Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
She wasn’t going to think about that. It was time to put away worst-case scenarios and only deal with what was real and happening in front of her.
A door opened above her, and she realized someone was paying attention.
Joseph had told them Julia preferred to work with small, well-trained teams. Sometimes because she killed them rather than paying their wages. He thought there would be no more than ten men on the team, and four of them were heading to DC.
Six men, give or take a few, and Julia.
“What the hell?” The guard was a big man, and he looked more like he was ready to work out than get into a shootout. He lifted his Glock, holding it in a way that let her know he was good with it.
She let hers drop to the ground.
Hopefully she would be showing off the skills Ian and Erin had taught her, but she wouldn’t be doing it right now.
Right now she would pray this guy didn’t simply blow her away.
She held her hands up. “I’m in the wrong place.”
“You are definitely in the wrong place,” another voice said. A man who was slightly smaller than the first stepped out. He had dark hair and was dressed in tactical pants and a T-shirt. He looked her over, assessing every inch of her for threat, and then sighed, a tired sound. “Who are you and what are you doing here? This is private property.”
The first guy kept his eyes on her. “Hey, she’s got a gun. A couple, actually. You think she’s a fed?”
This was the part she had to do well. “I’m not law enforcement. Julia’s really here? They didn’t believe him. They didn’t want to risk anything…”
“Him?” The second man stepped off the big wraparound porch. “Who is him? I was told no one knows about this place.”
The first guy kept his gun up. It was obvious he wasn’t falling into the trap that she was small and no threat. “I knew it was a bad idea to send John and the others off. She should have made the meet spot closer. They’re too far away. Slowly take that gun out of your shoulder holster and kick it my way.”
The second guy looked back. “You honestly think we can’t handle her? She’s maybe one twenty, and I will be shocked if she knows how to use the guns.”
“Hey, I meant what I said,” the first guy reiterated in a hard voice. “The gun, now.” He turned back to his coworker. “Don’t underestimate her. We should call the boss.”
“Or we could have some fun with her.” Second guy seemed bored and ready to do something about it.
She was far more worried about the first one. She might have to show her hand.
Well, she’d come to make some chaos. If they were chasing her, they weren’t paying attention to the group.
When the man put a hand on her, his lips curling up, she knew exactly what to do.
She quickly brought her hand up and in a moment had the guard’s gun in one hand, his wrist in the other. She twisted him exactly the way Erin had taught, making his big body her shield. His body jolted as the other guard reacted far too soon. He’d seen her moving and thought he could take her out. Instead, she’d gotten his friend in front of her in time to take the bullet that would have been a head shot for her.
It lodged deep in his chest. She fired under his arm and took out the big guard’s left lung. One more shot and he wasn’t breathing anymore, shuddering as he hit his knees and then the hard wood of the porch.
It wasn’t how she’d thought it would go, but she had been taught to be flexible.
She let her shield drop. The guy was way too heavy.
That was the moment when she realized there was a red dot hovering over her heart. She glanced up, and Julia was on the balcony overhead.
“Don’t you fucking move.”
MaeBe forced herself to go still.
Another man showed up on the porch, his eyes looking at the two guards she’d taken out. His weapon came up, and MaeBe realized she could die. This could be it.
“Don’t you pull that trigger.” Julia held herself steady.
“She killed Hank and Bill,” the guard said, his eyes flashing hatred.
“And I’ll kill you if you don’t obey orders,” Julia replied. “This is Mae Beatrice Vaughn. I would like to know how she found me and who else is out there in the woods.”
Mae shook her head, her hands in the air now. “No one. I came by myself.”
“Sure you did. I want an explanation of how you found us, and I want it now. How did my brother know I still own this house? Our father did an excellent job of hiding this place.”