Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
I thought I was big shit, but two minutes in this kid’s company, and I felt like a damn worm. Damn, where does Lyon find these men? Every last one of them is some kind of superhuman in one way or another.
*Mary*
“What do you mean? What kind of problem?”
“Did you hear all that noise out there a while ago? There’s a line of reporters outside your gate. I think something happened with Janie.”
“What do you mean? Is she dead?”
“No, but I think you should turn on the TV.”
I noticed then that he had his bags with him and was looking rather jittery. “What’s got you so nervous?”
“I don’t think they should find me here. I’m gonna slip out the back.” He was gone before I could question him further, and both Scott and I exchanged a look.
With the way things were going, I was almost too afraid to turn on the television, and I wish I hadn’t. I stood there like a comic character as my whole life flashed before my eyes. “What a stupid bitch.” What the hell has she done?
“Where’s Ryder?”
“Last I saw, he was with Saunders’ men. Never mind that. What the hell are we going to do? We’ve got to get our hands on her before she talks to anyone else.”
“She used my name. What the hell did she think she was doing?”
The phone started ringing, and within ten minutes, I had to turn it off. “I think we need to call in the others. This is going to get real ugly real fast.” And I thought the two hundred million dollars was a big deal. This was life or death.
***
*Rachel*
“Rachel Gibson.”
“Yes?” I turned to look at the two men in suits who approached me as soon as I got off the plane and walked outside from baggage claim to hail a cab.
“You’re gonna need to come with us.”
‘Who are you?” I started backing away, dreading the worst.
“FBI!” One of them flashed a badge, and I felt my heart drop.
“What is this about?”
“Illegal drugging, illegal wiretapping, just to name a few.”
“How?” I shut my mouth before I said anything that might incriminate me. Those bastards. They promised they would let me go if I left everything behind.
One of the men’s phones rang, “Yeah, we’ve got her. Here it’s for you.” He passed me the phone as I walked between the two of them, and I thought of all the ways I could escape since they hadn’t cuffed me or anything. But they were walking so close that I knew it would be a wasted effort.
“Hello!”
“I would tell them everything if I were you.”
“You lied to me. You said….”
“I always lie to people I don’t like. How does it feel?” How does it feel? I thought I had gotten away with it. I had some time to think on the plane and decided that losing one friend wasn’t the end of the world.
So what, I would have to start over again, maybe in some small town where no one knew me or had ever heard my name. I was even starting to look forward to a new start. I’d already mourned what was by the time the plane was in the air, but now I could see all of that slipping away.
“I did everything you asked; what else do you want from me?”
“Do you have any idea what it feels like to think that you’re losing your mind? To lose your freedom because your mind is working against you? Would you like to find out? Trust me; you’re better off behind bars. In a few hours, there’s going to be people looking for you. People who are not as nice as the two agents there with you now.”
“You’ve had time on the plane. Did you think of what you did? Or did you think of moving on?” How does this person know what’s going on in my head?
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“I told you. I don’t like you. My Daddy told me I can fuck off anyone I don’t like.”
Chapter 65
*Elena*
I was wide awake now, all tiredness gone, but it almost felt as if I’d never left the set. Our host seemed like such an enigma. His words did not in any way match what you’d expect to come out of the mouth of someone his age. He seemed way too reserved and a whole lot of something else for one who was obviously so young.
His stance, the way he studied us without even trying to hide the fact that he was taking our measure, and that cultured tone he used were so unexpected. I almost felt like I was under a microscope, and yet, I didn’t sense any real danger, even though, on some level, I got the sense that he would swing into action in the blink of an eye if Ryder or I made the wrong move, whatever that may be.