Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“Texting your boyfriend?” he says. It’s not a voice I’m familiar with at all, but when I turn around, I recognize him instantly. Tyler Fredericks. Our informant told us that he goes by the nickname Brick sometimes. As he walks up to me, I can see why.
He’s huge. His shoulders are broad, and his neck is thick enough that I don’t think I’d be able to wrap both hands around it if I tried. With the look in his eyes and the fact that we’re both standing outside in an alley alone, I get an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I’m already mentally running through all the ways to fight him off.
“No.” I laugh, quickly putting my phone in my pocket so he can’t see what message I’ve sent. “My dad is sick and I just like to check in on him when I can.”
Before starting today, my sergeant had me study everything I could about the DeLuca family and their underlings. I know all too well what Tyler is capable of, and I know I need to get inside. I’ve taken countless self-defense classes, both personally and professionally. If it comes down to it, I might be able to fight him off, but it would leave him wondering where I learned to fight so well. As much experience I have fighting, he easily outweighs me by 200 pounds and is just as skilled in fighting.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says in a flat voice. “You didn’t need to come out here to talk to him. It’s cold, and a girl like you shouldn’t be in places like this.”
“Well, I was just about to head back inside,” I nervously say, shivering both from the cold and the fear.
I offer a polite smile to avoid setting him off, and I try to walk by him to the door. To my surprise, he lets me. I exhale a breath of relief and reach for the door, happy that I’d just been overthinking before.
My heart plummets when I realize the door is locked.
I stare at the handle for a moment, watching Tyler from my peripheral vision as he turns around and crosses his arms. I gulp and take a deep breath before turning to him. He has something planned, and I know I’m going to have to fight my way out of this. I think about all of the officers in my department who told me I'll never be able to live up to my father's shadow, or that I don't have what it takes to do this. Proving them wrong is all I want to do. I can't let that end here.
I turn to face Tyler and a sinister smile forms on his lips. I swear I can hear a dark chuckle escaping his throat. I think of my options, evaluating everything around me as quickly as I can. There are old shipping crates, a thick glass ashtray, and several garbage bags around me. The ashtray might do some damage if I can land a blow to his head. The end of the alley is roughly a hundred feet away. I’m fast, I run every day. I run marathons. Tyler clearly works out, but can he keep up with me?
I decide running is my best option. So, I take off. I try to run around Tyler, but the moment I’m within his grasp, he catches me. He grabs me by my shoulders and pulls me close to him. I struggle in his arms, trying to wiggle my way out of them, but they’re too strong.
“Where are you going?” Tyler laughs, turning me around in his arms, gripping my shoulders tight enough that I can feel a bruise already forming. “I just want to get to know you a little better.”
He lifts me as if I’m as light as a feather and pins me against the wall near the door. I cry out, desperately hoping someone will hear me, but he covers my mouth with his hand. He laughs at me while tears run down my face. My heart is racing, and I’m thinking of everything I can do to get out of this situation alive.
He brings his face closer to mine, and I bite down on his finger. Hard. I can taste the metallic tang of his blood after he drops me to the ground and yells.
“You bitch!” he groans while he waves his hand in the air.
I try to scramble to my feet, but he’s too quick. He grabs me again and forces me to look at him. A scowl has taken the place of the evil smile he had before. He’s angry and his eyes are filled with malice.
Suddenly, the side door slams open, and he turns his head away from me, quickly letting go of me. He straightens his back and hides the hand I bit behind him. Dominic stands in front of the door and glares at Tyler.