Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
It seems like a lifetime ago I was staring at the custom-designed ring seated in the soft velvet box, the jeweler not hiding his nerves as he presented it to me for approval.
A ring I planned on sliding on Jewls’ finger tonight, prepared for the rejection and looking forward to persuading her otherwise. I push through the emotions, knowing my next words are going to ignite a hurricane.
“Caleb, we have a situation. Jewls has been kidnapped, along with Rowan, by Rowan’s ex. We believe he’s after—”
“THE FUCK YOU SAY! My fucking baby sister was kidnapped by that lunatic? What happened?”
I don’t get a word out before he cuts me off again. “Never mind. Not wasting time. I’ll be on the road in five and you can explain it then. Answer my call.” The line goes dead.
“He took that well,” Talon says dryly.
“Brace, brother. My guess, in a few minutes, Caleb, Toby, Justin, and half of her county will be racing into Nashville. Craig Johns will be lucky to make it out of this alive.”
I don’t add that I want to be the one to take him down.
34
Jewls
I hate zip-ties. Rope, bungee cords, hanger wire, kitchen twine, leather, hell—even pantyhose, I’ve conquered them all. In my family, it’s a rite of passage. But zip-ties and handcuffs are right up there in the mastery level of escapism.
My brother once told me the best way to get loose was to dislocate my thumb in order to slip through. This solution turned me off, mostly because it’s gruesome and I’m not a fan of self-inflicted pain. But now, I wish I’d listened a little harder to find a different solution.
The only bright side is these are thin ties. The plastic digs into my wrists as I twist and pull, feeling the restraint give a little with each tug.
“Jewls?” Rowan’s feeble voice whispers in the darkened room.
“Shhh, sweetie, I’m okay.”
“I’m so sorry,” she sobs. “I tried to let someone know.”
“I know, babe. They will get us.” As hard as I try to sound convincing, my voice cracks. The torture on her face when she administered that shot replays in my head.
“He was rough with you, tossing you around carelessly.”
My heart breaks for my friend, who has taken several beatings today, each one with Craig becoming more and more aggressive.
“I was passed out, didn’t feel a thing. Honey, hold it together. We’ll get out of this. Save your energy and pretend you’re still passed out.”
“Okay,” she sniffs.
I look around, trying to make out the shadows for some clue where we are. We’re in a large room, that’s for sure. The air conditioner cuts on and off frequently. I’m zip-tied to a cushy chair that reminds me of my parents’ dining chairs. Solid wood, soft fabric covering the back and seat, sturdy construction.
Pain radiates across my temple, causing me to grimace. The one time I woke up, seeing Craig lose his shit on Rowan, I mouthed off. He backhanded me with such force I blacked out again.
“I’ll do anything to get you out of this.” She speaks so low, it’s barely audible.
“We’re getting out of this together, trust me.”
God! I’m going to kill Craig Johns.
A light comes from behind, and I instantly freeze, feigning sleep again.
Water runs from somewhere close.
“Time to wake up, bitches.” Cold water splashes on my face, making it impossible to remain immobile.
Rowan yelps and I peer through slotted eyes to see him looming over her with the gun. “I’ll give you the jewelry!”
“Too late for that. You think I’m stupid enough to trust that with all the cops crawling this city?”
“What do you want?”
“We’ll start with a hundred grand.”
I suck in a breath. There’s no way she can produce that amount of money. Is he looking for ransom?
“Blondie is finally awake.” Bright light bathes the room, and I blink a few times to focus. Rowan is sideways on a sofa, her face a mess, hair matted on her temple with blood, and a huge, bulging knot that’s a sickening shade of purple. Her hollow eyes meet mine and a lump lodges in my throat.
The beautiful, independent, sweet woman is staring at me in complete defeat.
“You bastard!” I hiss, working my wrists again.
“Been called worse.” He sneers. “But I like your spunk. We can have some fun, seeing as you’re not actually a maid.”
My stomach revolts, causing a gag. His features darken, his eyes scorching into me. “You think you’re better than me?”
“Craig, leave her out of this. This is between us.”
His head swivels her way. “Between us? You call buddying up with a bunch of cops keeping things between us?”
“If you needed money, you should have asked instead of sending someone to rob me.”
“Shut up, you stupid fucking bitch! You’ve ruined everything. I should have pawned that shit before I dumped your ass.”
“I broke up with you!”