Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
"I'm getting out of the car," Carter says, speaking quickly. "If anything happens, you find a way out of here, even if you have to ram your way out." Before Tahani or I have a chance to say anything, he climbs out of the Jeep, holding his hands up in the air.
"What is he doing?" Tahani asks.
"Jose Guerrero!" he yells before I have a chance to say anything, his hands still in the air like he's trying to prove that he's unarmed. "Roman Gregory is on the phone for you. He says he has something that belongs to you."
"What the fuck?" Tahani breathes.
I don't have an answer for her. Whatever Roman is doing…whatever he told Carter…I don't think he wants us to know that there isn't a plan. This is an act of desperation, pure and simple. He's trying to save our lives the only way he knows how.
I have to fight the urge to cower on the floorboard and hide my eyes. I'm terrified someone is going to shoot Carter and then come for us and Benson. But for long moments, nothing at all happens. Aside from my breathing, Tahani's, and the soft rumble of the engine, everything is silent. There's no movement in the SUV ahead of us.
"Fuck," Carter mutters after a moment, his voice barely audible even though he left the car door open. He stands there for a split second and then curses again. "Selena Ortega," he shouts into the silence. "Roman has your girlfriend, Guerrero."
"What the fuck?" Tahani whispers again.
I swallow hard, stunned.
"Prove it," a man calls out a moment later, his accent thick but his voice surprisingly cultured. I expected him to sound like a monster, not like a businessman. But I wouldn't even give this man a second look if he walked past me on the street and said hello.
"Check your phone," Carter yells back.
Another long moment passes in silence before the man speaks again.
"What does he want?" He sounds wary this time, like whatever was on his phone surprised him. He didn't expect it, which makes me curious as hell.
"What are you doing?" I mutter out loud, wishing I could burrow into Roman's head and figure out what he's thinking because I'm almost positive he's making it up as he goes.
"A trade," Carter yells. "Your girlfriend and kid for his."
Tahani gasps.
My heart stalls before racing away from me. Roman has Guerrero's family?
Holy shit.
"He's a cop," Guerrero yells back, amusement in his tone. "I believe my family will be just fine in his care."
"Think again," Carter yells. "Four of your men are in the hospital because of him."
"You lie."
"Check your phone again." Carter pauses for a second like he's giving Guerrero time to look at his phone and then he speaks again. "You tried to kill his woman," he says. "He's off the books. If anything happens to his girl or his kid, he's going to kill your girlfriend, man. We won't be able to stop him. We don't even know where the fuck he is right now."
"You lie," Guerrero says, a little slower and a little less certain this time.
"Is that a chance you're really willing to take?" Carter shouts. "Your girl is pregnant, Guerrero. Are you really willing to risk their lives in the hope that you're right?"
"Oh my God," I whisper, my heart pounding. Roman isn't a murderer. He's a good cop and a good man. But I'm terrified that Guerrero has pushed him too far by showing up here. If he hurts me or Tahani, I don't know what Roman will do. Right now, I'm not even sure if he knows what he'll do.
Tahani takes a strangled breath beside me, and I know she's thinking exactly the same thing.
I hold my breath, praying like hell that Guerrero takes Carter seriously. For Roman's sake, he has to take him seriously because Roman is a good cop and a good man. If anything happens to us and he lets himself become like this man to reTahanite…I don't think he'll survive that. I don't think he'll want to survive it.
Guerrero is silent for a long time. So long that fear begins to claw through me, turning my insides to ice all over again. I don't think he's going to answer. I think he's going to take us anyway, kill us anyway, regardless of the consequences.
"Fine," he finally shouts, allowing me to pull in a desperate, sobbing breath. "But I have conditions."
"Name them," Carter shouts.
"The girls come with me. Alone. Once I'm sure we're not followed, I will tell him where to meet. If anyone follows, his girls die. If anything happens to Ms. Ortega, his girls die."
There's no way that Roman is going to agree to that. No way in h―
"Done," Carter says, "but I come too."
"Unarmed."
"Fine," Carter agrees without hesitation.
"Very well," Guerrero says, sounding amused again. "Tell Agent Gregory that I accept his trade."