Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Speeder was probably acting like I feel a lot of the time, bouncing off the walls of my mind, flooded with a conviction to hurt something, to do something without knowing why or what.
It’s the boxing instinct in me, the never-dying fighter, the urge to find peace somehow.
And now I have. I can.
With my woman.
I scroll down.
There’s another text after she tells me she only knows how to be herself.
Suddenly, I’m on my feet, my phone grasped tightly in both hands, staring down at the words, pissed at myself for taking so long to read her messages.
Please, say she’s called the cops too.
The message reads, He’s here. Come quick. Please.
I run for the door, Speeder beside me, then force myself to stop and attach his leash. After the car alarm, plus the unusual environment, I can easily imagine him bolting.
We jog across the parking lot together, rushing into the car.
How the hell did he figure out which apartment she was in?
I drive out of the lot, down the two streets, then look at Speeder for a moment. I can’t leave him here, in this neighborhood.
Anybody could walk by and decide they like the look of him, or maybe some drunk asshats will torment him just for the so-called fun.
He’s already on edge.
Knowing it could be a mistake – Emil might target him – I walk around the car and quickly take his leash.
Every instinct is primed, full-on aggression twisting through me as I think about all the deadly things I’ll do to Emil if he hurts her.
The main door is open, letting me lead Speeder to the bottom of the staircase.
Fuck.
I pause, realizing my mistake.
I don’t know what specific apartment she’s in. She came down to the car before and had no reason to tell me.
If I had any doubts about how I felt about her, they melted the second I experienced the crushing sensation in my body, like a trash compactor going at all my hope.
Speeder whines, pulling toward the stairs.
I look at him closely. His ears are pricked, his tail alert.
“Can you hear something, boy? Smell it?”
He whines again, tugging on his leash.
I follow him, taking the steps two at a time, my hand clenched into a fist around the dog leash. My knuckles are aching like they used to before a fight, in anticipation of the violence, but my body is pumping with far more ferocity.
I’m ready to kill to protect my woman. To do whatever it takes to protect her.
Always.
Speeder pauses on the second floor, looking at me with uncertainty.
I kneel and scratch him behind the ear. “You’re a good boy. You’re the most loyal, smartest boy. Which way, huh? Come on….”
This could be a complete waste of time, but I’ve got nothing else to go on.
I follow him down the hallway, past an apartment with softly pumping music and then a voice.
My blood goes from hot to icy. My fist clenches even tighter.
It’s Emil, words slurred, collapsing into each other.
“Your landlord was one stupid motherfucker. A casual wave of this thing, and he sang like a birdie. He gave me your apartment number and everything. Can you imagine being that stupid?”
“He was scared.”
My woman’s voice is raised with dignity, though I can hear the terror beneath it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear any sirens in the air, meaning my woman didn’t get a chance to call the cops.
“It’s not a question of intelligence.”
“Are you going to tell me the truth now, or am I going to cut your mom open?”
“I told you. I only met him today. We’ve been texting, but that’s it.”
“Bullshit,” Emil snaps as I get ready.
I push my shoulder against the door and prepare myself. The flames rage through me, making it difficult to summon the fighter’s calm. Then Speeder whines, pawing at the floor.
I can’t take him in there with me.
Am I going to cut your mom open…?
That means he has a knife.
Looking around, I find some pipes, laying my hand against them. Warm but not hot enough to burn.
I tie Speeder’s leash to it, then return to the door.
“I’ve spent a lot of time studying that steroid junkie who pretends to be a tough guy.”
I suppress a savage laugh at that.
I’ve never touched steroids in my life.
“Killian has never touched steroids in his life,” my woman says, fierce defense in her voice.
I smile. Widely. It’s like she cares as much as I do.
Squeezing my fist just a little harder, I get ready to do what must be done.
Whatever the situation is on the other side of this door, I will make sure my woman’s safe.
I’m going to save her.
It’s my job.
CHAPTER 16
Mia
Emil paces up and down the room, his gait weaving as he leans heavily on one leg and then the other, like he’s struggling to stay upright. He seems proud of tricking us, waving his knife around.