Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Andrew has a couple of places he could go into hiding.” Maxim taps on a few things and then turns the screen to face me. “On the school server, I found the location of three properties that are registered to an LLC in the school's name. They are listed as storage, but there were a lot of purchases made and shipped to these locations.”
“I’ve requested search warrants, but it’s taking time,” Webb says. “Karmen is over eighteen, no one has reported her missing, and the video doesn’t show her actually being taken. Andrew is the one we’re looking for, but since we can’t use the hacked information as evidence, we need to wait for the judge to clear the search.”
“And that’s where I come in,” Maxim says as he puts the iPad in his backpack. That’s when I see the guns. He winks at me before zipping up the bag and putting it on. “I’ll call you when I find her.”
He goes to stand up, but I’m out of my chair just as fast. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”
“It’s not a good idea,” Webb interjects as she stands up with us. “You could get emotional and compromise the recovery. You’d be putting Karmen at risk.”
“If you think for one second I’m going to sit idly by while that motherfucker has my girl, then you’ve both made a mistake in telling me where to look.”
“Listen, I understand—” Webb starts, but I’ve had enough.
“No you don’t!” I snap, and the coffee shop around us goes quiet.
“He’s coming with me,” Maxim says before glancing at Webb. “I know what it’s like to have the woman you love in danger. He needs to do this.”
“Fine, but I don’t know about any of this. Are we clear?” We both nod at her, and she sighs. “Keep me updated. I’m meeting with the judge in an hour.”
“Will do,” Maxim says and then turns to me. “Let’s go for a drive.”
“Lead the way,” I tell him as we run out into the storm.
Chapter Thirteen
KARMEN
“T here’s my precious,” Andew says as he walks into view. He steps right over the dead body like it’s nothing more than a fallen log. “I’ve missed you.”
I stare at him wide-eyed, unsure of what to do next. My hands and feet are bound together so there’s no way for me to run. If I try and fight, I’ll end up getting hurt or exhausting myself. I need to wait and conserve my energy until I have the perfect moment to strike. Whatever reason Andrew may have for wanting me, it can't be good.
“Did you miss me?” he asks, and I try to search my mind for who he is to me.
The guys he just killed called him Andrew, and the name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember why. All I know is that I’m scared of him. My whole body buzzes with fear because he’s definitely not the man that I see when I close my eyes. His name is Daddy, but he is not my father. I may not remember anything, but I know to the bottom of my soul that he’s not the one I need.
“Of course you did.” Andrew pulls out a white handkerchief and wipes it across my cheek. “I’ll need to clean you up.”
He tosses the handkerchief, now stained with blood, onto the ground before reaching for me. It takes everything inside of me to not flinch, but I don’t want him to think I plan to run.
“It will wait until we get home,” he says, and my stomach fills with dread. I don’t want to think about him cleaning me and what that will entail. Andrew helps me sit up and looks me over. “Are you still confused?”
I nod and then glance down. That’s when I notice he’s still holding the gun. He’s got it down at his side and pointed to the ground, but it makes me terrified of what he might do.
“They said it could take some time for it to wear off completely.” He appraises me, and then to my relief, he cuts the tie that has my ankles bound together. “You can walk.”
It’s not a question but an order. Looking him over, I’m not sure he has the strength to lift me, so I do what he says. When I step out of the back of the SUV, I look up. I don’t want to see the two dead bodies on the ground. They were assholes, but I don’t need that memory branded in my mind.
“You’re Andrew?” I ask, confirming what I already suspect.
“I am.” He takes my elbow and guides me over to a car. I glance around to try and figure out where I am, but all I see are trees.
Andrew is only a few inches taller than me and has a round belly. I think I might be able to outrun him, but would he shoot me? The guys that took me said he paid a lot of money to get me. Maybe I’m too valuable to him to shoot.