Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Rushing back to the bedroom, he opened the drawers. Her clothes were there. Nothing seemed to be missing. If she wasn’t in her unit… Rage throbbed in his temples when he imagined her in Juan’s room. The motherfucker was a ticking time bomb. It was only a matter of time before he couldn’t keep his promise or his hands off Asia’s body.
He ran down the hallway and flung open the bathroom door, already knowing what he’d find.
Empty.
Fuck.
He didn’t care if Juan had guards posted right in front of his bedroom door. If Asia was in there, he’d take them all out. He’d go nuts. Hell, he was already going nuts.
About to turn, his eye caught something draped over the mirror. He took a quick step closer. His pendant. Something else, a mark, stained the glass. No longer caring about being discovered, he flicked on the light. In the loop of the leather string on the surface of the mirror sat the pale imprint of a woman’s lips. Asia’s lips. A rivulet of cold sweat ran down his spine. It was a goodbye kiss. She was gone. They’d left.
His vision turned black. Raising his arm, he uttered a curse and punched his fist into the mirror. The glass cracked. Shards rained on the floor. Rage heated his organs. If he ever needed his gift, it was now. Throwing his arms out, he begged and cursed his art, but there was nothing, not even a tremor in the floor.
Leona. He had to find Leona, somebody, anybody, and find out where they’d gone. He ran down the hallway, cutting a straight line to the front door. It didn’t matter who saw him any longer. His hand was on the knob when his phone beeped with an incoming message. He glanced at the screen and stopped in his tracks. It was from Asia.
He unlocked the screen with shaking fingers.
Meeting with Godfrey confirmed. Cartagena airport, today, 7am.
He typed a hasty reply. Will you be there?
Yes.
That was bad. Asia would be in the middle of danger.
Will get you out, kitten.
Don’t. Take Matt home.
And if Juan decided to check Asia’s phone and discovered she was spying, she’d die a slow and painful death.
He ran for his hut. Sweat drenched his T-shirt by the time he skidded to a halt in the middle of his room. He took the tablet from the drawer and sent the information to Cain. A reply followed immediately.
C: Stay put. We’ll get her out.
S: Collar?
The cursor blinked three times.
C: Will find a way.
Fuck. They still didn’t have a solution for the shock collar.
C: There are ways of making Juan give us the code for the collar.
Meaning torture. That may take too long.
S: I’m going in.
C: Stay where you are. You’ll complicate the situation. Maya is on her way to take care of the accomplices left on the island as we speak.
S: Asia’s brother and grandmother could be in danger. Can you promise their protection?
C: Will move them to a safe house.
S: I’m shipping her brother home.
C: We’ll be waiting.
He logged off. If Cain thought he’d sit on his ass and wait for the woman he loved to be rescued, he didn’t understand a thing about him. He went back outside, his senses on high alert. The staff quarters were quiet. Everyone was sleeping.
He stormed to Tammy’s unit and found the door unlocked. Matthew was sleeping in the second bedroom. Without waking Tammy, he took him outside and said in an urgent whisper, “Asia is in trouble. Juan took her away. I’m going after her. You’ve got to get off this island.”
Matthew pulled a hand through his hair. “What’s going on, man?”
“Just listen. Give me your phone.”
Matthew, clearly rattled now, said, “It’s inside.”
“Get it and put on some clothes.”
When he returned with the phone, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, Sean saved Cain’s secure number in the contact list. “The minute you get back to Cartagena, you call Cain Jones. He’ll take you and your grandmother to a safe place. Understand?”
Matthew stared at the phone Sean put back in his hand.
Sean grabbed his shoulder and gave a small shake. “Do you understand?”
“Yes.” He looked up from the phone. “What about my sister?”
“I’ll take care of her. You need to take of your grandmother. Can you do that?”
Matt nodded. “How do I get to the mainland?”
“Take Juan’s new speedboat. Will you be able to drive it?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice uncertain. “At least tell me what’s going on.”
“I’ll explain later. Go now, before the others wake.”
He turned back for the unit. “I’ll get my stuff.”
Sean stopped him with a hand on his arm. “No time.”
“You’re scaring me, man.”
He should be shaking in his pants. “Go!”
Giving him an uncertain look, Matthew took off toward the jetty. The moment Matthew was out of sight, he hurried back to the main building. At the restaurant, he found a few people still partying on the deck. There was no sign of Leona. On his way to the office, he spotted Eric with a bag over his shoulder, cutting across the lawn.