Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
That view could cost Steph her life.
“You know she really could be saving someone’s life,” Guidry pointed out. “Heart attacks do happen. The guards have called 911. We could be walking into a situation where we scare the crap out of someone who’s barely holding on to life.”
Brody shook his head. He trusted his gut. His gut said this was far too much of a coincidence to be real. “Nah, he found out where she was and he knew exactly how to get to her. He’s probably had men watching for her.”
“Then we’ll pick them up on CCTV,” Tucker said, sounding far more serious than he had all day. “We can send every face through the software and maybe we’ll get a name.”
“Good.” His heart was racing, but it came to him in that moment that he’d made a mistake. A horrible mistake that he needed to correct as soon as possible.
When he got hold of her—please, please let her be alive—she would know who was in charge, and it wouldn’t be some playboy kid.
He realized in that moment that he’d been so bloody wrong. She did need him. He’d thought all along that she was too smart for him. Nope. Not for a second. Her brain might be brilliant but it had not a single lick of common sense.
“I need you to understand that I’m done playing around, O’Donnell,” he said under his breath as the lift doors finally opened. “That woman belongs to me and I intend to let her know.”
Li pushed the button that would take them to the bottom of the building. “And I intend to sit back and see what happens. I need the man alive, Brody. If she’s been taken, we have to try to not kill the fucker.”
“No promises.” If the man had laid a hand on her, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Except that it would be brutal and painful.
She was his. It all fell into place. He’d been a damn moron to not see it.
The woman needed a keeper. He was nothing but a grunt who’d spent his whole life as cannon fodder, protecting men who were worth more than him.
She was everything to him. Why couldn’t he be that for her? Why couldn’t he spend the rest of his life protecting her?
He watched in tense silence as the floor number got smaller and smaller.
The doors opened and Brody ran out, hoping beyond hope that there was still time to save her.
Chapter Four
Steph held up her hands, a vision of her son playing through her head. What would happen to Nate if she died here? Brody didn’t want him. His father wouldn’t take him, but she knew deep in her heart that Avery and Li would welcome Nate into their home. How hard would it be for her baby boy? He wouldn’t remember that she existed. How would they legally adopt him? He’d been born at her clinic. She had his birth certificate, but no other legal documents. God, what would happen if CPS took her baby because Avery couldn’t prove she had the right to take care of him?
Was this her real punishment? To die not knowing if her child was safe? To die knowing the one man who should take care of him didn’t care that he was alive?
“What do you want from me?” She had to ask the question. “You know there wasn’t any way to save your friend. I did everything I could. He threw a clot and it caused a massive stroke. It sometimes happens after major surgery.”
The man rolled his dark eyes. “I don’t care what you did or didn’t do for that fucker. I think we both know what my boss wants. The question is what happens to you before you get to my boss. I don’t know that he cares about how I deliver you to him as long as I deliver you.”
A cold chill went through her. How long did she have before the ambulance showed up? Would they look for her on the steps of the building? Would they search at all? Or suspect the call had been some kind of a joke?
How long would it be before Liam realized she wasn’t coming back?
“Turn around and start walking.” His voice was rough and she caught the hint of panic in his eyes when a siren started sounding in the distance.
She wasn’t about to turn her back on him. If he was going to murder her, he could do it to her face.
“They’re coming,” she said, willing to play any card she got dealt. “I don’t know if you understand how it works here in the States, but it won’t only be an ambulance that shows up. The police will follow, too. And there are about twenty security cameras on the building.”