Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
He turned and walked out.
“Yeah, well the older I get, the more I understand Big Tag.” Liam looked back to Steph. “Are you all right here? I’ve got work to do and I want to make a couple of calls and see if I can hear anything about a German mercenary who calls himself ‘boss.’ Can’t be too many of those out there, right?”
“I’ll stay with Steph. I know Ian is looking into some stuff, too, and I asked Chelsea to monitor the Dark Web to see if there are any rumblings out there,” Charlotte said.
“Dark Web?” She’d known that was what the team had used when setting her up as a smuggler during the mission that had saved Theo Taggart. She herself hadn’t used the underbelly of the Internet. Chelsea Weston had done that, pretending to be Stephanie and making those connections that had led them to Hope McDonald. Still, she wasn’t sure why they needed the Dark Web now.
“Oh, the Dark Web is where they would put a bounty on your head,” Charlotte explained with a sunny smile. “Chelsea’s going to see if anyone’s out there looking to assassinate you.”
“Charlotte!” Liam frowned her way.
“Adam’s right. You do sound a lot like Ian,” Charlotte replied before turning back to Steph. “And it happens way more often than you would think. I’ve had many bounties on my head and I’m still kicking. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t use Charlotte as your role model. She’s a terrible one.” Liam opened the big glass door. “If you need anything at all, I’ll be in my office. We’ll head for home in an hour or so.”
“Thanks for lunch,” she said with a smile. Liam had gotten her the most delicious BLT from the deli on the first floor and then he’d sat with her and had his own lunch, talking mostly about their children and all the fun things Avery was doing with Serena as her personal assistant and all-around gal Friday. He’d taken her mind off all the awful things surrounding her and she was grateful.
She’d also thought a lot about what Avery had said the night before. She did need to think about coming home, and Dallas was the best place for her.
“You’re welcome. I was happy to have the company.” Liam winked her way and walked out.
Charlotte immediately turned in her seat, her face going from serious to excited in a heartbeat. “Wanna have some fun?”
She opened her mouth to thank Charlotte, but to explain that she had to keep searching through the pictures and then she should…what? For the first time in ten years she didn’t have a clinic to manage, didn’t have patients to oversee. No paperwork to do or grant requests to submit.
“Yes. Yes, I do.” Baby steps. She was going to take baby steps in this new life she found herself in.
Charlotte grinned and started for the door. “Awesome! Let’s go pick you out a couple of pieces of candy.”
She stood up, surprised. “Candy? I’m a little full.”
“Oh, you can never be too full of this candy,” Charlotte assured her. “We need man candy. It’s time to pick your bodyguard. Or guards. Why pick one when you can have several?”
She hurried after Charlotte and wondered if her baby steps hadn’t become one giant leap into the big old life pond.
* * * *
Brody woke up with a shock as the car he was in came to an emergency stop, throwing him against the seatbelt. A horn blared and he heard someone shouting.
Tucker turned in his seat, giving him a wary smile. “Sorry. Apparently driving is one of those things that got wiped from my memory.” He waved a hand out the window. “Sorry about that! Yeah, fuck you, too! Jeez, I thought people in Texas were supposed to be friendly.”
As far as he could tell from Tucker’s accent, he might be from Texas. Or someplace in the American west. Brody glanced around. They weren’t far from the McKay-Taggart building. Another few lights and one right turn and they would be there. If Tucker didn’t get them killed. “They’re friendlier when you’re not driving like an arsehole with a death wish. You do realize this ain’t a road, right?”
Tucker stopped. “What do you mean? The GPS lady told me to turn here.”
Did he not notice that people on both sides were looking down at them from the platform like they were idiots? “Nope, she told you to turn on the road. This is where the train runs. In case you’ve forgotten what a train is, it’s a bit like a high-speed bullet that kills everything stupid enough to get in its path.”
Tucker’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. Holy shit. We’re going to get hit by a train. What should I do?”
Brody yawned again. It had already been a long damn day. Why had he thought bringing the brain-damaged puppy along for the ride would be a good idea? “Probably get off the tracks. Preferably before the train comes. You wait too long and the train will do the work for us.”