Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
None of it made any sense to her.
Noah didn’t make any sense.
She ran a hand down her face and knew the pregnancy test in her bag was calling to her.
Another week, and another no-show when it came to her period. She had also started to feel a little sick each morning. She didn’t know if that was about a potential pregnancy, or just with how things were going with her and Noah.
She loved Noah so much, and had for a while. Being in his bed, his world, his life, living with him, it was a dream come true.
“Ugh, I hate this,” she said. Gripping her neck, she tried to ease the tension that had been building. Nothing worked. Of course, it didn’t.
Grabbing the files, she got to her feet and moved toward the filing cabinet for the solved cases.
She was putting the file into the cabinet when the doorbell went, letting her know someone had entered.
Sage turned, and she recognized the man from the bandages across his nose.
“Mr. Rushmore,” she said.
“Where is he?” he asked.
He looked … scary.
Mr. Rushmore looked so different from the last time she saw him. His clothes were filthy. He had a beard, his hair was all over the place, and he looked dirty, as if he hadn’t washed since the last time she saw him.
“Mr. Bartley is out at the moment, dealing with a case.”
“Probably hoping to destroy another man. That fucking traitor. Going out and giving all of our hard-earned livelihoods to cunts that don’t deserve it. Nothing but gold-diggers, all of you are.” He sneered each word at her.
Fear gripped her, especially as he pulled out a gun.
This wasn’t the first time she’d been faced with a gun. So many years ago, when she was a child with her mother, one boyfriend of the month had gotten bored with her mother and wanted them both out. Her mother, as usual, had gotten too comfortable. Refused to leave. Faced with a gun, her mother had no choice but to leave quietly.
Panic filled Sage.
“Mr. Rushmore, what are you doing?” she asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? Your bastard boss decided to take me to the cleaners. He saw that tiny detail in the prenup about how much I would owe my wife if I cheated.” He spat on the ground. “Now I have nothing. He took it all. Every single thing, and now I’m going to take what’s most precious to him.”
He glanced down at her, and Sage held her hands up.
“You don’t want to do this,” she said.
“Oh, believe me, I do. I want that fucker to know true pain and suffering. I want him to know what it means to take something he holds dear.”
“Money means so much to you?” Sage asked.
“Money is everything. He took it all. The houses. The dream.”
“You cheated on your wife.”
“Oh, come on, there was a bitch begging to take my dick. Do you think I’m ever going to turn that down? Do you think any man is ever going to turn that down? You women, you’re all the fucking same. You think you’re so special. The truth is, us men, we need it all. All the women, all the pussy, everything.”
“You have no idea what you’re saying.”
“Believe me, I do. What I don’t know is if I should kill you now or let him watch.” He tilted his head to the side, and Sage knew if she wasn’t careful, he was going to kill her.
She didn’t want to lose Noah. They hadn’t been together long.
“Please, Mr. Rushmore. You can leave right now, and I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened here today. No one will ever know.”
“You expect me to believe you? You’re all liars. All the same.” He held the gun, and she was surprised by how steady his hand was. He moved toward one of the filing cabinets and pushed it over.
Sage stayed perfectly still as he trashed the place, terrified as the gun moved left, right, up and down. He could have fired it at any second.
All she wanted to do was tell Noah it didn’t matter if he didn’t say anything. She loved him so much and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
The gun went off, a single bullet filling the air, and Sage covered her ears, trying to determine if she’d been hit. There was no pain, and at the sound of laughter, she saw Mr. Rushmore pointing at the ceiling, where he’d clearly shot.
“Oops,” he said. “My bad. I think it is time to trash his office, don’t you? To ruin his perfect little image of being the greatest man ever.”
Sage watched as he entered Noah’s office. The sound of smashing and furniture being toppled over was a little overwhelming.
She saw the door. With him distracted, she had her chance.