Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
18
EMERY
When I finally came to, it felt like my head weighed a hundred pounds. My eyes slowly slid open, blurry colors and shapes gradually fading into my vision.
I saw a concrete floor beneath my shoes, which had specks of blood on them. My gaze shifted up, taking in the sight of an abandoned warehouse with old, abandoned machinery and wooden pallets. I was tied to a wooden chair by thin ropes that dug into my wrists and ankles.
My last few memories struck me like lightning. A truck ran Rhett and me off the road, causing us to crash. I turned my head every which way, ignoring the stabbing pain that echoed behind my face. Something dry and sticky lingered on the side of my face, and telling from the pain I felt, I knew it had to be blood.
But where was Rhett? Was he okay?
Panic thundered through me as thoughts of the worst case scenario invaded my mind, mingling with my other racing thoughts. When I heard footsteps behind me, I looked over my shoulder, seeing two large men wearing leather jackets, black shirts, and dark pants striding toward me.
“Look who’s finally awake,” one of them with short, brown hair sneered with a smirk on his face.
The other man, who had a shaved head and tattoos on his neck, chuckled lowly as they walked around to stand in front of me. They stared me down, letting their eyes roam over my figure in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” I asked in a demanding voice as I glared up at them. Deep down, I was scared of them and what they could do to me, but I wasn’t going to show them that. Like the guys, I had to be strong, and I would be brave for them too.
“Quiet,” the tattooed man gritted out as he grabbed my chin roughly, directing my eyes up to his dark ones.
I clenched my jaw and swallowed hard, steeling myself.
“How much time before the boss gets here? Maybe we can have some fun with her,” the other man laughed as he grabbed a strand of my hair, testing how soft it was between his fingertips.
Before the tattooed man could answer, a clanging noise sounded from behind me, making me tense up. I tore my chin away from the man’s hand and looked behind me to see a tall, muscular man in a black suit jacket, black button-down shirt, and black slacks striding toward us. He had a pair of sunglasses on, and his beard and mustache were trimmed and full.
I already had a bad feeling.
“You finally found her,” the man scowled at the others, motioning for them to move off to the side so that he could stand in front of me. He took off his sunglasses to get a better look at me, a smirk crossing his face. “Well, well. You’ve been a tough one to find.”
“Who are you?” I demanded as I shook my head in confusion.
The man leaned over slightly so that we were eye level.
“My name is Armond Deviau. I’m a friend of your father’s,” he replied.
My blood ran cold as my eyes grew wide. Deep down, I had a sinking feeling that Deviau was behind all of this. He was the known head of a drug cartel, a dangerous criminal.
“You’re not a friend. You’re a criminal,” I gritted out. “My father shouldn’t have trusted you.”
Deviau chuckled as he shook his head.
“Trust is certainly one thing your father and I didn’t share for one another,” he replied as he straightened up.
I gave him a confused expression.
“But he worked for you,” I said. “You were like his partner or something in getting all of that money.”
“Oh, honey, your father is too spineless to be a serious business partner of mine,” Deviau muttered, earning faint laughter from the other two men.
“I… don’t understand,” I murmured, all of my previous knowledge shattering. I thought I knew what my father had been up to, but it seemed like all of my guesses were wrong.
“Your father’s tech company was booming. It was the perfect opportunity to launder a large amount of money through,” Deviau replied. “But your father acted like a goody two shoes when I tried to propose a business opportunity to him. So, I had to push him a little harder.”
“You threatened him,” I breathed out.
“He sure does love you. He’d do anything to protect you, including doing everything I say. The idiot had to get pinched, though,” Deviau scoffed as he shook his head. “I want his company, and I want his money. The only problem is you have his fortune.”
“I’m not giving you a damn cent!” I spat, now realizing why he came after me. He wanted my father’s money, and I was the only one who had access to it.