Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Lana
I'm lying in a sex haze on the bed, contemplating the beard burn on the inside of my thighs, when someone raps on the window.
“Lana?”
I roll, making sure I'm swathed in the blanket comforter. “Who is it?” I peer through the curtains just as one of the Terrible Threes presses his face to the glass. No way for me to tell which triplet he is. He’s not wearing guyliner, and he has a shirt on, so my best guess is this is Hutch.
“It’s Hutch,” he confirms in a whisper. “I’m here to rescue you.”
“What?”
“Quick, get dressed.” He points to my pile of clothes and ducks away.
I scramble to do as he says, pulling everything on in record time. He meets me in the living room.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. For some reason, I’m also whispering.
“Everything’s fine. Let’s go. Where are your shoes?” He fetches them and holds them close, so I can cram my feet into them. “Is this everything?” He darts into the bedroom to grab my pink pack. “Come on. We got to move.”
“What? Where’s Teddy?”
“He's busy. We distracted him, but it won’t last long.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Quick, before he comes back.” He seizes my hand and drags me out of the cabin.
“Hutch, stop.” I stagger to keep up with him. “What is going on? Why are we rushing?”
Halfway across the meadow, a loud whoop makes me look up. A helicopter sails overhead, with a shirtless teen shouting, “Yeehaw!” as he hangs from the skids.
I stop and gape, even as Hutch pushes me along. “Was that Canyon?”
“Yep. He and Bern stole Teddy’s warbird to distract him, so you can escape.”
Escape?
“Hutch, I know I joked about being Teddy’s prisoner, but I was just kidding…”
Hutch tugs me into the forest. “Please, Lana, trust me. You have to get out now.”
“Okay,” I soothe. He seems super intent on ‘rescuing me’. I have no idea what Hutch is up to, but it won’t hurt to go with the flow. I’ll go with him and see if I can get my phone fixed or charged. Check in with my company. Maybe hit a store for some fresh clothes, so I can stay longer with Teddy. “Can I at least leave a note or something for Teddy?”
“I’ll tell him you’ll be right back.” Hutch marches me past the beehives. “Here. I have to go back. Follow the trail down to the creek. My brother Everest is meeting you there. He found your rental car.”
I perk up. I’d forgotten about the rental car. “He did?”
“Yeah, this morning. He’ll take you to it. You have the keys?”
“I think so…” I dig in my pink pack. Now that I’ve remembered the car, I remember how Bentley fussed at me to make sure I didn’t “do something dumb” and lose the car keys. “I put them in the special inner pocket. Here.” I hold them up, and Hutch nods.
“Good. Follow the trail.” He points to the worn path between the trees. “Everest will meet you at the creek.”
“Okay.” I want to ask how I’ll recognize Everest, but Hutch is already hurrying away. I shoulder my pack and hike down. I’m already making plans about what to tell my team, so I can extend my vacation. Maybe tonight I can seduce Teddy in the bath…and in the morning, make him breakfast in bed.
I guess I should try to find out what happened to Bentley. Teddy said he has a team of people trying to find him, but I can’t imagine why they haven’t located him yet. It doesn’t make sense. For some reason, I don’t feel like he’s lost and alone on the mountain. My gut tells me he left me and hiked down the mountain. Of course, he didn’t have the keys to the car–but he’s the type who could just hire his way out of any situation.
Once I get my phone working, I can try calling him.
I stride down the trail, humming to myself, never noticing the silent shadow gliding alongside.
Teddy
I steam up the mountain towards the cabin.
Hutch is waiting for me on the stoop. “Don’t be mad.” He rises with his hands up in the universal gesture of surrender.
“Too late,” I snap. “I spent a half hour chasing down your idiot brothers.”
“Are they okay?”
“They nearly crashed the bird.” I shoulder past him and take in the quiet cabin. My bedroom door creaks open. The bed is empty. I whirl on Hutch.
“Where’s Lana?”
His Adam’s apple bobs. “Gone.”
“What?”
He straightens. “I couldn’t let you mindwipe her.”
I sputter, but my phone buzzes. Only a few people have my number, and they don’t call unless it’s urgent. “Don’t move,” I order Hutch and take the call.
“Teddy,” It’s Rafe. “We got a hit on that guy you wanted tracked. Bentley Dupree.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s bad, brother. He put out a hit on your girl, Lana Langmeyer. Ten million to take her out.”