Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
This kiss isn't a show of force or him asserting his power.
It's sweet and full of a promise I know he wants to make but he can't. He has no way of knowing how any of this will work out. There are too many unknowns where Damien is concerned, but I do know that he's willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that his son comes home.
"I need you back safely," I tell him when we break the kiss.
"Eli is what's most important," he says, and I can see the promise of that in his eyes.
It wouldn't be unheard of for Damien to insist on a trade, and although he loves to hurt me, he has to know just how bad it would hurt me for Nolan to be gone.
But as he presses one more soft kiss to my forehead, I don't argue.
Maybe knowing Nolan is willing to make that sacrifice for his son keeps me quiet. I don't think there's an argument I could make that would change his mind, but that isn't completely what keeps me silent.
As hard as it is to accept, I'd sacrifice every person on this earth to get my son back, and as horrific as it sounds, Nolan is on that list as well.
Those thoughts aren't coated in bitterness. They have nothing to do with the lies and him being gone this whole time.
I'm a mother. My only job on this earth is to make sure my son is safe, no matter the cost.
"See you soon, Peach," he says before walking away, and I do my best not to feel insulted when he leaves the house without looking back at me.
When they all drive away in their SUVs, I convince myself that he didn’t spare me a glance over his shoulder because it was just as hard to walk away from me as it was to watch him go, not knowing if he'll make it back.
I'm left in the house with Casper, the IT guy, and another guy by the name of Max. They both sit behind a huge setup of computers with headsets on, communicating with the team that is heading toward the house. The only other guy left behind looks like he wants to rip my head off just to see what my body looks like from the inside.
All I can do is try to ignore the hostility coming off that one guy and wait to see what the fallout will be.
Chapter 31
Jericho
I do my best to keep my breath even on the drive over, choosing to focus on the chatter in my ears from my headset.
We managed to get heat sensors on the house, so we could see several guards sitting around two people in the center of the house.
They seem as geared up and ready for action as we are, and that tells me that since I worked for the Reese organization, Damien seems to have started taking his role a lot more seriously. Before, everything was a fucking joke to him, but you don't stay at the top of such an influential organization by fucking off and letting things slip.
It's also possible that he's only serious right now because his favorite toy is gone, and he wants her back.
He doesn't care for Aspen, I don't imagine that he ever did, but he also doesn't like the idea of her having any independence. If he cared for her, he wouldn't have separated her and Eli so soon. Five is much too young for a child to leave home and go to a boarding school, and I know it was a power play on his part. He had to separate Aspen and her son because it was too risky to leave them together. It minimized his power over her.
The first team of men exit their vehicles after pulling around to the back of the neighbor's house which is situated in such a way that gives them the best advantage in order to sneak up on the house we're aiming for.
I wanted to be on the front line. If taking a couple of bullets distracts the guys inside enough to get Eli to safety, then it's something I'm willing to do, but I also understand Hemlock's refusal to let me be on the team that breaches the house first.
With the second team, we wait in the SUV. Griffin, one of the guys from the New Mexico team, holds up a tablet so we can all watch the video feed from the camera attached to Hound's, the lead guy, Kevlar helmet.
Two guards near the front of the house drop, bullets from weapons with silencers hitting their targets before the men can turn in the team's direction.
Entry into the house is won by a simple turn of the doorknob.
"Fuck," one of the guys sitting beside me whispers.