Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Is there anyone else that knew you and Eddie were a couple?” Marksen said, sitting back on the couch, crossing his ankle over his knee. “They are clearly getting their orders from someone with a bone to pick with the girl.”
“No, the only other person I told was Luc, but she was gone by the time I came back from the club.”
“Did anyone know you two were sleeping together?” Luc asked.
I shook my head and then thought about it.
“I mean, I’m sure Catherine and my mother suspected, but it’s not like it was a problem for Catherine. She didn’t care. She was well aware that our arrangement was nothing more than a contract.”
“I can’t imagine your harpy of a mother was thrilled you were dipping your pen in the company ink.” Luc apparently couldn’t resist stirring things up.
I gave him a death stare that made him look away.
“Mary Quinn Astrid didn’t know that I was serious about Eddie. She thinks I stopped seeing her a little over a week ago.” The words tasted like a lie as soon as they passed my lips.
I didn’t know what to believe. I didn’t know whose fault it was that Eddie was a target. Or whether it was because she was dating me—even though no one was supposed to know—or if she was just the most convenient target close to me, and the mob actually did think that they were just kidnapping my paralegal.
I sat down on the couch, put my head in my hands, and tried to focus. I had no idea what my next move should be. With any other case I worked, I knew what I had to do. Once I had a goal, I could clearly see the path to achieve it, but this time I just didn’t know what to do.
Footsteps entered the room. There was a pause, then more footsteps before the wooden coffee table in front of my couch creaked.
“I understand you’re a district attorney?” Reid’s voice came from directly in front of me. He must have sat down on the coffee table.
I nodded, not willing to look up.
“Does that mean you have connections in the local PD?”
Again I nodded.
“Did you contact any of them?”
“No. I don’t know who can be trusted in the police department. This mob has several cousins, brothers, uncles, and friends in the different police precincts,” I said, finally looking up into the cold, determined eyes of the bodyguard. “Like most infesting insects, they are best at breeding.”
“Good, I’m glad you didn’t get in touch with them. I have a few trusted friends on the police force myself. I’m reaching out to them to put an APB out on the car. In the meantime, I have men on the streets checking out the known locations for the O’Murphy clan.”
“What do you need me to do?” I asked, needing to do something.
“Keep your phone handy in case I need you to call in police backup, but for the moment, just sit tight.” He rose from the coffee table and grabbed his phone again.
“Absolutely not.” I straightened and met his gaze. “This is my woman, my responsibility. I need to bring her home safe.”
Reid looked at me for a moment and nodded. “Okay, well then, get off your ass, and let’s go get your girl.”
CHAPTER 39
EDDIE
Pain.
It hit me the moment I regained consciousness. A dull ache that radiated through my head, throbbing worse than any migraine I had ever had.
It was so bad my stomach rolled with nausea as I tried to open my eyes, but the blinding light was too much. I then tried to stand up so I could move toward the kitchen and get a glass of water, but that was when I realized I was tied to a chair.
I took long, slow, deep breaths in through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth, trying not to panic as I braced myself to open my eyes again and check my surroundings.
It took a few minutes, but I was finally able to open my eyes and look around.
I was in some dirty room, sitting directly beneath a bright lamp that was pointed at my face. I couldn’t see too much around me, only a few feet in every direction.
The only thing I could really make out was the wooden chair with peeling red paint that I was zip-tied to, and the dirty concrete floor. It was cold in here, like I was underground, or maybe in a large warehouse that was too big to be heated. My one bare foot was starting to go numb in the cold.
“Where am I?” I asked, my throat like sandpaper as I tried to speak. My words came out as more of a hoarse croak than anything else.
“Don’t worry about that, doll,” the big redheaded guy said, stepping into the light. “I doubt you’ll be here long.”