Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“I promise,” I say, giving him my best smile, even though it’s weak and terrified.
“Are we ready for this?” Spike says, holding up his truck keys.
“No,” I say. “But I guess we have no other choice.”
“I’ll get Wesley,” Muff murmurs, turning and disappearing out of the shed.
Goat follows him.
Moving to the front of the compound, I see Ciara standing with Serenity and Janine, holding Skye. My heart breaks into a thousand pieces as I look at her, and it takes everything inside me not to burst out crying. If I start now, I’ll lose all my strength and I can’t afford to do that.
Stopping in front of Ciara, I reach out and take Skye, bringing her to me and holding her close, breathing her in. “I love you so much, baby.”
Meeting Ciara’s eyes, I whisper low. “If anything goes wrong, promise me she will always be with you.”
Ciara’s eyes glisten, but she keeps it together. “I swear it.”
She knows just how much I need to hear that.
Handing Skye back, I take a deep breath. I can do this. I have to do this. For all of us.
“I love you,” I say to all the girls as I turn, walking toward Spike’s truck.
“Hey Addi,” Serenity calls, and I pause, turning.
“Don’t hold back who you really are. Show them just who they’re messing with if they so much as breathe the wrong way.”
I smile, nodding.
Muff and Goat come out, pulling Wesley who is cuffed and yelling obscenities to anyone who will listen. He looks like he has taken a good beating and is covered in blood. That isn’t stopping him trying anything he can to escape their clutches.
Idiot.
“I’ll kill all of you when I get out of this.”
Jackson steps up to him, his arms crossed. “In what fuckin’ world do you think we are afraid of you. There is no escaping Marshall.”
Wesley’s eyes flash. “I’ll give it all to you.” His voice becomes desperate. “The lot. You’ll be so fucking rich you’ll never have to sell, trade, or do anything again.”
Muff chuckles beside him. “Nice try, but if we wanted it, we could take it without you. Freedom from that scumbag is worth more than you could ever give us. Enjoy your time with him, I’m certain he’ll make it memorable.”
“Fuck you,” Wesley calls as they shove him into the back of the truck.
Spike turns to me. “You ready, precious?”
I nod, rubbing my arms nervously. “Let’s do this.”
“Hey,” Cade says, taking my hand and pulling me toward him. “I will be right behind you. Don’t do anything stupid, baby. Just do what they ask and leave. You hear me?”
“I hear you,” I whisper.
“I love you. So fucking much.”
Reaching up, I take his jaw and bring his lips down to mine, kissing him long and hard, before releasing him. “I’ve got this.”
“We better go.” Spike says, his voice careful.
Releasing Cade, I hold his eyes for a moment longer before turning and getting into Spike’s truck.
“I’ll give it all to you,” Wesley tries from the back.
He’s fully secure, so he can’t even lean forward. We weren’t taking the risk of him trying to choke one of us or throw himself out of a door. No way, we’re delivering Wesley today and nothing is going to stop us.
Not a single damned thing.
“Shut the fuck up, Wesley. Your whining is annoying,” I mutter.
Spike gets into the truck and looks at me.
“Have you got tape for his mouth?” I nod to Wesley. “He’s pissing me off already.”
Spike grins. “That’s my girl.”
Staring out the window, I take a deep breath.
I’ve got this.
I do.
20
Addison
The location where the shipping containers go out is scarily easy to access. It is, of course, filled with hundreds and hundreds of other containers and shipments, so it’s apparent Marshall has his hand in many pies to be able to get his goods out without anyone questioning what he’s doing. Every single person here is probably working for him. Let’s be honest, what he’d pay them would be triple what they’d ever earn just doing the right thing.
The shit people will do for money.
I swear.
“You clear on the instructions?” Spike asks.
I nod.
“I have to go down alone and wait by the large blue container for someone to collect me. Once I have been collected, I will be escorted to the container where I am to deliver the items. Then, I come back to the blue container, and you will come to get me. You’re taking Wesley to a different location, right?”
Spike nods, and takes my shoulders, turning me toward him. “Listen to me, precious, if you so much as feel anything isn’t right, you run. I don’t care if you’re overreacting, I don’t care if you think it’s not the best way, I want you to run. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you,” I whisper.
“We will not let anything happen to you.”