Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
The rest of my clothes followed my shoes into a pile on the floor. Wearing only my glitter thong (Don’t judge me. It’s laundry day), I grabbed the stolen phone and my purse, walked over to my unmade bed where I deposited both items, and pulled out the heavy but flat safe hidden underneath.
He chuckled, and the sound was like liquid silk being poured over gravel. Worse, my heart quickened at the sound of it. I was already beginning to crave more of it. “I underestimated you, Hunter.”
I forced myself not to react to my name being uttered in such a deep tone or to the fact that the man who took Coby indeed knew who I was.
“People tend to do that,” I said as I keyed in the safe’s code. One-two-one-six. Coby’s birthday. Hearing the safe beep, I pulled out the long drawer, replaced my compact Ruger with two larger Sigs, and checked both loaded clips before slamming them back into place.
After, I carefully braided my long hair into a single plait. It took a while since my hair was thick as fuck, and my nails kept snagging on the 4C texture. The man on the other end didn’t speak the entire time, so I flicked my gaze toward the phone to check if he’d hung up.
He hadn’t.
Either he had the patience of a saint, or he must really like listening to me breathe. Exhaling slowly, I steadied my nerves, let go of my finished braid, and began redressing for war.
“So here’s the deal,” I said once I was donned in all black, complete with a bulletproof vest. “I know you’re the one who took my Yin. I don’t know why, and I don’t really give a fuck. You’re going to give her back in one piece, and it’s going to be now.”
A bitch was starting to feel like the dad in Taken. I will find you, and I will kill you. Nothing less than painting this city red in order to get her back would be enough.
“Don’t leave me in suspense when you’ve worked so hard to intrigue me, Hunter. What will you do if I don’t?”
Excuse me? I hadn’t worked hard for shit! Everything I’ve done was to get Coby back. Nothing more. Arrogant prick, I thought. “I’m sure you can fill in the blanks.” I grabbed a box of ammo and an extra mag and began loading the clip.
“Do you even know who you’re threatening?” There was no anger or arrogance in his tone—only amused curiosity.
“Should it matter?”
My mysterious caller fell quiet again, but when his answer finally came, I could hear a hint of respect in his tone. “No.” And then his voice deepened until there was a slight growl in every syllable. “It sure as fuck wouldn’t matter to me.”
It could have been my imagination, but I was pretty certain my thong just became a little damp. “I’m glad we understand each other.”
“Hunter, I think we’re far from understanding each other. Stand down. This is your last warning.”
Standing, I strapped one holster around my thigh and another around my waist. I was previously prepared to get Coby back the legal way until Kellan showed me that whoever took her wouldn’t be swayed by the boys in blue. Yeah, he’d been there to stop me from filing the report, but that was only to flex his muscles and show me that it wouldn’t have done me any good.
“And this is my warning. You have less than an hour to return my friend. By the end of that hour, I’ll be on your doorstep shooting anything that moves.”
Destiny was working overtime to find out where Coby was being held and to make sure I had what I needed to get her out alive.
“Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,” the man on the phone promised. “And Hunter?”
“What?” I didn’t bother to veil my aggression. My trigger finger was already itching.
“I promise mine are bigger.”
I snorted. Sure, buddy. “Okay, I hear you. I guess we’ll just have to pull them out and see.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Ocean hung up, and I quickly gathered everything before hurrying across the hall to Coby’s once pristine room, where her green apple scent was the strongest. I’d already torn it apart looking for answers. Looking for secrets.
Had she been keeping them while I’d been bearing my soul?
I didn’t want to believe so. I wanted to keep believing that we told each other everything, but with each day that passed, I became less sure.
Inhaling the lingering remnants of her perfume one last time, I left the apartment in a hurry. For now, I’d lost my tail at the hospital, and if I wanted to keep it that way, I had to make sure I never came back where he could find me.