Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“Score,” I mutter to myself and slip my fingers inside. When I tug on the wood, the wall opens, revealing guns, knives, and other items I'm unsure of. These are obviously weapons of some kind, but there’s also a laptop with a file on top of it.
Why the hell did my father need so many freaking weapons? I might not be as good at reading him as I thought. I grab the laptop and file and toss them on the bed before I move the wood back into place. Just in case someone comes in here, I don’t want them to know what he’s hiding.
When I take a seat on the bed, I notice a photo has slipped out of the file. I pick it up and see it’s a picture of Pru and Vitaly.
“What the fuck, Dad?” I whisper to myself. Why in the world would he have this? Then I see the paper with today’s date and a time and location. It’s tonight. “No.” I shake my head, stepping back from the folder, willing this to not be real.
What if he went to warn them? I want that to be true, but I’m not so sure anymore. Clearly there’s a whole other side to my father that I didn’t know about. Either way, I need to get to Luca and tell him what I’ve found. This can’t be good, no matter what it is.
I grab the laptop and put the papers and photo back into the folder before shoving them down into my bag. I glance out the window and realize I still have some time before nightfall, but I'm not sure if I can wait. I have to act now before someone gets hurt.
After what my dad said to me, I don’t think he plans to ever return here. And I’m not sure that he’s going to meet me afterwards like he said he would. Now his words sound more like a goodbye than a true future for us away from this estate.
I have to stop him. If he does try to make this hit, he’s as good as dead. I go to slip my bag on my shoulder, but I’m stopped when an arm wraps around me from behind. A hand covers my mouth, cutting off my scream.
I’m too late.
Chapter Thirteen
LUCA
When I’m back in the small guest house, the guards wait outside and lock me in. The house is basically one big room, and I can see through the windows that they are walking the perimeter. I’m also aware that this house is bugged and there are cameras around the exterior.
It’s going to be almost impossible to get away, but I’m not giving up. The first thing I need to do is warn Vitaly. If I leave now and go after Nolia, I might not be able to tell him afterwards. I want to be able to find her and get the fuck out of here before they suspect anything, but I can’t bet his and Pru’s life on it.
Taking off my boot, I pop open the secret compartment in the heel and pull out the tracker. Vitaly has people keeping a watch on it at all times, so I tap the button on it three times before I toss it on the floor and crush it. That’s the signal that trouble is coming their way and to be prepared. It’s not enough, but it’s all I’ve got. If I call or make a move to communicate with him, they’ll know about it. This is a signal for him to get Pru to safety and prepare for a war.
Once the alert is sent, I strap my boot back on and go to the bathroom. The first time I took a shower in here, I noticed the steam escaping through a crack in the ceiling. I’m not sure who designed this house, but after a quick inspection, I could see a way out.
I search the bathroom thoroughly to make sure there were no cameras or listening devices, but when I stand on top of the closed toilet lid, I still make sure to stay silent. As I push against the crack in the ceiling, a large panel lifts over my head, and I can see light. This must have been used for maintenance access, but they didn’t seal it up completely.
Reaching up, I pull myself through the panel and then gently put it back in place. Once I’m in the crawl space, I see where the light is coming from. There’s an air vent on the other end of the house. Crawling on my hands and knees, I go over to the vent and pop it open.
I’m going to have trouble squeezing through it, but I should be able to use it as an escape as long as there aren’t any guards outside. As carefully as I can, I peek outside and look down at the ground. There are two guards below talking to each other, and I strain to hear what they’re saying.