Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Oh my God, Vannah. Baby.” He kisses my forehead, my face, my cheeks, my lips.
I swallow. “I’m covered in my own vomit,” I say quietly.
“Do you think I care about that?”
Another man tugs on Falcon’s arm. “This is all great,” he whispers, “but we need to get the fuck out of here. Someone’s going to let shithead out of his room soon.”
“Leif?”
“Yes, it’s me.” He points out the door. “We need to go.”
I lean down and pick up the wallet, phone, and keys. I hand them to Falcon.
“I locked him in,” I say. “And I have all these keys. And his wallet and phone.”
“You’re a genius, Vannah.” He shoves the stuff in the pocket of his black jeans. Then he pulls off his black hoodie. “Put this on.”
I nod, throwing it over my head.
“I wish I could give you something to cover your legs,” he says.
“I’ll be all right.”
“Damned right you will.”
He takes my hand, and together we follow Leif out of the room, closing the door quietly.
Thump thump thump.
“Guess he got tired of waiting,” Leif says in a whisper.
We walk briskly through the hallway to a door, and then through it.
The hallway is now different. I know from my grandfather’s house that we’ve entered the servants’ wing. All of these organized crime families are the same. Live in opulence but keep the help in the unkempt wing of the house so they know their place.
The good news is we’ll be safer here.
When we reach the stairs, Falcon takes me in his arms, holding me as we go down.
Then a door.
And behind it…
A barking dog.
“Damn,” Leif says. “I guess this one didn’t get any beef jerky.”
He opens the door carefully. “Hey, boy.”
The dog snarls.
“Got something you’re going to like.”
Leif takes some beef jerky out of his pocket. The dog takes interest, sniffing. Leif throws the beef jerky, and the dog scrambles after it.
“I don’t think that’s a guard dog,” Leif says, “but just in case, let’s get the fuck out of here quickly. They’re bound to realize the system’s down any time now.”
Falcon is still holding me, but he puts me down. “We can probably move faster if you walk. You okay, Vannah?”
I look down at my bare feet. “I’ll do my best.”
“Let me know if you can’t. If you need me to carry you, I will.”
“I can do it, Falcon.”
Inside I’m at war with myself. I should tell him to put me back. That I did this for him. That he’s in danger now if I don’t marry Miles.
But I can’t leave him.
I absolutely can’t.
I’ll tell him everything, and we’ll deal with the fallout. Together we can do anything.
Falcon and I follow Leif, who keeps to the shadows until we finally reach the wrought-iron gate.
Leif pushes it open. “Good,” he says, “they haven’t gotten the security system back online yet.”
We walk past the gate, still keeping to the shadows when—
A siren blares, making my blood run cold.
“Fuck,” Leif shouts over the sirens. “They figured it all out. They’re going to be looking for you, young lady.”
“How far is the car?” Falcon asks.
“It’s about a block. We’re going to have to run for it.”
“Savannah isn’t wearing shoes.”
“Can you do it?” Leif asks me.
“I swear to God. I can do anything you need me to do.”
I keep my hand in Falcon’s, and I take a deep breath, ready to run my ass off.
And I do it. I run, keeping up with the two men. I step on several small jagged rocks, but I don’t feel the pain. Too much adrenaline. When we finally reach the car, I look down at my feet. They’re covered in small cuts and a lot of dirt, but I’ll live.
Leif unlocks the car and I launch myself into the back seat.
Leif gets us the hell out of there, the tires screeching.
“How much time do you think we have on them?” Falcon asks Leif from the front seat.
“Not much. But they won’t call the cops. They were obviously keeping someone under duress. Kidnapping and false imprisonment.”
“No,” I say quietly. “They weren’t.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Vannah?” Falcon asks.
“I went willingly, Falcon.”
He turns around, glaring at me. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
“I… I made a deal. For you.”
His eyes widen. “Fuck.”
“I made a deal so you wouldn’t be charged with Abel’s murder. Miles can take care of it. I thought I’d go with him, marry him.” I grab his arm and squeeze it. “I didn’t want you to go back to prison.”
He whips his arm out of my grasp. “Vannah, I’d go back to prison for a thousand lifetimes for you.”
“But I don’t want you to.”
He crosses his arms. “I didn’t kill the motherfucker anyway. They can’t pin it on me.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know the kind of power these families have. They have judges in their back pockets. Cops in their back pockets. They can pin anything on you.”