Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
"What?" Tex pulls me a little closer, nice and warm.
"Her being dead wouldn’t be that hard for Kane to fake. Jessica was eleven and probably too scared to really understand what was going on. If he took her, he could have taken someone else, too. The autopsy reports could be for anyone.”
“No! I—” I stop, thinking back. The memory of the photos still hangs with me, but they were burned beyond recognition. Would he really be so cruel? Stupid question. Of course he would.
"Think. If he wanted your mother’s cooperation, what better way to get it than to dangle her daughter’s safety right in front of her? It's a long shot, but it would explain why he's so hell-bent on getting you back. Without you, he can’t control her. Boom. Hacker gone rogue."
Ghost nods. “It’s not a bad plan. I don’t know if it’s true, but it would fit.”
"But… really? It sounds too wild to be true. This doesn't happen in real life." I shake my head, but part of me wants to believe it. That my mother is alive. That the reason she hasn't contacted me, hasn't rescued me from Victor, is due to circumstances out of her control. So completely out of her control that I can't even blame her for not trying. Maybe she has been trying.
"We should run it by Hellfire." Tex says. "But either way, we verified that a private jet came in from Colombia and landed this morning, and Kane trades in the kind of equipment that could decimate this whole side of town. We deal in small arms compared to him. Biggest thing we ever had was the tank behind the church, and that's not even good for anything anymore. Kane, though, he could have fucking space lasers for all I know. Dictators fucking love him. So when someone says he might have a crack black ops team headed our way, we can’t assume it’s a lie."
Just the idea sends a shudder through me. The guys like to sound confident, but if all that is true about Kane, then who knows what he's going to throw at us? "Hold me," I whisper.
Tex tightens his arm around me and Riot squeezes in closer, putting me in a warm, comforting biker sandwich.
But it's when Ghost tells me, "We're gonna make fucking sure nothing happens to you, baby," in a tight, deadly voice that I finally believe it. Because he's going to be between me and anyone coming at me, and that scary tone makes it very clear that anyone who tries isn't going to live to see morning.
31
JESSICA
I know I'm not really a hostage—not really—but being in a cell sure feels like it. But for the plan to work, it has to seem authentic, and like Ghost said, this is probably the safest place for me to be anyway. It still gives me chills.
"How long do you think we have to wait?" I ask.
Ghost is the only one in here with me. Riot and Tex are nearby, but everyone agreed that if there’s going to be one guard to make me seem more vulnerable, Ghost was the best choice. "We’d just get in his way," Tex said with a laugh and Riot agreed. So now it's just the two of us, me inside one of six cells in the basement under the barracks for the Outlaw Sons, and him in the room outside, looking bored.
There are no windows. The only light comes from a bare bulb behind a steel cage in the ceiling. A thick steel door separates me from Ghost, but he's left the slot in it open so I can see out and we can talk. I can't wait until this night is over.
"Your mother only told us tonight. We've done everything but draw them a treasure map to where you are, so if they come for you, we'll fuck them up." He's sitting on an office chair next to a table in the corner. A small knife spins between his fingers and I know he has a gun tucked into his belt out of sight.
"I'm nervous. Talk to me." I press my face to the slot in the door, so he can see me too. "I'd rather have you in here, holding me."
His mask falls briefly, showing just a hint of a smile when he looks my way. He gets up and walks over. "I'd fucking love to, but this is business, not pleasure. You could always give me a show."
I blink at him. "Really? Now?"
His smile widens a little. It's nice. "I mean, I wouldn’t argue, but no. If you want to play prison guard and sexy inmate another time, I’m more than up for it, but right now any distraction could mean someone dies. After, though?" His laugh is soft. "When the adrenaline is still pumping and the danger is over, it’s fucking magical.”