention to ourselves. If they were any good, they would have already tried to take us out. They’re just hired help, not sufficiently trained.”
The boys nod, and with that, they make their break, pushing their doors wide and slipping out into the fresh air. “Uhhhh . . . What am I supposed to do?” I ask, seeking out Zade’s stare. “And don’t even think about telling me to sit here and look pretty. You know I’m only going to slip out and follow you.”
Zade sighs and presses his lips into a hard line. “Fine,” he mutters. “You’re with me, but I swear to God, if you fuck this up or even breathe wrong, you’re going to—”
“I’m going to what?” I challenge. “You’ll punish me, kill me, make me regret it? You’re already tearing my heart out of my chest. What more could you possibly do to me?”
Zade clenches his jaw, clearly frustrated. “If you’re coming, then get a fucking move on. You’re wasting my time.”
Rolling my eyes, I scoot along the backseat, following Dalton out of the SUV until my feet finally hit the asphalt. Dalton steps into me, his hand sliding around my waist as he leans in and presses a kiss to my temple. “I know you can’t fucking stand each other but do me a favor and don’t do anything stupid,” he insists. “I don’t want to have to come and save your asses because you were both too stupid to keep your mouths shut for ten minutes.”
I give him a tight smile, making a show of zipping my lips and locking it before throwing away the key.
Dalton rolls his eyes and fixes Zade with a heavy glare. “You’ve got my whole fucking world in your hands right now,” he warns him. “If you fuck this up, I’m coming for you.”
Zade doesn’t respond, but honestly, we all know the likelihood of Zade fucking this up is zero to none. He isn’t the kind of guy to fuck up. He’s too calculated for that.
“Let’s just get this done,” Sawyer says. “I’m supposed to be having dinner with my mom tonight, and I don’t want this taking any longer than necessary.”
With that, the boys make a break for it, each of them taking off in different directions, and if it weren’t for Zade’s hand closing around my wrist and dragging me behind him, I probably would have been left in their dust.
After snaking our way through the trees, Zade and I emerge onto the manicured lawn like two moronic targets demanding attention. I try to keep myself hidden, hastily searching for the quickest route to the mansion, but Zade doesn’t share the same urgency. He simply walks across the lawn as though taking a Sunday afternoon stroll through the park. Hell, if anyone really were inside this property, we would already have bullet holes right through the center of our skulls.