Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I lock eyes with him as I reply, “I have the alliance. It’s all I need.”
“No man is an island,” Santiago sighs. “All you do is work, kill, work, kill. You never take time off to rest.”
“Stop worrying about me,” I mutter a little too harshly. “I like being on my own.”
“What about John?” Dominik asks. “He’s been with you for years.”
“I trust that man as far as I can throw him.”
Santiago raises an eyebrow at me. “Why keep him then?”
I shrug. “He gets shit done.” Wanting them to stop worrying, I mention, “I got some rest the past week.”
Jenna’s pops into my mind, and remembering how terrified she was when I stopped at the gas station has me clenching my jaw.
Both men’s eyes narrow on me, and Santiago asks, “And?”
“And…” I let out a sigh as I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. “There’s a woman.”
“Ooooh.” Instantly, a grin spreads over Santiago’s face. “Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Is it the woman you had the team do a search on? Jenna… Jenna Dotson.”
“Yes. She works in Aurora.”
When I don’t continue, Dominik asks, “But?”
“She doesn’t speak.” I look at the Slovakian, who’s one hell of a brilliant man. “She isn’t mute, and she’s very anxious and shy, so it’s going to take me some time to make her comfortable with me.”
Santiago finally sits down and glances at me. “So, you plan on staying here for a while?”
“As long as it takes to get her to trust me. She lives alone in a dump, and I’ve thought about kidnapping her, but if I just take her, I’m afraid it will do irrevocable harm to her fragile mental state.”
Santiago’s expression turns serious. “From what you’re telling us, it sounds like she’s been through some kind of trauma.”
“I think so too,” I agree. “But it can be anything from being abused to God knows what.”
“Patience wins the race,” he says, then he grins at me. “What are we eating?”
Unable to tell the men to leave like I would do with any other person, I suggest, “We can go out for a late lunch. I’m sure Leo and Cassia would like to join us.”
“Know any good places around here?” Dominik asks.
“No.”
Santiago lifts an eyebrow at me. “Then where do you suggest we eat?”
“Fine,” I grumble as I climb to my feet. “I’ll make something. Call Leo and Cassia and tell them to come over.”
“Whatever you’re preparing, make a lot of it. I’m hungry,” Santiago says as I walk to the kitchen.
I open the fridge and look at the steaks and chicken while thinking what will be best.
I hear the men come up behind me, then they peek into the fridge.
“We’re in America. We can have a barbecue,” Santiago mentions.
“Chicken and steaks. What do we add as side dishes?” I ask.
“I’ll tell Leo and Cassia to stop at a store for bread and salad ingredients,” Dominik replies while pulling his phone out of his pocket.
While he makes the call, I take all the meat out and set it down on the counter.
I had to drive two and a half hours to find a meat market that sold Wagyu, and I planned to make it for Jenna.
My eyes flick to the men, then I say, “I have plans for tonight, so this impromptu barbecue has to be over by seven.”
“A date with your woman?” Santiago asks.
I shake my head. “I like to watch her while she works.”
“Every night?” The corner of Dominik’s mouth lifts, and when I nod, he chuckles. “Didn’t take you for a stalker.”
I shrug. “It’s to keep her safe. The first night I got to town, a creep took a photo of her. I killed him and found hundreds of photos on his phone.”
Santiago gives me a curious look. “How many people have you killed since you’ve been here?”
“Just one. I think.” I begin to open the packs of steaks. “I’m not sure if I killed any of the bikers. I shot four and ran one off the road, so who knows.”
Dominik sighs. “Why do I get the feeling there’s going to be a lot of killing before you go back to Portugal?”
“At least you won’t be bored,” I mutter, making the men laugh.
Santiago opens the back door and takes a deep breath as he looks at the lake. “Are we barbecuing outside?”
“Sure.”
He disappears out of the house, and silence falls between Dominik and me. We’re both naturally quiet people, so it isn’t uncomfortable.
After a few minutes, during which I remove all the meat from the packaging before throwing some spices on, Dominik says, “I understand why you like to work alone.”
My eyes flick to his.
He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the counter. “Evinka and I grew up in an orphanage.”
I nod. “I’m aware.”
“You and I have similar pasts, Enzo.”