Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“The bookshelves are no longer there,” he pointed out.
She shrugged. “I’m sure something is there. Maybe it got sealed over. If we have to, we can just cut a hole in the wall. I can show you exactly where to cut. Should we go look?” She anxiously bounced on her knees.
“Definitely not, Little girl.” He gave her a stern look.
She humphed. “Why not?”
“For one thing, it’s not even daylight yet. It can wait until the sun comes up. But more importantly, it’s not safe. Remember, Edmund’s brother is here, snooping around. I’m betting Eric and Edmund have no idea about the tunnels. If they did, they would have gone straight there.”
Juniper dropped down onto her heels and sighed. “They believe the money is hidden here on the property, but they don’t know where?”
“That’s my bet.”
“But if Edmund was the one who stole the money, who hid it?”
Magnus wasn’t sure, but he was worried her father might have had something to do with that. It would hurt Juniper if she learned something nefarious had happened with her father. It would break her heart.
His own heart ached, pondering the possibility.
As if she read his mind, she asked, “Do you think my father was part of this robbery?” Her bottom lip trembled.
He went to her and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t know, Juni. I suppose it’s possible.” No sense lying to her.
“He was always a good man. I can’t picture him doing something illegal.”
“Well, it’s not likely he hid a bunch of money and then never came back to get it himself. We have to assume Edmund Rivers thought your father knew something. Perhaps when he couldn’t get any information from your father, he had no choice but to…”
Magnus cringed. He’d gotten too blunt. He hadn’t meant to.
Juniper sighed. “It’s okay. I understand. Rivers most likely killed my father.”
“I’m sorry, Little girl.” He rubbed her back.
“When the sun comes up, can we go look?”
“No, Juni. You’re not going anywhere, remember? We’ll have a meeting with the entire team. You can show us on the blueprints exactly where the entrances are and where you think they lead. We’ll handle this.”
She leaned back and pushed out her bottom lip. “That’s no fun.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “Juniper Hazen, you will not disobey me on this issue. That spanking I gave you last night was the fun kind that makes Little girls squeal from arousal when they finally get to come. You don’t want Daddy to spank you for punishment. Trust me.”
She shuddered. “Daddy…”
“We don’t know what all is down there after all these years. We also need to be careful we aren’t found. My team is composed of trained military experts, Juni. We’ll go in armed and ready.”
“But I want to see the tunnels, too. They were a playground for me and Sammi when we were kids. They’re nostalgic to me. I wish I’d stayed in touch with her. Exchanging letters or calling internationally was much more difficult than it is now. We always just looked forward to seeing each other during my summer vacations. Do you think I could see her when this is all resolved?” she asked, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“When this is over, yes. We’ll get in touch with her. In the meantime, if I decide the tunnels are structurally safe, I’ll take you down there myself, but not until after everyone involved is locked up. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl. Let me reiterate. You may not leave the secured areas—the fifth floor and the basement. That’s it.”
“Okay, Daddy. You’re right. I wouldn’t want that bad guy to find me. He obviously wouldn’t hesitate to kill me.”
“I suspect Eric is looking for a needle in a haystack. I’ll do some digging this morning, but I’d bet Edmund is not the one who hid the money. He thinks it’s here on this property but doesn’t know where. He apparently thought your father knew, and he thinks you do, too.”
She blew out a long breath. “You’re right.”
He lifted her chin. “I love you, Juni. Maybe it’s too soon to say that, but it’s true. You’re my world. If anything ever happened to you…”
“It won’t, Daddy. I promise. I’ll stay in these two safe locations. No one will see me.”
He pulled her tightly into his arms again. Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her scent. She was so precious to him. His heart raced at the thought of Eric or any of his henchmen finding her.
“Do you want to go back to sleep?” he asked.
“There’s no way I could do that. My adrenaline is pumping.”
“Mine, too. Let’s get dressed and go down to the basement. We can order some breakfast and a pot of coffee. I’ll fill in the guys, and we’ll make a plan.”
“I’ll study the blueprints and make some notes while everyone is still sleeping. That will help, right?”