Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
“Don’t want to play, then?”
She wasn’t playing with Julia at all. She was right back in the same position she’d been in. Kyle took everything on himself and left her behind. He would always do this. She had to get him back, but how could she trust him when every single time something went wrong, he left her? “I don’t have the intel yet and you took part of my team, so it’s going to take longer.”
“Oh, we both know Kyle was never going to find my father’s files. My boy is gorgeous and knows how to treat a lady, but smarts were never his strong point,” Julia said with a laugh. Like they were girlfriends discussing the guys they dated. Not like one of them was a criminal who kidnapped people. “It was always going to be you or my brother, and I don’t know if I can trust my brother. If he thinks that intel can help our mother, he might not trade it to me. He also might decide I’m not as strong as I really am. It can be hard for him to accept that I do what I need to do.”
“I think your brother perfectly understands how far you’ll go. He knows exactly who you are.”
“You’ll forgive me if I trust my own instincts when it comes to my family. You don’t have one of those, do you?” Julia seemed intent on taunting her. “I can see where it would be hard for you to understand the bond between siblings. You’re alone in the world. You can cling to the Taggarts all you like, but you won’t ever be one of them.”
She wouldn’t be a Hawthorne, either. She took a deep breath and paced. “I’m asking for terms, Julia. You have Kyle. Let Kala go. You don’t need her anymore. And you don’t need the scrutiny that comes with a nationwide manhunt. We won’t call the police over Kyle. We will over Kala.”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Julia replied. “If I get a hint of police involvement, she’ll be too hot to handle, and I need her to chill out very quickly. You know the minute they find a body, they’ll stop looking for me.”
MaeBe grabbed a pen and then reached for the closest notepad.
Someone had already written on it.
Save us, MaeBe. You’re our only hope. Love you.
Tears blurred her vision for a moment.
There was a scenario her trauma-addled brain hadn’t considered. A scenario where Kyle had walked away because he trusted her to save him. To save them both. A scenario where Kyle left it all in her hands because he believed in her. Loved her. Trusted her more than anyone on earth.
She sniffled and covered the receiver, glancing back at West. “Go and tell Ian not to call the cops yet. Tell him I’m on the line with her.”
A hopeful confidence coursed through MaeBe’s whole being. Kyle had walked out without saying a word because he’d left her the message she’d needed. This was her op now. He would handle things from his end. He would deal with Julia and protect Kala. He’d walked back into his own personal hell because he knew she would get him out.
“All right. No cops. I’m going to need proof of life, and I’m going to need it soon.”
“You’re in no position to negotiate,” Julia countered.
“I have two freaked out parents with more firepower than you can imagine and ties to most of the intelligence agencies around the world and at least one Russian syndicate. If you give me proof of life, I might be able to calm them down and convince them I can handle this situation for them. If you do not, they won’t care what happens to anyone but their daughter.”
A low growl came over the line. “Fine. I suppose I can understand that, but I’m serious about them coming after me. If I get a hint of the authorities getting involved or the Taggarts sending assassins my way, I’ll make sure the kid goes down with me. She’s out right now. I had to drug her, but the medic assures me she’s fine. What the hell did they do to that kid? She almost took out two grown men. Luckily I sent five.”
Good for Kala.
She glanced up, and Ian and Charlotte stood in the doorway. They held hands as though they needed to touch in order to get through this.
“Can I talk to Kyle then? Is he with her?”
“You would love that, wouldn’t you? You would love to talk to Kyle and play out all your sad-girl fantasies.”
“I would love to talk to Kyle so I can prove to my boss that his daughter is still breathing. You’re the one bringing emotion into this, and I thought better of you. I rather thought you could be a professional for five minutes, but if you prefer to taunt me, I can turn this whole thing over to Ian.”