Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Chase dragged me into the limo. “Are you okay? Jasmine! Jasmine!”
“Yes.” My arm spasmed. “Shit, this hurts.”
Footsteps stomped.
Gunshots exploded.
People screamed and shrieked.
Horns honked.
Metal crashed against metal. It sounded like a war had come.
Chase tugged me to the floor and tried to shield me with his body.
“Drive, goddamn it!” Chase yelled at the driver.
The limo started.
The engine hummed.
Tires screeched as we sped off.
The limo door swung back and forth. The odor of rubber whooshed in.
I slammed into Chase as the limo raced out of the alley at high speed.
“The door is open!” I tried to get up, my body being slung back and forth by the impact of the limo as it turned again.
“Stay down!” Chase yanked me back and slammed it closed. “Is it just your arm? Where else? Are you okay?”
“Y-yes.” I tensed my shoulders as I hugged my wounded arm. I could see the hole. Torn flesh outlined the gunshot wound. Blood trickled out, staining my dress and painting my arm.
“I don’t know if this would work.” Chase ripped off his shirt. “But I see it in movies all the time.”
“Be gentle.” I jerked a little as he tied the shirt around my arm. Red seeped through the white fabric in seconds. My bottom lip quivered at the unmerciful throbbing. “Did you see who it was?”
“No,” he said through clenched teeth.
It was probably due to all the blood loss and shock of being shot, but I could swear his green eyes darkened to a pool of black. Fury swam in those angry eyes. Fury and a wrath so strong I shivered and looked away.
He flexed his hands in front of him and stared off in the distance. Light from the street lights skittered over his face as we entered the highway. “But I will find out who it was and when I get my hands around her neck. There will be no fucking mercy. Whichever one it is, she’ll regret that she didn’t leave you alone.”
Chapter 2
CHASE
Jasmine’s blood lay everywhere—on my clothes, the bathroom floor where I dropped them, and definitely on my hands. This wasn’t the first time I’d had a woman’s blood all over me, but this would be the last. Whoever shot her had tried to take away my Jasmine—the one thing in my life that made me complete.
Which one of you did it?
Fury boiled in my veins, so much so that I’d been slamming things the whole time in the hospital. The doctor begged me to give Jasmine some space as she continued to sleep. It was hard. I had to be around her, had to make sure she was safe.
Was it you, Dawn? Couldn’t be. You know I can hurt you the worst of all.
I pulled out my phone and texted my new assistant.
Me: Freeze the three bank accounts listed as personal. Make sure no credit cards can be used. Have several men close down Willow Park. If anyone is in there besides the staff, have them arrested and notify me. Any cars in the lot need to be taken to my private garage near the building.
Cedric: Yes, sir.
No way. It can’t be you, Dawn. Surely you were close to leaving soon. It seemed like Wendy was picking up where I’d left off in the bedroom.
Half the time I bumped into Wendy as she left the Dawn’s bedroom and I entered.
Was it you Wendy? What would you gain by Jasmine’s being dead? You would’ve been the last one I would’ve fought to return to out of all three of you. Too vocal and always complaining when you were never worthy enough to be in that apartment to begin with. If not for Dawn, I would’ve gotten rid of you a long time ago.
“I should have.” I stepped into the shower with my plastic slippers on. I’d asked one of the guys to buy me a pair due to my annoyance with stepping on floors with wet bare feet. For some reason the feel of moist feet on a dusty floor always irritated me. Floors were never clean enough to walk on barefoot. They were always messy, as filthy as this situation right now.
Was it you, Lucy? No. Not you. If I remember correctly, you loved Jasmine’s being there most of all. You considered her a sister and maybe a possible best friend. Or was that what you wanted me to believe?
All wet and nowhere near clean of this mess, I got out of the shower to send another quick text to my assistant. I couldn’t dry my hands fast enough.
Me: Get in touch with Dock Evans. Tell him to have Dawn’s, Lucy’s, and Wendy’s passports on the radar. If he wants to go the extra mile and have the authorities searching for them, tell him go ahead.
Cedric: Sir, is there a problem?
Me: There will be if you don’t have those tasks done by tomorrow morning.