Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
“Em.” Maxwell held his hands out. “I don’t want to say this, but Blue is probably—”
“Then, don’t say it.” She glared. “We just need to keep looking.”
“David and the French are already out there with the Italian Coast Guard.” I breathed through the mounting pressure in my chest. “With Fela still alive and possibly full of vengeance, I need you safe and at this hotel.”
Emily gave no response.
Maxwell watched her. “Em. . .are you okay?”
Her voice grew shaky. “N-no. Not at all.”
God damn it, Blue. Stay the fuck alive!
If she turned up safe, I would have a talk with her too.
Pissed, I turned my attention to the room of people. “Everybody leave! Now!”
Confused expressions covered most of my men’s faces. Still, they all dragged themselves up and rushed away.
Boris was the only one who remained. His gaze remained on Emily. Usually, I would have been annoyed, but I knew my mouse would need him in that moment.
Once everyone else left, I pulled out my phone and tried to dial Misha, but something odd occurred.
The screen read, “No cellular service.”
“What?” I looked at Maxwell. “Check your phone. Is it on?”
“Should be.” Maxwell took his out, touched the screen, and quirked his brows. “Oh shit. It’s off, man. What’s going on?”
“Something is wrong.” Right as I headed to the hallway to grab Wassily, the lights shut off.
What?
The room was plunged into darkness, and I could feel my heart thump against my chest. “Mysh?”
“Right next to you.” She grabbed my hand. “Max?”
“Here, Em.”
Her voice came out shaky. “Give me your hand, Max.”
I raised my eyebrows.
She’s going to touch him.
Maxwell sounded even more surprised. “For real, Em?”
“Come here,” she whispered in the darkness. “I won’t lose anyone else. Boris, where are you?”
His voice came out too damn happy. “Coming, Emily.”
I squeezed her hand, making sure she remained safely next to me.
The door screeched open.
Wassily hurried in with his cellphone light on. “Security had just notified me that ten guys wearing clown masks had rushed onto the property. Then, communications ceased, and the lights went out. I sent a group to investigate.”
“Clowns?” Boris turned on his phone’s light and held it by his face. “It must be that Sicilian guy from earlier. He had on a clown mask.”
We all turned to him.
“What did you say?” I tightened my grip on Emily’s hand. “What Sicilian?”
Boris shrugged. “When Blue, Giorgio, and I ran after Maxwell and Ufuoma, there was this man in a clown mask with a shot gun. Giorgio figured he was with the Sicilians due to his accent or something. He said we couldn’t shoot him. Either way, we guessed this man was trying to protect Ufuoma, but there was so much going on that we left to get Maxwell—”
“Yo.” Maxwell took out his gun. “I never saw a fucking clown out there.”
First Blue is missing. David has lost it. Now. . .clowns?
I turned to Wassily. “Have everybody cover the outside perimeter, block stairwells, and also guard the sixth floor where the women are. Do not let them get Ufuoma or Fara. And if you catch these men, do not kill them. Just bring these clowns to me.”
“Yes, sir.” Wassily hurried away.
My head spun. “Sicilians trying to save Black Axe? That doesn’t make sense.”
Boris shrugged in the dimly lit darkness. “Could be love.”
Love? What is going on tonight?
“Oh, hell no.” Maxwell shook his head. “Fucking clown better step back from my wife.”
Emily and I looked at him.
Her words came out as a shriek. “Say what now?”
“My wife.” Maxwell waved her away. “Long story, Em. I’ll explain later. All I’m saying is that no one is taking my wife right now.”
“Max, who the hell is your wife?”
“Ufuoma.”
“The hell she is.” Emily sucked her teeth. “If Blue doesn’t come back, I may torture the fuck out her—”
“Eh! No one is torturing her. What the fuck, Em?”
“Stop worrying about that bitch, when we should be thinking about Blue—”
“Would you calm down? Why she got to be a bitch?”
“She’s the enemy.”
“Eh, you’re just fucked up about Blue that doesn’t mean you can take it out on her—”
“Watch me.”
“Okay. Okay.” I waved my hands. “Everyone, calm down. No one is torturing anyone. . .yet.”
Emily growled, “Then, I want to go after these clowns.”
“Calm. Down.” I turned her way, but could barely see her. “Our people outnumber the men in masks. Whether dark or light, no one is taking anything from us tonight. On that I can guarantee.”
“Outnumbered or not, I want to shoot somebody.” Em let go of my hand. “Give me a gun, Max.”
I gritted my teeth. Part of me understood how my mouse felt. With the possibility of violence, the pressure in my chest was beginning to ease. Killing a bunch of idiots in clown masks would be just the thing to calm the senses. I almost wanted to let her go out on a brutal rampage just to dull her pain about Blue.