Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Come to the gym. We’ll figure everything out and leave from here. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.” His cell signal cracks a bit, but I understand what he’s saying.
“I’m already en route. Be there in ten, actually maybe five.” I couldn’t care less about any fucking speed limit right now.
Hanging up the phone, I toss it onto the seat next to me. Then I slam the palm of my hand against the steering wheel a couple times in rage.
NOBODY better lay a hand on her, or they will take their last breath tonight!
I can’t believe this. I was just gone for twenty minutes, thirty tops. Fuck, I didn’t even check the time. Briefly, I entertained the thought of going to the cops but quickly ruled that out. Jude’s an adult, they wouldn’t do anything, or at least not anything I couldn’t do myself.
There is no way in hell I’m even going to wait a few hours. The cops are useless in this situation. Timing is of the essence, and I need to find her before something horribly awful happens to her and my baby.
When I get to the gym, I park up front and run inside. Roman and Luke are already waiting for me, their features masked.
“Did you figure anything out?” I huff out, my heart racing out of my chest.
“I looked into her family when you asked me to. The girl’s dad is a fucking religious icon and is up to his eyeballs in debt, up until now, I couldn’t figure out to who,” Roman explains, and I can already sense this is going somewhere that I don’t want it to.
“What’s Jude got to do with this?” I growl.
“Guess why he’s in debt?”
“Stop with the fucking games! Spill it!” I yell, not caring about any of this shit or if I’m being an asshole. Jude is fucking gone, the love of my life was taken, and I’ll make those fuckers pay, make them wish they never touched her.
“He’s a pussy church daddy, who makes parishioners pool their “communal” money, then he spends it on sex with underage girls and gambling. Now someone has their hooks in him and is threatening to kill his kid if he does not get his people to ante up on what he owes. Jude’s just leverage.”
Woah. The room spins, and information lands like a wave of grossness so thick that only rage can burn it off my skin.
I’m definitely in a red hot rage.
I am going to kill that piece of shit father if it is the last thing I do on this planet.
Looking at Roman, I find his eyes trained on me.
“I have to get her back.”
“I know.”
“She’s pregnant.”
Roman whistles low and looks away.
“That is a gamechanger. We’re going to have to go in different, then.”
“Copy that,” Luke acknowledges.
No way can I risk her, but now we are rescuing two. “Any sense of where they are holding her or how much the debt is?” Paying is an option. I want to kill the fuckers, but if money gets her out safer, then I have to at least know how high the bar is.
“Three hundred grand, but,” his mouth tightens as he pauses, “no doubt they will tack on interest for the muscle expended. If it was me, and I’m generous? I’d guess a solid half mil.”
Fuck me.
“That kills that option.”
“Not necessarily.” He eyes me, and I don’t like that look.
“My family does well, but even collectively, I bet we have nowhere near that. Not without selling houses and cars.”
“There is another option, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
“Roman, at this point, I would be willing to do anything.” And I would, when it comes to Jude, there isn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do.
He nods. “We can ask Damon.”
I visibly recoil.
“He can help, if not with the money, then with extracting her. We need to know where they are holding her, and Damon knows these things. He knows people, has connections.”
My phone rings just then. I pull it out, and desperately hope, without thinking, that it is an answer to this bad dream and that it is all about to be over.
I look at the caller ID and glance back up to Roman. It’s Damon fucking video calling me. “You already contacted him, didn’t you?” I accuse.
Roman grins. “Where do you think I get my information from? Damon knows things, he can help. He is your best chance of getting her back fast and unharmed. Nobody fucks with the Rossi’s, and with Damon attached to the situation, they’ll back off, or risk death.”
Nodding my head, I hit the green answer key and accept the call.
“Lex, I’m sorry to hear about your girl.” To my utter shock, he sounds sincere. “If you want, I can help you.”