Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“But you can give us his name and last known location,” Slater pointed out.
Yeah… I could. But should I? He was an awful father, but that didn’t excuse sending three armed men after him. Then again, I didn’t owe him any loyalty. “Seth Harper. Last I heard, he was living in Queens.”
“We’ll find him,” Julian said.
“I want to talk to him.” My words surprised both the men and myself.
“That’s not necessary.”
“I’ve been pissed off at him for two decades for the way he abandoned us. Now, maybe I’m not even his kid. That would explain a few things.”
“He was still married to your mom,” Julian said. “He still abandoned her.”
“All the more reason to talk to him.”
“Well—”
Rock cut off Julian’s response. “We’ll see. For now, let’s get inside.” He looked around. The first glimmers of daylight were shattering the dark. “We need some sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
I wanted to insist again that they return me to Brooklyn, but deep inside, I was starting to accept that that wasn’t an option. So I nodded and followed the men to the steps of the cabin. It wasn’t like I had a choice. I was miles and miles away from home and absolutely exhausted.
Maybe when I woke up, I’d find that this crazy night had all been a dream.
22
SLATER
“One of us stays here at all times,” Rocco had told us. “The other two head back to New York and try to figure out a way out of this shitshow.”
I had to admit Rocco’s plan was our best hope.
Although this cabin was about three hours from the city, someone had to watch over Maggie. We knew he’d kept this place secret from the family, but the organization was powerful. Someone from the nearby town of Shandaken could give away the location and have Maggie executed in a heartbeat. No one was willing to gamble with her life, and that included staying alert.
The man guarding her had to keep his hands off her.
That was a tall ask, though. We were all three attracted to her. What red-blooded man wouldn’t be? I could still feel how her ass had bounced under my palm. How she’d tasted. How she’d writhed around when she came.
So yeah, that was a big ask.
Seeing her lying in bed, arms splayed out sideways, her bare legs exposed, her big breasts stretching that gray t-shirt of hers…
Wow.
Just wow.
I couldn’t stay in the back bedroom for more than thirty seconds or so. The temptation was just too much for me.
“Slater?” I heard her groggy voice behind me, stopping me just two paces from the exit.
“Morning, sunshine.” I kept my gaze forward. “Why don’t you put some clothes on and meet me in the kitchen? I made coffee.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I headed out and focused on the coffee pot on the counter, trying to slow my heartbeat. Every time I was within fifteen feet of Maggie, my pulse would spike like a fucking war drum.
Sliding a red coffee mug across the table, I saw her shuffling out of the bathroom down the hall. She’d pulled on the black slacks she’d worn for her shift last night.
She yawned, seating herself across from me. “Thanks.”
“Julian packed you a suitcase,” I told her. “It’s right next to the couch if you want to change.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You broke into my apartment?”
I couldn’t help grinning at the indignation in her voice. “Isn’t that the least of our crimes… counselor?”
She flushed as I reminded her of our steamy encounter back at my place.
“Don’t start that shit again,” she muttered, all but burying her face in the mug. “You know you could have explained things to me, instead of kidnapping me.”
“And what fun would that have been?” Though things were tense last night, I’d enjoyed tying her hands behind her back. But the glare she gave me now wiped the grin off my face.
“All right, I’ll be good. But time was of the essence. Right now, Roselli thinks we’re dead. He’s an idiot, but it won’t take him long to figure out otherwise. When there’s a price on your head, you don’t hang out and talk things through.”
“You could have asked me to get in the car with you.”
“And would you have?”
She looked away, probably realizing as well as I did that she still would’ve put up a fight.
“What if we’d led with: hey, your dad’s not your dad and you have a half-brother who wants you dead?”
Maggie still wouldn’t look at me. “You’ve made your point. But I still think you should’ve handled things differently.”
“We’re not perfect,” I admitted, not that she’d likely thought we were. “We make mistakes—and we don’t want to make one with you. Which is why it would be really nice if you didn’t do anything stupid like try to run off. We’re miles from anywhere.”