Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
I don’t know what he means by that, but I don’t have time to press the issue since he gets in his car.
Ignoring him, I try to tame the flaming of my cheeks as I meet Lia. She smiles faintly at me, and even that appears sad. She has a generally wretched expression, like she’s constantly sad or haunted—or both.
Due to not attending most gatherings, the other wives don’t really like her much, and therefore, I’m basically the only resemblance of a friend she has.
“Long time no see, Lia.” I kiss her cheek.
She returns the gesture. “I’ve been a bit unwell, and you know how Jeremy needs a lot of attention.”
“I can only imagine. Is your baby boy doing well?”
Her expression lights up at the mention of her son. “He is. He’s so smart.”
“Just like his father.”
“Sort of.” Her voice is barely a whisper as we head to the building. There’s something odd about the way she walks that I’ve never noticed before. It’s mechanical, forced even.
When she catches me observing her, she blurts, “Congrats on your wedding. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”
“It’s better that you didn’t. It wasn’t exactly safe. Didn’t Adrian tell you?”
“I figured something was wrong,” she says in the same forced way she’s walking.
I stop at the entrance and face her. “Is everything okay, Lia?”
“What?” Panic fills her eyes and her skin turns a pale shade of white. “W-why?”
I touch her elbow and she flinches, so I drop my hand. “You don’t look so well. Would you prefer to leave?”
“No. Adrian said I have to be here.”
“He forced you to come?” I all but shout.
“Please d-don’t yell, please,” she whispers, her hands flat-out shaking as she watches our surroundings. “That’s not what I m-meant…I…can you please forget the last couple of minutes happened?”
“Hey,” I soothe, “it’s okay. If something’s wrong, you can tell me and I will help, all right?”
Her gaze shifts behind us to where the guards are stationed.
“No one will say anything. I outrank everyone here, and whatever you tell me will be our secret. You have my word.” She still appears hesitant, so I smile. “You don’t have to tell me right away. Take your time to think about it.”
She nods once, and that’s when I notice a red dot on her forehead—a red sniper dot.
My muscles turn rigid, but I remain calm, my expression unchangeable. “Lia, don’t move.”
“Why?” She sounds as spooked as I feel.
I push her down and a bullet shoots straight into the door. A body slams into me from behind and smashes me to the ground.
21
Rai
A large body covers me whole from behind, and for a moment, I’m too disoriented to decipher what just happened.
I’m not hearing or smelling anything. My vision is blurry, and it’s almost like waking up in a white room without a recollection of prior events.
“Stay low,” the very familiar voice whispers in my ear, and with that, all my other senses kick into gear.
It’s like being wrenched from underwater and taking the first gulp of air. As my lungs burn, I realize I haven’t been breathing either. My ears buzz and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
The coffee shop’s entryway, the concrete beneath us, the shot on the door…
“Rai, do you hear me? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say over the constant ringing in my ears.
I attempt to roll from underneath him, but Kyle keeps me pinned in place with a hand around my nape. “Don’t move.”
His grip is firm, disallowing me any shift, which wouldn’t be possible considering he’s crushing me with his weight. Every inch of me is covered by him.
The realization of what he did slowly creeps up on me.
Kyle jumped on me. As in, he used his body as a shield for mine. As in, he was ready to take the shot for me.
My breathing hitches, cracking and turning shallower by the second. It doesn’t make sense for him to do such a heroic act I would expect from only Katia and Ruslan.
He doesn’t care. He left seven years ago.
I try engraving those words to memory, because if I don’t? Then, I’m fucking screwed.
“Is the sniper gone?” I ask, voice low.
“Could be. I’ll go check.”
“Why would you go check? I’ll send the guards.”
“And cause a ruckus at your carefully planned brunch? None of the guards saw the bullet or the red dot. If you make sure Lia doesn’t talk, we won’t have a diplomatic issue with the Italians. If they know a sniper is on the loose, they will accuse you of bringing their women to be killed.”
His words get past the confines of my ears and the reality slams into me.
My best option is to play it cool.
My gaze slides to Lia, who’s crouching by the restaurant door, both her palms covering her ears and her eyes shut tightly as her lips move in inaudible murmurs.