Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
He crossed the room. “Over here are the weapons for a hostile alien attack. Over there is the stuff for a non-hostile alien encounter. In case they just want to meet and get to know us, we’ll need gloves and specialized masks. Who knows what kind of foreign pathogens they’re bringing from their home world?
“This.” He gestured to the entire wall of guns. “Is for when the government initiates the program to separate the masses by gender, lock up the women, and use them for breeding stock. Shoot the bastards, Luna. Don’t let them take you alive.”
“Goodness, Wilder.” I winced at a pair of deadly throwing stars. “Where are the barbwire-wrapped baseball bats for the zombie apocalypse?”
“Zombies aren’t real, Sinclair. What you’re worried about is a toxin called tetrodotoxin that shuts down the nervous system and makes it appear that you’re dead when you’re not. Actual rotting corpses aren’t going to take over the world.” He shook his head. “You’ve got to stop it with those fantasy books. They’re warping your sense of reality.”
I flipped him off and got a laugh in response.
“Over here.” Wilder circled my wrist, tugging me to the far wall. “Are the concealed weapons. I like the stuff you bought, but you can do a lot better. Some of these might be taken away by Burkhardt’s security, but they won’t get them all.”
Okay, my interest was definitely piqued now. I wasn’t afraid of Saylor, but the girl got me jumped and punched me in the face. Only a dummy wouldn’t be prepared when her opponent has already chosen violence.
“Try this.” Wilder took down a pen and placed it on my palm. “Looks like a regular pen. Take off the cap and its pepper spray.”
“Genius,” I muttered. “Where was this when I was buying?”
“And this. It looks like a cell phone, but it’s actually a stun gun. You already got a stun gun flashlight, but if they get it off you, they won’t expect you to have another one.”
I nodded, sticking them in my pocket as fast as he was giving them to me. If any of this ever ended up saving me, I’d never question Wilder again.
“Now we’ve got your key chain strikers, knuckle strikers, and self-defense keys.” He handed them all to me. “There are also GPS apps. You can set them to alert us and send your location. That night in your room... If Katie wasn’t there...” Wilder clenched his jaw, knuckles cracking. “That’s never going to happen again.”
Holding the gear to my chest, I said, “Thank you, Wilder. No matter how suspicious you are of me, I feel safe with you. It makes me happy that I can say that after everything that’s happened. There are men in this world that I can trust.”
Wilder roughly cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at me. “Yeah, well... I may be coming around to you, Sinclair. They did all kinds of stuff to you in France, but you’re Winter’s little sister. From DNA alone, you’ve gotta be alright.”
I laughed. “No kinds of stuff were done to me, but thank you.” I ran my finger along the key chain’s tip. “I’m done fucking around.”
I SLOWED THE CAR BEFORE the gate, straining over the wheel to see the manor.
Hedge upon tree, upon topiary, upon hedge were put up, blocking any view of the mansion. The Burkhardts didn’t want people seeing the inside of their home. They weren’t too keen on people seeing the outside either.
A guard stepped out of the booth, clipboard in hand. I rolled down my window.
“Name.”
“Luna Sinclair.”
“License and invitation.”
I passed it to him, waiting patiently as he studied me like I was about to see the pope instead of a mean socialite thief.
“Pop your trunk, step out of the car, and hold out your hands.”
“Excuse me? I didn’t sign up to be groped or searched. Saylor has something of mine. Tell her to toss it through the gate and I’ll be on my way.”
His blank expression didn’t shift. “I understand this is an inconvenience, ma’am. I assure you these precautions are for your safety as well as the Burkhardts. Please, open the trunk and step out of the car.”
I weighed my chances of talking him out of doing his job—which he was likely paid well for. Giving in, I popped Lucien’s trunk and climbed out. Driving his car onto their property was the safest option. He claimed he didn’t like the modern contraption, so he was rarely in it and did not keep things inside it. There was nothing for a handsy guard to find.
“Hey,” I cried, twisting away as his hands traveled up the inside of my thigh. I wore a tight peplum dress and wedges. “There’s nothing for you in there, my friend.”
“I apologize,” he said, tone blank. “One moment.”
The guard scanned my front seat, back seat, and stuck his head in the trunk. I went to climb in when he stopped me.