Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Do not fuckin’ call him that,” Slater growls, his hand tightening around mine.
Shame crashes into my chest, and I withdraw.
“Fuckin’ hell, Slater,” Lincoln barks. “You don’t fuckin’ talk to her like that. She don’t know him as anything else. Go easy.”
Slater looks to me, and the rage and pain in his eyes has me turning away, cheeks red from embarrassment.
“It’s all good, Ellie,” Finn says, glaring at Slater. “Let’s call him Paul, yeah?”
I nod, swallowing, trying to fight back the tears. I jerk my hand out of Slater’s and stand up.
“Not done,” he says, looking angry and yet equally as pissed at himself.
“I am,” I whisper, moving over and sitting beside Damon.
“You okay?” he asks me.
I nod.
“When you’re ready to keep going,” Malakai says. “No pressure.”
I swallow, and then keep talking. “As I was saying,” my voice is low, and a little timid, scared about what might set Slater off next. “Riley looked for...Paul’s approval. Which made me think it was his son. He did everything Paul said, and for years, Riley hated me. But one day something changed, I heard them yelling and screaming at each other, and after that, Riley seemed...less concerned about pleasing Paul, and started to actually notice me.”
I stop and gather my thoughts.
“So I started talking to him. It took months to get more than two words, but I tried, every day he came in and gave me food, I spoke. Eventually, he started talking back. And, I don’t know, something changed. Riley became my friend. And eventually...he helped me leave. He said I deserved my life back, and that he was going to help me get it, but he couldn’t let me see where I was, he couldn’t let Paul get taken away. So, I guess, in a sense, he was still protecting him. Still, he got me out.”
“So you’ve no idea where you were? No hints, no nothing?”
I shake my head. “No names, or places, but I do know that when I got away, the one time I tried to escape, I realized I was in a church. Well, under a church. I know that doesn’t help, but he’s a man of God.”
Maverick scowls. “Piece of...”
“Calm down,” Malakai orders. “Ellie, do you remember anything about that church? Structure? A picture? Anything at all?”
I try to remember back from when I was running, and I do recall seeing a huge glass window, the big colorful ones, and it had a big design filling nearly a whole wall. I don’t really remember what was on it, except for it had a huge flurry of birds flying off in the top corner. I’ll never forget them, they were all blue, and they stood out because there was so many of them.
“I do remember a big glass wall,” I tell them. “As I was nearing the front door. It was the biggest one I’ve ever seen. And I don’t remember the picture, except that it had a mass of blue birds that looked like they were flying away, up in the corner. That’s all.”
Malakai nods, and turns to Maverick. “Get the men onto looking up every church in every major city. If there are none that sound similar, give them all a state and start searching the towns. See if we can find it.”
Maverick nods.
“And Slater,” Malakai looks to him. “Look up Paul, Riley, see if there is any sort of relation to those names, and a church. You can do that while you watch Ellie. He’s close, and he’s going to be looking for her a whole fuckin’ lot harder than he has been previously. Gotta get him, and do it fuckin’ now.”
“We’ll start throwin’ names around underground, too,” Lincoln says. “Couldn’t get fuck all out of the man we took a few nights ago. He maintained he was paid to look for her. That he doesn’t know who wanted her, just that he got given a fuck load of cash to find her.”
The man at the club.
I had almost forgotten about him in all the chaos.
“You deal with him?” Malakai asks.
Lincoln nods.
They hold their gaze, and then look away.
I know what that means, I know it as well as everyone else in this room.
These men might be kind to me, but I know, out there, in the world, they’re brutal. And they’ll go to any length to protect those they love, including taking a life.
“Slater, you make sure she’s got watch. You’re with her, or someone else is. To and from work, and anywhere she goes. She does not go alone,” Malakai orders.
“If you think I’d let her out of my sight after tonight, you don’t know me well, Malakai,” Slater growls.
Malakai holds his angry glare. “Just makin’ sure, brother.”
Slater’s jaw clenches, but he exhales and clenches his fists, looking down.
“We’ll take turns, if you need,” Damon says. “Finn and I will be more than happy to hang out here with Ellie.”