Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Adrian glowers at me. I’m sure he’s deciding whether to snatch the hair right off my balls.
One of his men hands me a comms unit, and I pop it in my ear. “Testing.”
Dima’s voice sounds in my ear. “You’re all set. The security system is down. I have eyes on all the cameras and can talk you in.”
I swing the van’s back door open and drop softly to my feet. “I’m going now,” I mutter.
“The back entrance is on the east side,” Dima says.
I hug the block wall and head east, not waiting to see if Adrian will follow.
“I’m unlocking the gate there. There’s one guard inside the guard booth scrolling on his phone.”
The wrought-iron gate barring cars from entering softly unlatches as I walk up.
Thank you, Dima.
I palm the pistol in my right hand and push the gate open with my left just enough to slip through. I stay in the shadows, keeping my gun pointed at the guy in the booth, but he never looks up.
“Stay close to the shrubbery until you get to the house, then take a right to go through the gate there into the walled garden. There’s a security guy just inside.”
I slink into the garden and look around. A small orchard with walking paths and benches lies in front of me. There’s a security guard patrolling at the opposite end.
“First door on your left. I’m opening the lock now.”
I keep my gaze and gun pointed at the security guard as I slip through the open door, but he doesn’t look over. Part of me is almost sorry. I wanted blood tonight.
But Lara’s safety is all that matters. Until I have her secure, I need to be cautious.
“There aren’t any cameras in the residence, so you’re going blind now.”
“I got it from here,” I say. I memorized the floor plans. I know all the routes that lead to the master bedroom. There’s a back staircase this way.
I round the corner and come face to face with an armed guard.
Fuck.
I shoot before he can react. He goes down in a silent heap. Thank fuck for silencers.
Now I have to move fast before someone discovers him.
“I heard a shot,” Adrian says. “Report.”
“I killed a guard,” I mutter.
I find the stairs and take them two at a time. There’s another guard at the top. A single bullet puts him down, too.
“Another guard,” I report before Adrian asks.
The door to the master bedroom is at the end of the hall. There’s a sliding lock on the outside, like Brash has imprisoned women here before, but it’s not locked. Which means she’s either not in there, or he’s with her.
A scream sounds from inside.
Lara.
Adrenaline rushes to my limbs. My mouth washes in saliva, like an animal preparing to bite its foe.
“Where is she?” Adrian demands in the comms in my ear.
I ignore him and push the door open, gun pointed.
No. Fuck no. Not my Lara.
Goddammit!
I shouldn’t be shocked by the scene in front of me. I fully expected something horrific. But seeing my wife strung up by her wrists from a hook in the ceiling ignites a rage in me so fierce I could tear him apart with my bare hands. I will tear him apart with my bare hands.
She’s in nothing but her panties. There are bruises on her cheek and throat. Brash points a dagger at one of her nipples.
Her eyes meet mine and widen. “Baron!”
Brash whirls and takes in the gun in my hand.
One bullet. One bullet is all it would take to kill him. But not with Lara behind him. Besides, a swift shot would be too kind for this animal.
These thoughts happened in a split second because I’m already in motion.
Brash dives away, thinking I’m going to shoot. I follow his movement with the gun, and as soon as he’s clear of Lara, I cap him in the thigh.
He yelps and drops behind the bed.
“Report!” Tension radiates in Adrian’s bark.
I don’t have time to give him the play-by-play. I leap onto the bed in a single stride. With the next step, I drop onto Brash’s sprawled body, stomping into his solar plexus to knock the wind out of him. My next step is onto his throat, then I drop down and straddle him.
He fights back, but I punch the muzzle of the gun into his mouth, knocking out a tooth. I want him to look in my eyes when I kill him.
He reaches for the lamp by the bedside table and swings it at me. I angle my back to take the blow as I fire.
He gurgles blood.
Too fast, dammit.
I wanted to make him suffer for touching Lara. For all the pain he’s caused in this world.
I holster the gun and punch his face, satisfied by the sound of his nose breaking. Then his cheekbone. I knock his teeth out.