Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
I throw my head back and laugh. Laugh like it’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. “Even with only one functioning arm, I can still squeeze the life out of you, boy. You came here expecting to find a helpless girl. Too bad you have to face me instead.”
We circle each other, and he lunges forward, fist aimed at my face. I dodge the blow and scoff like he’s nothing more than an inconvenience. I counter with a right hook, my knuckles connecting with his ribs, and he grunts, hands flying to his stomach.
He staggers back and I pummel his face and chest until he’s gasping for breath.
My pulse speeds up as I turn around and stalk to the last shadow in the truck. He doesn’t say anything even as I beat his guys. Doesn’t even seem fazed at all.
A bullet whizzes past me, and I duck behind the hood, listening to his door swinging open. There’s a click but nothing else. Realizing I have to take this small window of opportunity to strike, I rush to him, slamming the car door in his outstretched hand and hearing him yelp.
One look at him and I can’t reconcile the ruthless, brutal man Dani calls Father. He’s wearing a wrinkled white shirt and black dress pants, and even those can’t hide his frail frame. A thick mane of white hair curls around his ears and covers his forehead, the deep, piercing brown eyes radiating the kind of strength I only ever see with men my age or younger.
And there…the scar near his mouth. A jagged line from the corner of his lips running towards his jaw. Makes him look like he’s perpetually smirking.
Yes, despite how he looks like every other old man, he’s far from it. I have to remember all those people who died in his hands.
His wrinkled hand flies to his wrist, cradling it. I probably broke it when I slammed the car door. That’s the least I can do for all his victims…at least, for now.
Hearing the sound of vehicles drawing nearer, I glare at him. Part of me wants to say so many things, while the other part wants to talk to him with my fist.
The police cars and an ambulance come to a jarring stop by the side of the road. The officers step out of the cars, guns drawn. I meet the Chief's gaze and he nods. Swinging my head back to the old man, I stare him down. “It’s over for you. You’re gonna pay.”
To my surprise, he chuckles. “I can’t wait to see the disappointed look on your face when they release me.”
At this, I smile at him. “We’ll see.”
I spin on my heel toward our bedroom. But something nags at me, so I turn to face him. “How did you find us? There were no trackers in the Jeep.”
He tilts his chin, face all smug and arrogant. I want to punch him and erase that look. “I know people. People who are only too happy to help me.”
I give him a death stare, considering pushing my luck and breaking his nose. But no. I won’t give him anything he can use against me. Besides, it’s not a fair fight if he’s so much weaker than me.
Instead of wasting my time with him, I sprint to the bedroom, yelling, “Dani! Baby, it’s me! Open up!”
8
DANI
I stand in front of the ambulance, barely keeping myself together.
This is my fault. I brought all this chaos to him. Without me, he’d probably be on his merry way to his new job. He’d have a peaceful life, be married to someone without a string of people following her. I mentally shake myself. No. I don’t care that we’ve just met, but thinking about him with someone else makes me feel like someone has my spine in a vise.
Biting my lip to stop the tears from sliding down my cheeks, I watch as a medic in a blue uniform checks Damien’s hand, which is bruised and swollen. It looks painful, and I swallow the fresh wave of nausea.
I don’t hear a word they’re saying because I’m too focused on him, looking for any other injury. He tries not to show how much it hurts, but I’ve seen him wince twice. If it was me, I probably would’ve passed out minutes ago.
When I heard him call out to me, I flung the door wide open, almost sagging to the floor in relief even as I briefly scanned all of Father’s guys groaning and in fetal positions on the ground.
I launched myself at him, only hearing him hiss when I hit his broken hand.
Holding Damien’s uninjured hand, I look around me. I’ve already talked to his Chief, and he’s on his way to the compound. The medic tries to convince Damien he needs to go to the hospital, but he waves the young man away. “I will. I just can’t leave right now. I have to see this through.”