Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Or he won’t be able to find it and you’ll have to kill us all, and you’re right back to getting your ass hunted down by my boss.” She steadied her breathing. She needed to think about this. They might keep her alive in order to give David a reason to work. They had a couple of days before Big Tag would wonder where they were. He knew about the communications issues here on the island, and that would throw him off. Could David keep them on the hook for a couple of days?
“I have your itinerary,” Luis replied. “You’re not expected back until late Sunday. That gives us plenty of time to deal with the problem. I also have your phone, and I’ll get someone into the village to make sure you send out a message saying you’re fine. The question is will the professor do what we need him to do or should I start killing people? I don’t really need Eddie or his kid at this point.”
David’s hands came up. “I’ll do it. Don’t kill anyone, and that includes Eddie’s family. There’s no reason to. I’ll find it for you and then you can let us all go.”
That wasn’t the way this would work, but Luis needed to believe that they thought they would survive. This was a standoff of sorts. They needed to buy time. She had to think that most of the staff was in on this. Perhaps not the maids, but the rest of the group would have been brought in or taken care of. She would need to assess her situation and find a way to get David out of here. She didn’t care about Eddie. Oh, he was doing it for his girlfriend and his son, but he could have found a way to let them know. He could have sent a message of some kind and then David would have brought in the troops. If the bastard had shown an ounce of faith in his friend, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
David was her only priority.
“I want her with me at all times.” David seemed to think that he could negotiate with them. He was naïve. Or maybe a better way to look at it was optimism.
It wouldn’t work.
They didn’t seem to know about the gun in the nightstand. They’d taken her phone, but they hadn’t even looked in the nightstand. At least she knew where one weapon was.
“I don’t think so,” Luis replied. “I think you’ll work faster if we keep you apart. You seem to lose your focus around her, Professor. Mateo, tie the bitch up and then we’ll escort Professor Hawthorne to the library. I want him to give me a starting point by this evening.”
David shook his head. “That’s not enough time.”
“It better be or your pretty princess here is going to lose a finger. And she’ll lose another one every four hours after that until she runs out and I need to find other body parts you’re more fond of. Do I make myself clear?” Luis had a savage expression on his face, and Tessa had no doubt she could lose a couple of digits if this guy had his way.
David’s stare had gone stony, all of his emotions shutting down. “I get it. I perform or she gets hurt. We should go to the library, and I’ll need Eddie with me. I have questions for him.”
Eddie nodded. “Anything you need, man.”
David looked her way. “Tessa…”
“I’ll be fine.” She would be especially fine if they only left Mateo to watch over her. She was almost certain that despite her bodyguard credentials, he would see her as weak.
“I swear to god if anyone hurts her, I’ll make sure you never find the treasure,” David vowed. “I’ll send you on a wild-goose chase that will end in my family as the ones hunting you. Do I make myself clear, whatever the fuck your name is?”
Luis punched him right in the face. “You don’t talk to me that way.”
It took everything she had not to start fighting.
David merely spat out the blood in his mouth. “I mean it. I find out one of your men laid a hand on her and I’ll go down fighting, and you won’t see a dime.”
How could that man ever doubt that he was the end goal? That he was the man a smart woman would love and never regret giving her heart to?
Stupid tears threatened to fall, and she had to suck it up because he was being her hero.
“Mateo, tie the whore up and make sure she doesn’t cause trouble. And don’t touch a hair on her pretty head or the professor will get mad,” Luis said with a huff. “And be careful in case she really is what she says she is. We know she works for his uncle, but she looks like a secretary to me.”