Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“And what about the other one?” I ask, silently referring to Ellie.
The girls eat quietly, both of them shooting nervous glances my way, and I vow to do whatever I have to do to make sure they’re both safe and taken care of.
“He said Gutierrez made it clear it’s only for Sienna. His guess is that since her sister is barely more than a kid, he’s leaving her out of it.”
“Any idea why?”
“It appears that their mom is the one who killed Eduardo.” What the fuck? “Word on the street is that she went there to fuck him and ended up drugging him instead. Gave him a heart attack that killed him. She also stole some drugs and a bit of money. Not surprisingly, Eleazar plans to make an example out of her. If whores think they can get away with that shit, it’ll mess with the order of hierarchy. Since she’s nowhere to be found, he’s put a hit out for her daughter. Blood for blood.”
Fuck, this is worse than I thought.
“Thanks. Keep me updated.”
“What’s going on?” Sienna asks before I’ve even pocketed my phone. “And please, don’t lie to me.”
I wasn’t going to lie to her, but I also wasn’t planning to tell her anything just yet. There’s so much to all of this, I don’t know where the hell to begin.
So I go with the least fucked up information first, hoping it will distract her from asking more questions until I can get this all sorted.
“Your house and car were torched.”
“What?” Both girls gasp.
“All of our stuff is gone?” Ellie shrieks. “What about my clothes and shoes and…”
“Our pictures,” Sienna whispers. “And my car? How will I get another one?” Tears fill her eyes. “Why?”
I go with the simplest answer. “To cover up killing Phil. It’s the easiest way to cover up a murder.”
“We’re homeless,” Sienna murmurs.
“Hey,” I say, dragging her chair over and pulling her into my arms. “You guys are not homeless.” I glance at Ellie. “It sucks that everything is gone, but you both are alive and safe here. I know the photos can’t be replaced, but the clothes and car and other shit can be.”
They both nod in agreement, but I can tell they’re devastated and in shock. They didn’t have much to begin with, and the little bit they did have is now all gone.
“Did you find out why they’re after me?” Sienna asks.
“My guy has a theory, but I’ll need to confirm it.”
Normally this is when Sienna would argue, but she’s too shaken by the loss of her home and vehicle, so she simply nods without argument instead.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Sienna mutters, standing.
“I’m still kind of tired,” Ellie says.
Both girls head upstairs, and I’m left feeling helpless. Up until now, I’ve never been in a situation before when I wasn’t completely in control.
Speaking of which...I head into my office, which is soundproof, and I call the one person who has any control over this situation.
“Gutierrez,” Eleazar says, when he answers my call.
“It’s Micah Alexander.”
“Micah, to what do I owe this phone call?”
“I need to speak to you about an important matter. I was hoping we could meet soon.”
“I’m dealing with a few things at the moment, but how about Monday? Come to my place...Nine A.M.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
We hang up, and I glance at the time and see it’s eight o’clock. This is when I usually leave for the office, but I don’t think leaving Sienna and Ellie alone is the best idea. So, I pull out my phone and let my assistant know I won’t be in until Tuesday and to only call if it’s important.
She responds, asking if I’m okay since I never take that much time off, and I let her know I’m dealing with some personal shit and to clear my schedule.
I don’t want the girls leaving since Sienna has a bounty on her damn head, but I need to do something to cheer them up, and as long as they’re with me and my guards in this hotel, they’ll be safe. So I decide to text the spa manager and schedule appointments for Sienna and Ellie for this morning, and then I put a call into my personal shopper, letting her know I need more of everything delivered, including a few cocktail dresses. Once she’s confirmed she’s on it, I make a reservation at the rooftop restaurant for tonight and invite my parents and Lincoln.
It's probably too soon for the whole meet-the-parents situation, but my mom is great about comforting others, and I know once I tell them what’s going on, they’ll be more than willing to meet us for dinner. Sienna might not think she has anyone, but she has me, which means she has a lot of people in her corner without even realizing it.