Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Stepping out of the nightclub, he spotted his man talking to the main bouncer controlling entrance to the club.
“Who is she?”
The bouncer looked terrified. This was a man completely covered in muscle but all it had taken was one question from him, and he was filled with fear.
“I … uh … I didn’t get her ID.”
He had one job to do.
One.
Not two or three.
Any other day, Mason wouldn’t give a shit. Underage kids tried to get into his club all the time. Any that got past the bouncer were often escorted out of the premises by cops. He was good like that, making sure parents were aware of what their little angels were up to. If a bouncer had let them in, he made sure that bouncer paid by moving him away from the door to do other work—the kind of work that involved threatening and breaking people who owed him money. Providing the jobs got done, he didn’t give a shit who did them. Looking down the street, he nodded at his man, and within minutes the bouncer was replaced.
Mason walked back into his nightclub.
The moment of boredom had passed. Now all he was focused on was finding that woman. He went straight to his security room. Stepping inside, he saw Michael, his computer whiz, sitting in the chair.
“Hey, boss man,” Michael said.
“Did you see the woman on the dance floor? Black hair, dressed in red?”
“Yeah, I did.” Michael laughed and immediately stopped as he looked at him. He cleared his throat. “Er, I might have seen her, sir.”
Mason stepped closer. “I want you to find her.”
“Sir? Did she not pay her bill?”
“She paid her bill but I want to know everything about her.” He was aware of Michael’s skills. The man could find anything with a few clicks on the keyboard. Mason had never been a computer genius. He always used the power of his fists and his mind. Many years ago he’d saved Michael from serving time. He called in a few contacts and several owed favors to keep him out of the firing line. Michael was loyal to him, and only to him. It also helped that he’d played matchmaker, and Michael was a happily married man with two children.
Michael didn’t ask any questions, just leaned forward and began to click away at the keyboard. Mason watched as he found the image of her and began to run searches.
“Will I need to call in a few more favors?” he asked, knowing Michael wasn’t exactly going through the legal route.
“I’m covering my tracks, and besides, we’re not stealing anything. Just attempting to fill in the blanks.” He continued to type away.
The image of his goddess had been frozen on the screen. She hadn’t been dancing for anyone but herself. He saw that, even now. Her eyes were closed and when she did open them, she didn’t look anywhere or at anyone. Mason couldn’t help but wonder what her story was.
He hoped she wasn’t underage, getting a kick out of sneaking into a nightclub. Staring at that body, there was no way she was a child. She was all woman.
“I’ve got her,” Michael said.
Pulling his gaze from the screen, Mason looked to Michael, who’d been able to locate this mystery woman. He couldn’t help but smile.
His mystery woman was Holly Allan, a thirty-year-old librarian. Her hair was pinned back in the picture and she was also wearing a pair of glasses. At first glance, the two images looked nothing alike but Mason saw it. It was in the eyes.
“Email me all the details,” Mason said.
He would hunt for this woman and he was going to possess her.
****
Holly winced as she slid her finger down the edge of the paper. Stupid paper. There was a small line of red and she quickly shoved her finger into her mouth and began to suck up the blood. The metallic taste made her wince.
Books were not supposed to be dangerous.
She had experienced so many papercuts and scuffed fingers. Pulling her finger from between her lips, she stared down at the cut and saw that it was no longer bleeding.
Wiping her finger down her skirt, she went back to filling the bookshelves. Her feet also hurt, but that was to be expected when she’d worn those expensive heels last night. She couldn’t believe she had actually gone and done what she’d been wanting to do for ten years. She had gotten married ten years ago. At the time she had thought William was everything. An adventurer, or at least he’d seemed it with his tales of going abroad. He’d been older than her, thirty to her twenty, an up-and-coming lawyer at a reputable firm. She had thought she was in love.
Nine years they’d been married. He never once took her out of the country. They never went dancing. They vacationed to cities where he was needed by his firm. Her role as a librarian was often the source of mockery amongst his friends. She never understood why. There was nothing to make fun off. She studied hard to be where she was today. Her love of books and the written word had driven her to become a librarian.