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)
Keep him out, David.
I held Emily so close to my chest that I could feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeats.
Banging came at the door.
The knob jiggled.
Then, the splintering sound of a foot hitting the door filled the space and made me look up.
Next, the door flew open, banging against the wall with a crack.
A terror-filled gasp left Maxwell as his eyes landed on me. He stood in the doorway and scanned the space.
I frowned.
Good job, David.
Maxwell’s fingers shook at his side. He pulled a tiny switchblade from his pocket. It was small with a red handle. Fast, he flicked it up. The blade whipped out.
With determination on his face, he stormed forward.
I scowled. “What are you doing?”
Maxwell continued forward, leaving footprints on the marble’s now sticky surface.
Jean-Pierre and his men entered next.
Rage over took me.
“Get the hell out of here, Maxwell!” Rising, I lifted Emily so they couldn’t see her nudity and stood in the center. “Butcher, what the fuck are you doing in here?!”
Jean-Pierre’s face tinted to red as he looked at the piles of body parts.
“Get out!”
Jean-Pierre gestured at his men to leave. They disappeared back into the hallway. Then, he shut the door behind him, and remained inside the suite.
My frown deepened. “Of course you wouldn’t miss an opportunity to be in the room alone with me while I was naked.”
Jean-Pierre placed his hands in his pockets and strolled around the room. “We are not exactly alone, Kazimir.”
Maxwell stopped at the first corpse, kneeled in the blood, and drew a large circle. “You son of a bitch.”
“My mother was many things—killer, mastermind, and smartest woman on the planet—but she was not a bitch.” I turned to the door. “David!”
He rushed in with Blue by his side. Smart, he had his jacket off and in his hands. When he made it to me, he placed the garment over Emily’s body and held out his arms. “I can take her.”
“No.” I stepped back. “I am not going to let her go, until she wakes up.”
Still drawing in the flesh with his knife, Maxwell made holes within the circle and then traced a smile under them. “Give her to David. Em’s going to be out for several hours. I need to make some things clear to you.”
“You do not give out the orders around here—”
“I do in this situation.” Maxwell rose and flicked blood off his knife. It dripped to the floor. “You’ll need five people standing outside of her door, just in case. Also, David, get the Harlem Crew up here. They need see the different sides of Em. Plus, they have to clean this shit up—”
“My people will clean this up!” I yelled.
“Fuck that,” Maxwell barked back. “Harlem Crew needs to do this shit so they can understand what’s going on.”
Blue hurried to the side, grabbed my pants from the pile, and brought them to me.
I backed up with Emily. “I am taking care of her—”
“Blue, you will stand inside the room while Em is passed out, but have your gun out.” Maxwell headed off to the next chopped up chest. “If Em wakes up, but isn’t acting like her usual, shoot her in the leg and then run to me.”
Blue widened her eyes. “Do what?”
“No one is shooting her!” I roared.
Emily stirred in my arms.
Everyone paused and watched her.
Maxwell left the chest and slowly walked to me, keeping his gaze on her the whole time.
Mysh?
Emily sighed, nuzzled against my chest, and remained asleep within my arms.
Watching her, Maxwell whispered, “You do not want Em to wake up in the middle of this. She’ll be fucked up for the rest of the month. Tears and sorrow. Silent and shivering. It would tear you apart.”
A chill ran up my spine. “Then, what do I do?”
Max continued to keep his voice low. “What I said. Give her to David. Put your top men on her. Get Harlem Crew up here. Have only Blue remain inside the room with Em, until you and me are done talking. Then, we will decide who will clean her.”
I eyed him. “Done talking about what?”
Maxwell pointed the knife at me. “Motherfucker, you’re asking too many questions and not getting shit done.”
I leaned my head to the side. “You’re talking to me like this?”
“Motherfucker, did I st-st-st-stutter?”
“You did just now.”
“Bet I won’t when I whip your ass.”
We glared at each other.
Tension rose between us.
“You don’t do as I say.” Maxwell pointed his knife at Emily. “Then, I’ll take her from you and we’ll go back to Harlem or where ever else.”
What did he say?
Anger boiled through me, releasing murderous thoughts into my bloodstream. My world spun around ready to explode.
I forced my lips into a malicious grin.
“You are correct, Maxwell.” I gently handed Emily to David. “We should talk.”
“Damn right.” Maxwell walked back to the next victim’s chest.