Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Precisely why I want to recruit her,” Julia affirmed.
“I don’t know.” His father seemed to be studying Taylor.
He’d met her before. Oh, she’d been barely a teen, but his father’s memory was excellent. The good news was she didn’t look like her father, and she’d changed her hair color. She was leaner and more predatory than the sweet girl they’d met that day.
She was his whole world.
“She’s been vetted, and this is my op,” Julia said. “And our time is running out. If she’s willing to do this particular dirty work, I say we go for it.”
“We need to move because someone broke through my hold on the CCTV cams. I got it back, but whoever is on the other side of this is good.” John was standing at the desk, looking down at an open laptop.
Jax was busy. It looked like years of Bliss living hadn’t dulled his skills.
Julia turned her father’s way. “Where do you want it?”
His father shook his head. “No. Something’s wrong. I don’t trust her. I know all the operatives, and she wasn’t one of them. Kill her. Kill them all. We’ll figure out a cover story later.”
Drake couldn’t wait another second. He kicked back and caught Lydia in the gut, shoving her against the wall. Her gun clattered to the floor.
He scrambled for it. Lydia picked up one of the heavy books on the coffee table and clocked him with it, making him spin and fall to his knees.
He had to get the gun. Lydia was going for it again, but he couldn’t let her have it. He needed that gun. She’d killed Brad and who knew how many others. She was absolutely the one who’d gotten his asset in Kraków killed. She’d likely been behind many of the leaks that cost Agency operatives.
She’d also been someone he’d counted on. Someone he’d trusted with his life.
Drake got his hands on the gun first, and he didn’t even think twice about firing.
There was the sound of a door flying open and the sweet sight of Kyle Hawthorne storming into the room.
Chaos was all around him, but one thing was clear. Lydia’s hand touched her chest, blood starting to bloom. She fell to her knees, her eyes accusing him the whole time.
Julia was fighting with Taylor, both women trying to get one of the guns Julia had been holding. Drake tried to get a shot but the women were fighting, their bodies dancing around and eliminating any chance to take out Julia.
Kyle fired toward John, but the man was already moving. He returned fire, and Kyle’s left shoulder flew back as he spun around and started for the floor.
The suite was massive, and Drake had to maneuver around the big sofa where his mother was starting to stir.
“Stay down,” he ordered.
“Drake?” His mom’s eyes closed again.
He rolled her to the floor. At least it was some cover. He couldn’t watch over her. He had to get to Taylor and save Kyle. He couldn’t let either of them down.
Taylor had to come first.
Where the hell had his father gone? The suite had too many ways out, but he doubted his father would run without getting the job done. He caught sight of his father’s leg from behind one of the marble columns that decorated the classically designed suite.
The sound of gunfire in the hallway distracted him briefly.
Kyle took another shot at John, but he’d found a good spot behind the big bar. They were facing off, John behind the bar and Kyle using one of the arches to protect himself.
“Who’s in the hall?” He moved to Kyle’s side in the foyer.
“It looked like two guards.” If Kyle felt any pain, he didn’t show it. He simply lifted his gun and took another shot. “Two women. One in uniform. One in pajamas. Tucker is dealing with them. The last I heard Damon and Nick were making their way up, but Jax still can’t get the elevator working.”
His mom’s guards—though they wouldn’t be saving her. He knew what had happened. His father had convinced his mom to change guards for the optics. Then he’d hired Consortium agents to guard her.
Now they would try to kill her and her son and his friends.
“Stop!” Julia yelled and the air seemed to still. “Or I’ll kill her.”
Drake’s heart threatened to stop because Julia had her arm wrapped around Taylor’s throat, and there was a gun to her head.
Kyle was a big presence in the room. He got to his feet, gripping the Glock he’d always preferred. “Julia, don’t do this.”
“Hey, baby.” Julia’s voice went soft even though she was still holding that gun against Taylor’s head. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.”
“Why don’t you let her go and we’ll talk.” Kyle held his hands out, palming the gun to show his finger wasn’t on the trigger. “We can go somewhere and be alone. I’ve had time to think, Julia.”