Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
That wasn’t his only job and one of his others was the reason he was close to the China-North Korea-Russian tripoint. He was here for a retrieval. This was what he was best at. Bringing something, or someone in, without regard to how others felt about it. He took a job, got paid, and moved on. Doing search and rescues, he a lot of the times had to be gentle and kind for they were scared and hurt.
I’m neither gentle nor kind.
He wasn’t either. He had lived a rough life, still did, and was a survivor. That meant, oftentimes being the strongest one and doing what was needed to wake up the next day and possibly get some food.
“There is so much to unpack in that single statement, but I don’t give a fuck right now. How soon can you get back?”
The question snapped him back to the here and now. There was a thread of something in Lando’s voice that set Jeremy on edge. He really didn’t like the ripple of anger from his leopard.
“What’s going on? You didn’t leave a message that there was a problem.”
“Didn’t think you would ghost us.” Definitely reprimand.
His leopard, who had been checking the area around them for potential dangers, went predator still, every single muscle locked and loaded. As if he knew something Jeremy had yet to learn. “What. Is. Wrong?”
“Dianna. She’s been missing for two months.”
Ice lodged at his spine and coated the cord, leeching into his muscles as well. On the heels of that, rage. A mixture of icy and a heat so intense no one could touch it.
“What the fuck did you say?”
Jeremy was already moving. It wasn’t time, not according to his down to the minute planning of this retrieval, to get what he was after but Dianna needed him.
“You heard me fine. I know you don’t like to talk about it, your connection to her but…”
Connection?
That was putting it mildly.
“I’m on my way. Where was she seen last?”
“Miami. We’re all at Jo’s place.”
“I’ll be there within twenty-four hours.”
He ended the call and tipped his head back releasing the raw roar of anger and warning that had been burning the back of his mouth since he heard the news. The few birds that had been making noise took to the air and the rest of the animals fell silent.
A predator was hunting. While generally Amur leopards were nocturnal, the creatures in the area never failed to go quiet when one appeared.
He took off at a quick clip, keeping to his preplanned path. Even if his timeline had moved up, he would still keep to the same plan, only the time had changed and he knew that his target remained.
The building he sought stood alone in the trees on the edge of one of the nature reserves in the area, Kedrovaya Pad. The ground covered in frozen snow and ice didn’t stop him, nor did it slow him down. He had learned a long time ago how not to leave any tracks in human form, or his animal, if he didn’t wish it.
Today, he didn’t wish it.
There wasn’t any smoke coming from the single chimney, yet he knew his target was inside, through that door. He smelled him and heard the chattering of his teeth. Dipping into the forest, he moved swiftly but with caution, looking out for any traps that the man may have set.
Jeremy found three. Not too bad, but not nearly good enough for him to get caught unawares. Had his cat not been so pissed off that Dianna was in danger, he would have been amused by the attempt to hide from him. As it was, he wasn’t remotely amused. Irritated and furious would be a far more apt description.
That woman. She needs her ass beat for going off grid and worrying her friends.
This place was meant to be a shack to keep an eye out for poachers and to watch the animals, it wasn’t set up with a lot of comforts. But it had windows so he crept up to one, peered in, located his target and made his move. The man didn’t stand a chance.
After all, Jeremy had a plane to catch.
Three hours later, Jeremy sat back in the buttery smooth leather seat of the private jet he was on, his target having been delivered. The interior darkened the way he preferred and he stretched out long legs even while reclining the seat.
Sleep was essential right now so he could hit the ground running when it came down to finding Dianna.
“Bend over.”
He almost didn’t recognize his own voice, so deep and growled as it rolled from his vocal cords.
The woman standing naked by the couch, tossed a saucy look over one shoulder, the streaming waterfall of braids brushing dark brown skin before she followed his directive. Bending at the waist, her perfect ass stuck out, begging his hand to strike.