Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Tonight?” I can hear the annoyance in Neal’s voice, but I don’t care. No way in hell I’m letting Layla get anywhere near this guy. “Jesus, nice warning.”
“Can’t be helped. I’ll be on her. I’ll send you a location pin. Just have the boys there.”
Before Neal can protest, I hang up. He may be my boss, but I’m in charge of boots-on-the-ground. Do I have a legitimate reason that relates to the mission for calling in an operation tonight? No. But am I gonna sit by any longer as Layla slips away and out of my reach? Hell no.
With a deep groan, I explode into my hand like a clap of thunder has burst in the sky above. This mission has changed me. I’m breaking protocol, lying to my boss, putting the entire mission at risk. All for the chance of making Layla my wife, my lover, my forever.
I watch her exquisite figure as she moves about her apartment, wiping my sweaty hand on some napkins from the console.
You’re going to be mine, girl.
Nobody else’s.
Mine.
2
LAYLA
A date? I’m going on a date?
Why?
Why am I going out with some guy I know I won’t like? Is it to make Tasha happy? Or is it because I’m afraid that if I don’t get out of my apartment and do some actual socializing, I’ll end up a lonely old cat-lady counting dust flecks in my living room?
Something’s wrong with me. I just can’t do the whole “guy thing.”
Tasha meshes with the opposite sex so naturally, but I’ve had only bad luck when it comes to men, and I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this guy she’s setting me up with. I’m really starting to wonder why I’m putting this much effort into picking an outfit for tonight.
I still can’t decide what pants to wear out. I’m on my third pair when I glance over my shoulder at the large, plate-glass window in my bedroom that looks out over the street. The blinds are open, and I realize I’ve been flashing my ass to basically anybody who’s been walking by and looked up.
Oh, well. This is a nice neighborhood. Maybe someone caught a glimpse of some cheek, but it’s not like there’s any psychos out there with binoculars and a camera taking shots for their personal jerk-stash.
I finally decide on some slim black jeans and a vintage T-shirt of some rock band with a cool logo, slip on a pretty bead necklace I picked up in downtown Austin with Tasha, grab my purse, and head out.
As I step outside, I wonder why I’m trotting around in heels and makeup on my way to a date that’s no doubt going to end in disaster. I’d much rather be curled up on the couch with some popcorn, watching a corny '90s rom-com where the awkward girl ends up with the hot guy.
I hear a cough up ahead and look up to see a man, swaying like he’s drunk out of his mind, stumbling right toward me. I step left, but he matches my movement, almost like he wants to be on a collision course with me.
An eerie feeling causes my chest to tighten. A second cough echoes behind me, and I glance back to see a second man rocking as he walks up the sidewalk in my direction. It’s like I’m being pinned in from both sides, and I feel my anxiety starting to kick in, so I quickly cut left, moving at a fast clip to cross the street.
And that’s when it happens.
The two men instantly snap out of their drunken stupor, which I quickly realize was just an act, and sprint toward me. My heart skips a beat as I try to run, but I’m wearing heels, and there’s really nothing I can do.
“Help!” I scream out as the first man reaches out and grabs hold of my arm. “Somebody–!”
My second scream is cut off as the second man muffles my lips with his hand. Panic hits me like a flood of cold adrenaline. This is it. I’m being kidnapped. I don’t know who these men are, but I can guess why they want me: to get to my uncle. No matter how far away from him I go, his business will always affect me.
I try to bite my attacker, but he forces my jaw shut, cutting off any chance I have of crying out or using my teeth to fight back. The men lift me up and carry me back across the road as I thrash wildly, the muscles in my legs and arms burning as I fight for my life.
My heart skips another beat when I see the white van, its sliding door open for me like a huge shark’s mouth.
Then there’s a thud.
The man grasping my feet falls to the ground clutching his left eye. There’s a blur of movement to my right, and I hear the sound of knuckles on flesh. I fall to the pavement as my second attacker is knocked back.