Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
There was a scuffle and the sound of a glass crashing in the background. As well as some very inventive swearing.
“Bella, it’s Azriel. Tell me the situation as you see it. Describe the area and the men. The fortifications.” Azriel sounded better in control than Giovanni or Alexi. I could tell he was acting as the voice of reason here. Hopefully, he’d have her lay it all out, then point out the reasons she needed to let us get her out.
“I’m not sure how big the compound is, but it has a chain-link fence around it topped with razor wire. Atlas says there are thirty-seven men here. I counted thirty-three when we joined the group to eat. Of those thirty-three, maybe fifteen carried themselves like they’d be good in a fight. Half of those were drunk. The president, Dutch, isn’t as smart as he thinks he is, but he’s cunning. He likes to play his members off each other, but I’m pretty sure it’s backfiring. Bozz, one of his inner circle is gunning for him, though he appears like he’s solidly in Dutch’s corner. He bugged our cabin with a tiny camera, but I watched him talking to another man when we ate and Dutch was talking with Atlas. If I read Bozz’s lips correctly, Dutch doesn’t know about the camera. Bozz isn’t spying on Atlas so much as he’s testing the camera out to see if Atlas finds it. He’s wanting to put eyes on Dutch. Again, I’m not a hundred percent, but I think he’s looking for the right time to kill Dutch.”
There was silence so long I thought maybe we’d lost the connection. Might be just as well. I still wasn’t certain how much I trusted the phone’s connection not to be traced. Obviously, Giovanni believed his gadget was foolproof. And, Jesus fuck! How the fuck had Rose gotten all that information in her one outing?”
“You sure about all that?” I couldn’t help but ask the question.
She shrugged, wiping tears from her cheek with one hand. “As sure as I can be given the brief time I had to watch. I did what you told me to, Atlas. Aside from the four men I didn’t see, you’re the deadliest man here. After you, Bozz and the man he was talking to. Dutch might lead these men, but probably only because he’s killed a few so the rest fall in line.” She ducked her head. “At least, that’s my take on the situation. I only had an hour or so, and yeah. I was scared out of my mind. But I don’t think I’m wrong.”
“How’d you learn to do that?”
“My degree is in criminal psychology. I don’t have much experience, but the main players in this case are textbook as far as I can see. Given more time, I can narrow down specific character traits and predict their actions. Dutch, in particular, is unstable. The thing that makes him dangerous is his mental instability. He’s a psychopath. He’ll carefully plot out any move he makes to get what he wants. He’ll pretend to be your friend or to be on your side, but he’s not. He’s on his own side. The side that gets him the end result he’s looking for. Right now, something is holding him in check. Probably the money he believes he’ll make when he sells people to this Swede guy. He believes you give him the best chance to maximize his profits, so he’ll back off you. For a while.”
“Yeah, he said as much to Bozz when he told him to lay off the women.”
“I think Bozz is a sociopath. He doesn’t care about others, certainly not the women he hurts. He has outbursts of anger and rage over the slightest things. He’ll rationalize his behavior, just like he did with you tonight. He said this was his club, and he’d do what he wanted. In his mind, because the women are in his home, he can do whatever he wants.”
“So these are the people we’re dealing with.” Ariel’s voice coming from the phone startled me. I’d forgotten about them, thinking the connection had been lost.
“The main players, yes,” I confirmed. “I don’t like this, Rose. I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not willing to risk your life.”
“You said you could keep me safe.”
“And I believe I can. But I don’t want to take that chance.”
“You were willing before.”
“I was willing to consider it before. Mainly because, at the time, I didn’t have any options. Now I do.”
“How much time do you have before Sting sends in his men?” Rose’s eyes still glistened with tears, but there was a steely determination in her gaze that had me swearing on the inside. There was no way I was going to win this fight with her. I shrugged, not in any hurry to answer her. If I could wait just a little bit longer, Sting would take the decision out of my hands.