Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“You don’t get a choice,” I say, raising a hand. “Take him and chain him up somewhere, someone will find him eventually. Mykel, take Merleigh and have her pack some things for them. We’re leaving.”
Cohen and Kendric drag the man down the hall, quite literally bellowing about all the things he’s going to do when he gets out of this. How he’s going to hunt us down and get his girls back and how we will never fucking get away with this.
We both know we will.
We both know he’s not going to get into a fight he can’t win.
He can buy other girls, I’m sure.
The man is a sick fuck, he’ll find a way.
“Oh, Cohen?” I call, and Cohen stops and glances back at me.
“Rough him up. Give him a taste of what will happen to him if he comes anywhere near these girls again.”
Cohen nods, Kendric grins, and the two of them disappear.
He’s not going to come anywhere near them again.
I’ll make sure of it.
“SHE’S GOIN’ TO BE OUT for at least another hour,” I say to Briella, lying Cova on the bed.
She flops down, completely out of it, and I hope that what we gave her doesn’t have some bad reaction to whatever drugs she was full of when we took her. I can only hope it doesn’t. Briella rushes over and stares down at the girl passed out on the bed. Her eyes water and her bottom lip trembles. “She’s just like me.”
“She is,” I say, squeezing her shoulder. “I’ll let you watch over her, but prepare yourself for the fact that she’s likely going to try and run. The girl has some sort of weird connection to the guy we took her from. She might not understand. It would be best to cuff her until she calms down.”
Briella looks to me. “I can’t cuff her, that would be horrible. She’s been through enough.”
“Then you want to find another way because I’m tellin’ you, this girl doesn’t want to be here.”
Briella frowns, and then turns as Mykel walks into the room followed by Merleigh. I hadn’t told her we picked up another girl yet, and at the sight of her, Briella’s head whips toward me and she gasps. “There’s another one?”
“Yeah, he had two. This is Merleigh, she’s here willingly. Merleigh, this is my girlfriend, Briella. She’s goin’ to take care of both of you.”
Merleigh looks at Briella and gives a small, weak smile. Briella stands and rushes over, then carefully she steps forward and wraps her arms around Merleigh. It takes the girl a few moments to respond, but when she does, she too hugs Briella. “It’s going to be okay,” I hear her whisper to Merleigh. “You’re never going to be in a monster’s hands again. We’re going to take care of you. You’re our family now.”
She pulls back, hands on Merleigh’s shoulders, and smiles over at the girl who is now crying, soft tears rolling down her cheeks.
Poor fucking thing.
The life she’s lived to even end up where she was, must have been a bad one. Only to be put into something even worse.
Has this girl ever known happiness at all?
“I’m goin’ to leave you to it, Briella,” I say. “I’ve got other business to take care of. Key lock that door, so the girl doesn’t run when she wakes. I’ll have some food and water sent up. I’m also having their closed washed and returned.”
Briella nods, and then walks over and reaches up, putting her hands on my cheeks. “You’re incredible. Thank you. I love you so much.”
I run a thumb over her bottom lip. “You have no fuckin’ idea the things I’d do for you. I’d go to the ends of this earth to make you happy, Briella.”
“Have you told King you’ve found Cova? I’m sure after all these years, he’d be happy to know Mom didn’t die for nothing.”
“Your mom died?” Merleigh whispers.
Briella turns to her. “Yeah, the man that sold you both, took my entire family. The only person I have left is Cova.”
“I’m sorry,” Merleigh says.
“I’m sorry too, but more than that, I’m relieved that you’re both safe.”
She looks back to me and says in a soft tone, “You’ve given me my family back, Alarick. Thank you.”
“Welcome, honey. Get these girls settled in, and I’ll go and tell King the good news. We need to keep low, so don’t take them anywhere. There’s a solid chance the man we took them from will be looking for them.”
“Bryant Luther.”
We both turn to look at Merleigh.
“That’s his name,” she goes on. “He owns a chain of hotels throughout the states. He’s very powerful.”
Well, that explains a lot of things.
It’s also not a great thing, because with power comes money, and with money comes a lot of problems for us, if he so decides to.