Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
When I finally get there, the tires screech as I slide the car sideways and peer through the living room window like before. There’s no one there except for two guards, which tells me they just left the room.
But I know Lex, Blom, and Aurora are in there.
I can smell it.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the car window, and I turn my head in the direction of the sound, ready to bite some heads off.
But the face that appears momentarily catches me off guard.
“Hello,” a dark-haired boy with a feather earring says.
Lex’s son, Luca.
CHAPTER 22
Beast
I feel like I could spit fire. “What the—”
I ram open the door right up against him, shoving him down onto the ground. And I grab him by the collar and lean over to bark in his face. “How did you find me?”
“I just came back from my father and saw you chillin’ in your car, and I thought I’d recognized you. Relax.”
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t run you over right now,” I say, grinding my teeth.
“Whoa, calm down, fucker,” he says. “I’m not your fucking enemy.”
My hold on his collar tightens. “Tell that to your fucking piece of shit of a father.”
“Where’d you get that sudden rage from?” he spits back, glaring at my neck, which misses the collar. “And where the fuck is your collar?”
“Your father is not in control anymore,” I growl back.
His eyes narrow and then open up like he’s seen the light. “Oh … you’ve freed yourself. I’m surprised.”
I grab him by the throat. The squeaky noises he makes are like music to my ears.
“Don’t. I told you, I’m not your enemy.”
“Why should I believe you?” I say through gritted teeth.
“I hate my father as much as you do,” he says.
I lower my gaze at him, suspicious of anything this dude has to say. If he’s anything like his father, I can’t trust anything he says or does.
“I can help you get her back.”
Now he’s got my attention.
I lift him up from the ground and shove him against my car by the throat. “What do you know about her?”
“Nothing,” he says. “Just that you want that girl my father’s been obsessed about.”
Obsessed?
Fuck.
So it’s worse than I thought.
“What does he plan on doing with her?” I snarl.
“I don’t fucking know,” Luca replies. “But if you let me go, we can talk.”
I let it sink in for a few seconds before I loosen my grip a bit. Not enough for him to escape, but enough for him to breathe.
He’s Lex’s son, and I would much rather use him as a bargaining chip, but he has far more inside intel than I’ll ever attain on my own. He could be useful.
“What can you offer me that I don’t have myself?” I ask.
“You have a plan?” he answers.
No, but I’ve never needed one.
“What do you think is gonna happen when you storm in there?” he adds. “They’ll gun you down in a second.”
“What do you suggest I do?” I retort.
“Come back to my place, and I’ll help you figure it out.”
I snort, but the guy looks dead serious. “That takes balls.”
“Can show them if you want,” he says, winking.
I wince in disgust and pull back.
Luca laughs. “Your loss.”
He wrings free from my grip and pats down his shirt. “You almost damaged my best shirt.”
“I’ll damage your entire fucking face if you don’t spill the details.”
He holds up his hands. “Fine, fine. You don’t have to get violent on me.” He reaches for his pocket and fishes out a knife. “I can do that just fine myself.”
I make a fist.
“Whoa, calm down, doggy boy. I don’t want to use it against you,” he says.
“Then why’d you pull it?”
“Self-protection.” He frowns. “Do you think I like getting manhandled?”
My nostrils flare. I still don’t trust this fucker one bit, but I don’t have many options right now, and he’s the best one.
He toys with the knife like it’s a game. “Look, I don’t wanna fight you. I just want my father out of the way.”
Okay. A son wanting to kill his own father? Interesting, though not surprising.
“Why?”
He shrugs. “Let’s just say he’s gone past his expiry date.” He flicks the knife up and down as a smug grin forms on his face. “So what do you say? Are you up for it?”
I grimace. “Teaming up with you? No thanks.”
“Oh, c’mon,” he says as I sit back inside the car again. “I know a way inside.”
I look up as he hovers over my door.
“I swear, it’s not a trap,” he says. “If it was, my father’s men would’ve already been coming for your ass.”
I grumble. “Lousy fucking trap if you ask me.”
He snorts. “Hey, I wasn’t the one playing detective outside someone’s window twice in the same day.” He flicks the knife around again like it’s a goddamn toy, and I don’t like it one bit.