Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
She couldn’t . . . she couldn’t breathe.
Was he telling the truth? Was she really his daughter?
Suddenly, there was an explosion of smoke from the middle of the room. Someone yelled and a shot was fired. She was tackled to the floor. A large body lay over her. She knew this body, but in her panic, she started to fight.
“Stay still!” Beck ordered. “Don’t move.”
He jumped up, then grabbed hold of her, carrying her to the side of the room.
“Beck!” Judd roared.
“Stay there,” he ordered her. “I’ll be back. Just stay there. You’ve already done enough damage.”
He left before she could say anything. Not that she could really speak, she was coughing so hard, she thought she was going to be ill.
Then someone grabbed her, hauling her up onto their shoulder and out of the room.
Who was it? Was it one of her men?
They carried her through into another room and shoved her, locking the door behind her before she could even say anything.
She was still coughing, trying to take a decent breath. She didn’t know how long she sat there before the door opened. She glanced up, expecting to see one of her men.
Shock filled her.
“Miss Reed, you’re under arrest for aiding in the attempted assassination of the Princes’ intended bride.”
The man stood her up and turned her, secured her arms behind her. As he led her through the palace, she searched for her men.
Where were they?
Why weren’t they helping her?
But they were nowhere to be seen. Then she remembered the disgust on Judd’s face, the anger in Beck’s voice.
They didn’t believe her.
They thought the worst of her.
And no one was coming for her . . .
46
Owen slammed his hands against Beck’s chest, getting into his face. “Why the fuck did you let them take her? Why did you leave her there? You should have protected her.”
Fuck.
Owen was losing his mind. Beck felt each accusation hit him like a blow.
But Owen wasn’t wrong. Beck hadn’t protected her.
Only . . . did she deserve his protection or was she guilty of what Jonathan accused her of?
Fuck.
“Owen!” Judd snapped. “For fuck’s sake. You were watching the camera feed. You know what she did. She was in on his plan. He nearly killed Pippa! Chloe helped him. She’s his goddamn daughter. She deserved to be arrested.”
“So. Fucking. What!” Owen yelled. “She’s our girl. Maybe she knew, maybe she didn’t. But I don’t care. She’s ours.”
“Not anymore,” Judd said grimly.
Beck felt conflicted. He shouldn’t want her anymore. But he did.
“Hux?” Owen snarled, turning to him.
“I don’t . . . I don’t know,” Hux said. “I rewatched the feed several times. She looked so shocked.”
It had been hours since it had all happened. They’d been so caught up in the aftermath of Pippa nearly being shot that they hadn’t realized Chloe was gone.
Arrested.
Beck wasn’t even sure who had carried her out of there or when the police had gotten to her.
Now, she and Jonathan were down at the police station, under arrest for attempted murder.
And they were all here, losing their minds. Both the Princes and their cousins were on lockdown with their intended. And the police were currently rounding up anyone who might have helped Jonathan.
“I just don’t think she’d do anything to hurt Pippa,” Hux said. “She loves her.”
Beck frowned. That was right.
Judd huffed. “She was a good actress.”
“I don’t know,” Beck said. “She seemed really genuine about her love for Pippa.”
“I’m going to go get her,” Owen said, opening the front door of their house.
He nearly stepped right into Caleb, who moved inside. “Good, you’re all in here. I have to go down to the police station. I need you all to help guard the Princes. Wolfe is in the security room and Aleki is in their suite with them.”
“I’m going with you,” Owen said.
Caleb eyed him. “I don’t think so.”
“She didn’t do this. And even if she did, I still want her out of there. It’s not right for her to be there, Caleb. And you know it.”
Shit. Beck hadn’t known Owen to ever be this passionate about anything. And if they didn’t watch him, then they were going to be bailing him out of jail as well for trying to rescue her.
Caleb sighed and ran his hand over his face. “For what it’s worth, I have my doubts as well. But there is no way the police will let you see her. Also . . . the police found messages on his phone that make her look guilty. They were deleted from her phone.”
“What sort of messages?” Judd asked.
“Things about how he’d told her to distract you all.”
“Shit,” Beck said.
“So that part was true,” Hux said, looking ill.
“I don’t care,” Owen snarled. “She’s mine.”
“Look, I will try and see her,” Caleb said. “Okay? And I will let you know how she is.”