Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
I looked behind me and spotted a heavy-set guard trudging up the stairs with a winded pant. When I realized he was the one who’d shot me, I aimed my gun directly at his head and squeezed the trigger. Seconds later, he collapsed, and his lifeless body rolled down to the foot of the stairs. Clearly amused by what had transpired, Hawk glanced down at me with a smirk and asked, “You all right down there?”
“Better now.” I motioned my hand to the bottom of the stairs as I said, “Can’t say the same for him.”
“No, that asshole has seen better days.”
Without any further interruptions, we continued our trek upstairs. When we reached the second floor, I wasn’t surprised to find that the place was decorated to the hilt. There were lavish chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and expensive artwork on every wall. When we went into the first bedroom, it was just as extravagant as the rest of the house—oversized with large windows, pretentious furniture, and obnoxiously expensive bedding.
The whole room was over the top, but I expected nothing less from a man like Antonio. We quickly scanned the room, and when we didn’t see anyone, we moved on to the next. As soon as we entered the second room, I was immediately put off kilter by both the odd smell and the furnishings. There was a bed in the corner with nothing but a thin set of sheets covered in stains, and the wood flooring was scratched and in dire need of repair.
At first glance, the room seemed empty, but as we made our way further into the room something strange caught my eye. I stepped over to the window and immediately spotted a familiar pair of white tennis shoes poking out from behind the floor-length drapes. It took me a second to register where I’d seen them, but then it hit me. “Everleigh? Is that you?”
“Billy?” Everleigh eased the curtain back, and relief washed over her face the second she saw it was me. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me as she whispered, “Thank God it’s you.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Hawk lowered his weapon as he grumbled, “I was just about to ask the same fucking thing.”
“She came for me,” Kiersten answered as she stepped out of the closet.
“Holy shit!” Hawk stepped to the side as I rushed over to Kiersten and grabbed her in a bear hug. “Kiersten! Are you okay?”
“Better now that you guys are here.”
“I gotta let Viper know that we found you.” Hawk took out his phone and sent a message to Viper. He turned back to Kiersten as I asked, “You sure you’re okay? They didn’t hurt you or...”
“I’m fine, Dad. Really.”
The words had barely left her mouth when a young man wearing a dark suit stepped out of the closet and stood behind Kiersten. I pushed Kiersten out of my way, then lifted my gun and prepared to shoot. I was just about to pull the trigger when Everleigh lunged in front of him and said, “No, wait! Please! He’s with us!”
“What the fuck are you talking about? He’s one of them... He’s one of DeLuca’s boys.”
“Yes, but he’s not like them.” Everleigh turned to me as she said, “This is Matteo. You know, the one I told you about.”
“But I thought...”
“I did, too,” I interrupted. “But this is him. He’s alive and well.”
“He is for the time being,” Shotgun grumbled. “What the hell is he doing with you two?”
“He was helping me with Kiersten. Neither of us would’ve gotten this far without him,” Everleigh explained.
“She’s telling the truth.” Kiersten motioned her hand to the floor, pointing out the chain that was mounted to the floor. “That whack-job who kidnapped me had his men shackled me to the damn floor, but Matteo set me free. He was just about to take us out of here when you guys showed up.”
“Okay, okay enough. We get it.” I turned to Everleigh as I said, “You’ve yet to tell us what the hell you’re doing here?”
“I came to turn myself in to Antonio.”
“You did what?”
Before she could answer, another round of shooting roared below us, and Hawk stepped between us. “We gotta get them out of here.”
“I can take them,” Matteo volunteered. “I know the best way out, and...”
“Not a chance.”
“Come on, Billy. Let him do this... You can trust him,” Everleigh pushed. “You can trust me.”
I was torn. I could’ve just gone with them, made sure this Matteo guy was on the up and up, but I had unfinished business with Antonio. The asshole had not only taken my daughter; he’d chained her to the fucking floor, and come hell or high water, he was going to pay for that shit. Hawk could see that I was struggling, so he suggested, “We’ll send Davies with them. If this guy tries to pull anything, Davies will deal with him, and I’ll message Menace, too. He can meet them out back and help get them to the SUV.”