Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
My hands are shaking as I hold my knife and fork. This conversation is bringing up things I’ve tried desperately not to think of in quite some time. The thought of my mother there with Vincent, captive, unable to leave because of what he’s done to her…
“All right,” Magnus replies. “I’ll get her out.”
“I don’t know, Magnus,” I sigh. “Maybe…maybe it’s too dangerous, you know? Maybe I should just go back. I mean, she’s my mom. If she gets hurt because I ran off—”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Josie,” Magnus says firmly, taking my hand. The tears are already welling up in my eyes. “You’re not going anywhere. Vincent isn’t going to win. Understand?”
I nod, too choked up to speak.
“Thank you.”
6
Magnus
Right where he left them, I think as I pull away the old panel of floorboards in the kitchen beside the fridge, exposing the crate of firearms. It must have been there for at least sixteen years now, and as I lift it out of the compartment, I find myself doing something I can’t remember doing more than once or twice in my life: thanking my father.
I hear Josie’s footsteps behind me about to enter the room and call out to her.
“Don’t come in here, baby.” I don’t want her to see this—these instruments of violence and death. She’s already experienced enough hardship in her life; she doesn’t need to be reminded of what’s going to occur today. Protecting her doesn’t just mean keeping her physically safe. It also means making sure she is no longer tormented by the life she’s been forced to lead since encountering Vincent.
All I want is for her to be happy and at peace. As long as she’s with me, she’ll never hold a gun, so why does she need to see a whole crate of them like I’m a soldier getting ready for war?
She doesn’t.
I take two pistols over to the counter and check them. They’ve been sealed and stored so well over the years that not an ounce of dirt or dust has gotten on them. I take them and three magazines of ammunition and place one in my waistband, and the rest in a duffel bag and head into the living room where Josie is seated on the couch.
With her hair all messy and her make-up having been washed off in the shower, she looks completely natural and absolutely adorable. And even with a baggy T-shirt, there’s no hiding how great her tits are.
“You look unbelievably sexy,” I tell her.
Josie blushes and twists her hips bashfully. “Not silly?”
I step close and take her in my arms. “If silly means sexy, then absolutely.”
Josie giggles, warming me up inside. For a moment, I forget what I have to do today. If only I could just run away with her. If only Vincent hadn’t cornered us into this impossible situation where he’s holding her mom hostage.
“You know what I think? I thinks Magnus means protector,” she suggests, gently pressing a palm against my chest. “I don’t know if that’s true, but to me it is. What do you think about that, sir?”
The warmth inside me grows. How did I get so incredibly lucky with her?
“What do you think about Josie meaning my princess?” I ask.
Her blush deepens, causing her to somehow become simultaneously sexy and adorably cute at the same time.
“I’m okay with that—” She nods and leans in to kiss me on the cheek but stops when she feels my pistol pressing against her. I see the thought process play out across her face; she knows what it is and why I have it and what needs to be done today, but it also scares her.
She quickly smiles, doing her best to hide all that, and leans back in.
“It’s okay, baby,” I tell her. “All that is not for you. You stay here, and I’ll deal with Vincent and his goons. And when I return, I’ll have your mother with me, okay?”
Josie nods, doing her best to keep a straight face.
“What’s her name?”
“Debbie,” she says, her voice strained. “You be careful, okay?”
“Hey, what do I look like?” I smirk. “There’s a reason Vincent had me working security at his best club.”
I have to get moving or I’m never going to get out of here. I’ll just end up staying here for the rest of the day. After all, that’s where I’d much rather be.
With a final kiss on Josie’s plump lips, I leave her and head out the door to my truck. This is it, the final step before we’re together forever without the dark cloud of Vincent hanging over our heads.
I’m hardly ten minutes away from Josie and I’m already feeling it—that ice-cold, feral focus that comes over me when I need to get something important done. And right now, nothing could be more important than rescuing Josie’s mother.