Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 214(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 214(@300wpm)
“Please help me, Evan,” she begs, and her voice is rife with agony. “I don’t know where to go or what to do.”
“The police,” I tell her and it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever thought of going to them. “You can tell them everything. Tell them he threatened you with that.”
“He has them in his back pocket,” she says bitterly then adds, “You know that. Did they tell you anything?”
I shake my head and say, “Only that the coke was laced enough to kill. It was made into a murder weapon.”
“Oh, God,” Samantha says then lets out a gasp and hunches forward slightly. I feel the need to put my arm out to steady her and she clings to me.
A moment passes in the wintry cold, where I think back to a few times we’ve gotten out of tight spaces. I thought a client here and there would go to trial, but they never did. I didn’t think it was because of James, though. I thought they didn’t have enough evidence.
“He’ll go down for what he did,” I assure her as one name and one face come to mind. Mason. Jules’s husband. He’s gotten off for murder, just last month. There’s more corruption in this city than there are tourists. Mason knows it as much as I do and I can trust him.
He killed his father, and everyone knows it. Well, the whispers in certain circles are sure of it.
He’s from a different world than me, but I know him from back in the day. Back when both of us were a little too eager to cut loose. I helped him out back then and never called in the favor I’m owed. I haven’t spoken to him since I split up a fight a few months ago.
He owes me for that too. And Mason’s the type of man who pays his dues.
“What are you going to do?” she asks. Samantha scoots closer to me, almost too close, and I take a step back.
“I know a guy,” I tell her and she’s quick to nod, but then her face falls.
“Shit,” she whispers, her eyes focused on something behind me and I whip my head around to see what she’s looking at.
“It was him,” she says then covers her mouth. “Shit,” she repeats with tears in her eyes.
“He can’t hurt you.” I turn around and keep an arm behind me to protect her. My eyes search the crowd, but I don’t see him.
Her hands tug at my arm, pulling me back to her. Her bright red lips glisten as she licks them and tells me, “He went down to the subway, but he saw us. I know he did. At least I think he did,” she says then closes her eyes tightly and takes a step back. “It was definitely him.”
“Is he following you?” Her eyes are still on the subway entrance and her body’s still as she holds her breath.
“I don’t know.” Her bright blue gaze flickers to mine as she says, “I’m scared, Evan.”
“You should go to the cops, Sam—” I start to tell her she needs to protect herself, and if she doesn’t trust the cops she can always hire private security, but she cuts me off.
“It’s not me. I’m not worried about me. If he thinks you know, you’re not safe.”
“I don’t care what he thinks. Or what he thinks I know.” I stare into her eyes as I tell her, “I’ll kill him before he touches either one of us again.”
Chapter 9
Kat
He knows what he’s doing.
Jacob Scott.
Coffee? I could use some advice. I reread the message as I sit in a booth at the back of the coffee shop we met at last time.
His place, not mine. The thought makes me huff sarcastically.
My blood rings with guilt and regret. Even as I sit here, looking from my cup of chamomile tea to the entrance of the shop as the bell hanging above the front door rings, granting entry to temptation himself.
I should tell Jacob I’m pregnant. That I’m not at all ready to think about moving on, although I wish I were after the weeks of hell and on-again, off-again hardships Evan and I have been through. I should tell Jacob no. I should tell him sorry for not telling him sooner.
But I don’t do any of that.
I give him a small wave and force my smile to stay put as he walks over to me. His shoulders shiver and I can feel the faint chill of the November air flow through the shop.
“I’m so glad you could come,” Jacob says, greeting me with a smile, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders. I offer a smile in return as I see the waitress approach, carrying the cup of chai I bought for him.
“You have good timing,” I tell him, biting the inside of my cheek and knowing I’m playing with fire. “Now I don’t owe you.”