Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“I think Dec is giving as much as he’s getting. He thinks Josh needs an outlet. Pain and violence were their selections today.”
“I can see that. Though sometimes I think that big bastard enjoys the fight way too much. I’ll make sure they don’t kill each other.”
She had something she had to do as well. “Can I use your room? I don’t want to tip off the Agency until I’ve made the call.”
Shane put a hand on her arm. “Of course you can. You know this is still your op. If you want to wait and see if we can talk Josh into being quiet. Maybe if the three of us…”
“No. Absolutely not. This is my op and I’ve put us all in danger. I’m not making another dumb play. I wish I could, but it’s only right.” She moved up the stairs, not looking back even though her whole soul ached when she heard Josh’s pained shout.
He was letting his body be tortured because she’d shredded his soul.
What had he meant when he’d said he would stay at Jared’s until he could find another place? She stepped into the house she’d come to love. She’d even started sneaking some color into it. He hadn’t said a thing when she’d bought some blue and yellow pillows for the stark white couches. He’d merely used them while they laid on it together watching a movie. And he’d smiled as she’d hung the dachshund surfing picture she’d gotten at a local surf shop. The place was filled with peace for her and she knew what it meant to Josh.
But she’d invaded his sanctum. Would he leave it now because it would be forever tainted? Had she cost him his very home?
She forced herself to walk even though every step felt leaden. At least this would cost her, too. She was about to pay the bill for what she’d done to Josh and then she would be free to do what she needed to. After the op was over, she would hunt down Morales and anyone else who could hurt him and end all those threats with as much blood and pain as possible. She would find his blackmailer and give him back his peace.
If it was the last thing she did…
Kayla moved into the room they’d taken to calling security central. It was the one place where they could talk without the Agency listening in.
It was time to remember she was a professional and not merely some ridiculous girl in love.
Because she’d just killed that girl, too.
Joshua Hunt was the love of her life and that feeling wouldn’t come around again. She would live out the rest of her days hollow on the inside because that essential piece of her would always be missing.
She picked up the phone, her hands trembling because she was about to lose another essential piece of herself.
“This is Knight,” the familiar voice said.
If he was pissed she’d woken him, she couldn’t hear it in his voice. Damon was steady as a rock. Damon would never be in this position. He would have figured another way out. He would have made this call a critical twenty minutes earlier. “It’s Kay, Damon.”
There was a momentary pause as though he’d heard something in her voice, and then his own softened. “Tell me what’s happened.”
“I fucked everything up.” The tears began again as she started the story that would end her career.
It didn’t matter. She’d ended everything important to her when she’d killed the light in Josh’s eyes. There was only the op left now.
And after that revenge.
Chapter Fifteen
An hour later, Kayla sat on the steps again, but the brutal sounds of Declan and Josh beating on each other had ground down to whispers and the occasional groan.
She felt like she’d aged on that step. Like she’d gone down to the beach one woman and come back someone older, harder than before.
Declan stepped out from the room at the base of the house, tugging his shirt over his head. She could easily see where Josh had gotten some good jabs in, but it appeared they’d both left each other’s faces alone. “Your boy’s pretty vicious. If I hadn’t been fairly quick, he would’ve pile drived my junk in there.”
A low laugh got cut off by a moan of obvious pain. “Fuck you, Burke. I wasn’t as fast. You got to teach me that move. After my balls inflate again. Hopefully they’ll do that.”
She gasped and stood up. “I told you not to hurt him.”
Declan held a hand up as though warding her off. “He needed that pain and I did as you asked. Look at this. His face is fucking perfect.”
“But my kidney is not,” Josh said, though he appeared slightly lighter than before. “I think I felt it go back there.”