Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Blinking, I reset my mind and look to the scene through the tiny lenses. Emmalee and Dia look uninjured, but by the body language Dia has-she’s pissed. One thing about her, everything she feels shows on her face and in her stance. Emmalee, she looks stressed and confused. Her head keeps turning side to side like she doesn’t know where exactly to look and what she should be doing.
A plane has come to a stop not far from them, but still, some distance away. A black SUV is pulling away making me curious as to who that happened to be. There are two men pacing the group guarding as O’Leary stands with Emmalee, Dia, and another female. Who is that? Why is there a third woman? Looking harder, I realize it’s Emmalee’s mother. We weren’t notified of her presence originally; she must have arrived in the vehicle.
Fuck.
Mia Van Etten is a woman with no real history of anything. No criminal background, no employment background. She has no family left alive except Emmalee. Until Paul Van Etten’s death, she was the picture-perfect housewife. They met in college, got married, and she didn’t even finish getting her degree. Paul has been her financial lifeline from the moment they said, ‘I do’. She doesn’t have close friends that had anything significant to say about her. No dirty little secrets could be found.
Why is she here?
More than that, why does she look exactly like a Woman’s Day magazine model. There isn’t a fucking hair out of place. The signs of distress visible to anyone aren’t present. If I had to judge her appearance, she is unsurprised and unphased. The thing that stands out to me the most, she is not handcuffed. Emmalee and Dia are secured in metal cuffs with their hands behind their backs. Mia Van Etten is free to move as she pleases.
I dropped my guard. I gave her an all clear and didn’t think she posed a threat to Emmalee. Once Emmalee and Diem’s dad were in the ground, I didn’t find a single piece of evidence that made her mother look as if she had any part in their dealings. This thing runs deeper than I ever expected. How far back does Mia’s involvement go? Is she working with O’Leary? Did she put Paul up to the money scheme in the first place? Pillow talk in the Van Etten home must have been some serious shit. I have too many questions that may not have answers.
I was blinded by Emmalee’s injuries after Paul’s death. Giving my entire focus to supporting her recovery, I didn’t put in the time and resources to doubling back on her mom. I had a quick scan done on Mia. Given the lack of anything standing out, I let it go. I shouldn’t have obviously. How did I let this happen?
“Yo,” Stone answers the call coming through on the van’s speaker phone.
“Tower and Hangar are all clear. Vehicle pulled away after Mrs. Van Etten cleared it. There are two guards on the ground and O’Leary. The pilot is ours no need to make a move there. Three targets when you’re ready.”
The call ends and I have zero clue who was speaking and truly don’t give a fuck. I’ll give Stone credit he runs a tight ship and covers every angle. Obviously, his club respects him and they work together. Everything takes time and this is no different. Having most of his club on a support run, Stone did what any good leader does and calls in additional chapters. Dropping everything for their club, the Sinister Sons stepped up to the plate big time. The Sons snuck in and covered the tower and hangar while we made our way to the location. We have been waiting down the road for the final assessment of the situation.
O’Leary underestimated the location. He didn’t let this play out in Haywood’s Landing because he knew we would roll in on it deep with numbers. I don’t know why Florida and why a plane, but I do know he didn’t plan to need numbers on his side. This is good for us, and most certainly bad for him. His miscalculation has tipped the scales in our favor.
Waiting is not my strong suit. Patience is practiced, Boomer used to tell Colt and me that when we didn’t want to wait for something. It didn’t help us then and isn’t helping me now. I don’t give a shit how much I ‘practice’ I don’t have patience, especially when the people I love are in trouble. It is unnatural. Frankly, I don’t know that many people who are able to wait easily in my life. Consider it a character flaw. It is what it is, and I can’t calm myself down.
My time in the Army taught me to compartmentalize. Push things into the appropriate box for the appropriate time. Mission focus means mission ready. Clear my mind and remain steady on what lies ahead. On missions, waiting felt like hunting. I could do that. This, there is too much on the line.