Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“You want to release me and take the jobs I’ve offered you. The money sounds good to you.”
Rainier shook his head and slid off the edge of his desk. “He’s trying that heebie-jeebie garbage Vienna told us about with his voice. I can hear it trying to get into my head.”
“Same here,” Zale said. “Good thing we listened to her. We’re wearing ear distortion plugs to keep your voice from affecting us in any way. So, no, we’re not taking your jobs and we don’t want your money. We’re not going to shoot each other either.”
He shoved the chair with his foot as Rainier used the mechanical pulley to raise the rope higher into the air, leaving Daniel Wallin dangling. His legs kicked uselessly and his hands tore at the rope that had tightened so that he was dizzy and seeing black spots. It happened so fast there was nothing he could do to combat it.
“So sad that you became so despondent that you committed suicide rather than face the charges of murder that you knew were going to be coming your way once the law firm brought everything out into the open,” Zale said.
Daniel tried to tell them he’d never take his own life. He didn’t believe in that.
“We’ll leave the remote in your hand, Wallin, so you can lower the rope when we’re gone,” Rainier said. He reached up with an outstretched gloved hand. “Elliot sends his regards.”
Daniel did his best to take the remote from him. He felt it in his hand and he tried to find the button that would lower the rope. He moved his fingers everywhere over the surface of the thing, but his strength was failing and the remote slipped to the floor. He heard it, but he couldn’t see. His lungs burned for air.
There was no way to scream his defiance. This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be happening. Not to him. It couldn’t be. Not Daniel Wallin. No one had ever caught him no matter how many lives he’d ended. He wouldn’t accept this even as his brain refused to function any longer.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Good grief, Raine, you have more guards at your door than a military prisoner would have,” Vienna greeted. She looked around the large room that held only Raine. “No roommate, and enough flowers and plants to start your own flower shop.”
Raine looked pale and very small in the bed. Her injured leg was stretched out with blocks wedged all along it. Raine waved toward the chairs in the room. They were really nice, comfortable leather chairs.
Rush sat in a chair in the corner of Raine’s room, almost obscured by all the flowers. Vienna gave him a cheery wave, a little shocked to see him there. “Rush. Nice to see you again. Have you been regaling Raine with all the details of the wedding?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Raine said, sounding a little miffed. “He doesn’t talk. He just pulls out the chess board and sets it up. I think he’s taking advantage of the fact that they have me on pain killers.” She glared through the huge bouquets at her guard.
Rush raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t reply.
“Sometimes he changes it up and plays Go instead of chess. And he won’t give me my laptop.” Raine’s eyebrows came together.
“Rush, that’s just a sacrilege,” Vienna said.
“It’s right over there, Vienna,” Raine said in her sweetest tone. She pointed through the jungle of flowers and plants to the briefcase sitting against the wall, very close to the silent operative. “Would you mind getting it for me?”
“No problem.” Vienna took two steps toward the briefcase, but Rush’s hand caught the handle before she could.
He shook his head. “The doctor said absolutely not. In fact, he’s going to cut down on her visitors soon too. She has an endless parade of male visitors traipsing through here. Doc wants her resting. She doesn’t seem to know what that word means. I handed her a dictionary since she can’t seem to understand half of what he says to her.”
Vienna was stuck back on the endless parade of male visitors traipsing through Raine’s hospital room. “She has guards with guns at her door. It isn’t like you can just walk in. How many men? Raine? Who are these men visiting you? How come I don’t know about them?”
Vienna turned to look at Harlow, Shabina and Zahra, who had accompanied her to visit Raine. “Did any of you know about Raine’s secret stash of hot men?”
“No one used the word hot,” Rush objected.
Raine shifted her position in the bed and a low sound escaped, somewhere between a moan and a whimper, sounding too much like an animal in pain. Rush was up and at her side instantly.
“What did I tell you about trying to change positions without asking me for help? Damn, woman, you’re stubborn.” Even as he was chastising her, Rush was gently guiding her body into a more comfortable position and placing the multitude of pillows around her to keep her upright. “Is that better?”