Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“Door alarms are confirmed down,” Venus said. “Only cameras are active and they are spotty, thanks to Giovanni messing with them from the moment he found this place.”
“They gonna expect anything?” Shadow asked the question tersely. “Why didn’t you guys inform us of this?”
“Because it wasn’t something you needed to worry about since I’d already taken care of it.” Millie didn’t recognize that voice, but it was deep and masculine. And sounded vastly superior to all of them. She detested him immediately.
“Well, I need to worry about it now,” she snapped. “How many cameras are glitching?”
“Enough,” came the reply. “Each section is on a separate system. Since this area has frequent blackouts in both electricity and Internet, they have some of them working via satellite. When you get close, I’ll cut off the electricity. Hope you brought a flashlight.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, fucker,” Shadow growled. “You know she’s cramped on things she can carry with her. Ever think a flashlight might be a bit bulky?”
“I got this,” Millie said as she picked up her weapons and fastened the shoulder holsters back to her body. “I don’t need light to make it through.”
“And if you get lost? If they changed something?” Shadow’s voice was pitched higher now. Like he was about to lose his shit.
“It is real fear,” she acknowledged. “But Victor is lazy at heart. If he thinks maze will hold her in and keep everyone out, there will be no need to change it. He has no idea I’m even on radar since I’ve been gone for four years. Trust me, Shadow. I’ve got this.”
She heard him sigh over the connection. “Fine. But I’m going on the record as saying I absolutely do not like this. And, Giovanni, when I get back to the States, me and you are havin’ ourselves a one-on-one conversation. In person.”
“Over my dead body,” Giovanni muttered.
“Exactly,” Shadow spat. “Over your dead body.”
“Would you two knock it off?” Venus bit out. “Not even in same room with either of you and testosterone is making it hard to breathe.”
“Agreed,” Millie said under her breath. She was concentrating on the door. Looking around, she saw only the one sensor, and the little red light that should indicate it was active was dark. Fuck it. She’d trust that prick Giovanni. “If he’s wrong about any of security systems he’s so casually declared inactive, Shadow, my last request is for you to kick his ass until he begs for death.”
“Granted, sugar.” Shadow’s voice was deadly. Even the endearment he used didn’t soften the tone.
She picked the lock in a few seconds and entered. Noise from the party in the front part of the house could be heard off in the distance. Louder than it had been outside, but still not enough to muffle her movements.
Surprisingly, she made it to the door to the maze entrance with only one encounter. That man was dealt with swiftly and stuffed into a nearby closet. As she opened the door, she took a deep breath. The room was dimly lit, and the maze panels were clear, giving security a good view of anyone entering or moving through the maze.
“Are cameras in this area off, Giovanni?” She hated asking the question, but, regardless of her earlier statement, she wasn’t eager for Shadow to hunt him down. She wanted to get out of this alive with her sister safely at her side.
“They are. How long do you need?”
“Give me twenty minutes to get to center. If there are only two trackers, I hope to have them out and her stitched in another twenty. Then fifteen on the way out.”
“So, an hour to be safe.”
“Yes.”
“I can manage that,” Giovanni said. “Are you sure you can work in the dark? It’s the only way to kill these cameras.”
“I can. Once I get to Katya, I can use phone light. If worse comes to worst, I can just bandage her up and deal with the wounds later. I only worry about blood trail in case they use dogs.”
“Try your best to stitch her up there. Should only take one or two stitches at most.”
“Understood.”
“Be careful, Millie,” Shadow said. “Don’t make me come in after you. You won’t like it.”
“Awww,” she crooned. “My big man is so sweet.”
“Don’t make me puke,” Venus drawled, sounding like it pained her hearing the exchange. “I’ll get you a room when this is over. Just… yuck.”
Millie couldn’t help but smile but refrained from laughing.
“Bustin’ your ass for that when you get back, little girl,” he snarled.
She took a deep breath and entered the maze. The door clicked shut behind her, and she was trapped. The only way out was to navigate her way through. After the first few turns, she knew she was in trouble. Not because she couldn’t remember the way, but because she was getting the horrible feeling of claustrophobia she’d always gotten when she forced herself to pretend to play in the maze. She’d always known that, if she got stuck, she was on her own. This time, however, if she got stuck, not only was she dead, but so was little Katya.