Total pages in book: 227
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
“I didn’t forget them,” she says, matter-of-factly, rising to her feet. “I might have given them to Nolan.”
“Why would you give them to Nolan?” I ask.
“Well, not intentionally. Maybe they were caught up in his pajama pants.” She smiles awkwardly, straightening her lips when Danny stares at her in that way he does. Like he wants to kiss her and strangle her all at once. “I’m going to fetch some drinks. Want anything?”
“I’m good.” I stuff my feet back into my wet boots as Rose collects up my dirty clothes. “Thanks.”
“Take Tank,” Danny says as she walks to the door. “Oh, wait, you can’t. Because he’s in St. Lucia. Where you should be.”
“Okay, you’ve made your point,” Rose sighs.
“And be prepared for some backlash from my mother, too. She’s been ringing me off the hook. And Zinnea’s pissed with Beau, so you’d better warn her too.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Don’t push me, Rose. Where the fuck did you get that boat?”
“We hired it. Don’t worry, I used a fake name and paid with your dirty cash.”
Danny growls and Rose makes her escape.
I sigh and lower to the chair, my head going into my hands. “Give it a rest,” I mutter. I don’t need these two bickering in my ear when I’m sitting here praying for Pearl’s life. My hand throbs, and I flex it as I look over the bruised mess.
“Sorry,” Danny relents, lowering to the chair next to me. “How you dealing?”
I turn tired eyes onto him. “I want to kill.” Truth.
“Any news?”
“She’s still in surgery. How’s your leg?”
“You mean after you shot me?” He scowls and rubs at his calf. “Missing a chunk.”
“You’ve had worse. Where’s James?”
“Don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” I ask, shocked.
“I think it’s this place,” he says, looking around. “Bad memories.”
I swallow, nodding. Pearl’s injuries were far too serious for Doc to handle. We all knew that. A bullet in the leg, fine. The arm, Doc to the rescue. A stomach? I look at my watch. Another hour gone. Another hour of surgery. I stand. “I need to check on Nolan.”
“I’ll come.” Danny follows me to Nolan’s room, and I walk in to find Ella on the bed with him. She scrambles to get up. “Stay,” I order, lowering to a chair by the bed.
“No, it’s okay, I need the restroom,” she says, dropping a kiss on Nolan’s forehead.
“Rose has gone to get some drinks if you want to help her,” Danny says, pulling another chair over and dropping to it.
“Sure.” She leaves.
“That felt like a subtle hint to scram for a while.” I give him questioning eyes, and he shrugs. I haven’t the energy to read between Danny Black’s lines right now, so I return to Nolan and check him over. Black eyes, swollen cheeks, his jaw looks a bit out of line. “How—”
“How’s—”
I laugh a little. “How are you feeling?”
“Peachy.” He shifts, grimacing. “How’s Pearl?”
“Still in surgery.” I reach for the jug of water and fill a cup. “Want some?”
“I’m good.”
I down the whole cup, wishing it was Scotch. Lord knows I need a stiff drink. But . . . no. Clear head. What a fucking joke.
“What did you do?” Nolan nods at Danny’s extended leg, and I inhale my patience, waiting for him to start bitching about it again.
“Wounded in the line of duty,” he mutters. “What can you tell us about King?”
“What?” Nolan asks, his barely-open eyes squinting.
“Was he alone when he took you from the boatyard?”
“I was—”
“Did you see anyone else?”
“I don’t—”
“Can you remember—”
“Shut the fuck up,” I snap, my head ringing, my angry glare on Danny. “Give the kid a second to breathe, will you? What the fuck is this?”
Danny wilts in his chair, pouting, backing down. “Just asking.”
“We’ll deal with that shit when I know my boy and Pearl are out of the fucking woods, okay?” My thirst for blood is as potent as Danny’s right now. But I have other priorities. I get it. King’s dead. The man who abused my love for years is dead. The man who raped Rose and tried to kill Beau is still out there. Danny and James will want Sandy on the end of their gun or whatever torture device they choose ASAP. Not to mention Luis. But they’ll have to wait, especially if they want three killers instead of two.
“Okay,” he says, relenting. “I hear you.”
“Good.”
The door opens and a man enters. “Mr. Black?”
I’m up from my chair in a second. “Doctor.” My heartbeats go wild. My skin clammy. “Is—” I can’t ask what I need to ask.
“I’ll be in the family room down the hall.” He looks at Nolan and Danny, then steps out again, and all air drains from my lungs. My legs refuse to take me there.
I look down when I feel a hand squeeze mine, then up at Nolan on the bed. He doesn’t say a thing. I squeeze his in return, taking it and laying it on the mattress by his hip. “I’ll be back,” I say, nodding to Danny, finally convincing my legs to move.