Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Insane, us?” Duke smiles sadly, kissing my cheek. “I can’t wait to have a family with you. I can’t wait for that future.”
If you come home… If they don’t kill you…
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he says, kissing me again. “Then the rest of our life can begin.”
I pull myself into a proper kiss, standing on my tiptoes and throwing my arms around his shoulders. I make it count, committing every steamy moment to memory, etching the pressure of his solid muscles into my mind, his presence, him. As the kiss deepens, I try to convince myself it won’t be our last.
“I’m sorry, Rach. I can’t explain,” I tell her, sitting on the edge of Duke’s bed. “I wish I could.”
“But you’re with Duke?” she presses.
“Uh, sort of,” I say. Duke left ten minutes ago. It’s eleven p.m. now. Soon, he’ll be at the meeting, awaiting whatever surprise these kidnapping asses have in store for him.
“But you’re safe? You can tell me that, at least, right?”
I think of Tim downstairs. He’s a police officer with twenty years’ experience, and after some questioning from Duke, he revealed he was an experienced martial artist, too. But really, what good will that do if they attack us now? Duke wouldn’t have left me if he didn’t think I’d be safe, but he’s not safe.
I don’t enjoy lying to Rachael, but I say, “Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Do you have somebody looking out for you?”
Rachael doesn’t know about the brick through the window or the meetup. This is a weird question for her to ask. “I’m fine, Rach,” I tell her. “Really.”
“You’re alone?” she presses. “Or is somebody there with you?”
I listen more closely to her tone of voice. I should’ve heard it initially, but all my thoughts are on Duke, vicious imagery filling my thoughts when I think about all the things that could happen to him tonight.
“Rach, are you okay?”
“Just answer the question,” she snaps, then tries to laugh it off. “I mean, sorry for being concerned for my bestie. There’s no reason to… Get out of there, Molly. Get out of there now!” she yells. It sounds like she’s been hit.
“Rach?” I yell down the phone. “Rach?”
There’s no reply for a moment, and then Rachael’s voice is torn with tension. It’s like she’s choking on something. “Back… yard… two… minutes… alone… or… they… will… kill… me…”
The call ends. A moment later, Tim bangs on the door. “Molly? Why were you yelling?”
I should tell him right here, but if they’ve got Rachael, and if I don’t go alone… My chest hurts, tightening. My belly twists with even more anxiety. Everything feels as if it’s falling apart, and that’s because it is.
“Sorry, yeah,” I reply. “I’m talking to my friend on the phone. Her boyfriend cheated on her. She said she was going to do something drastic, but I think she’s calming down a little now.”
“Okay then,” Tim replies. “I’m downstairs if you need anything.”
I wait until he’s gone, forcibly slowing my breathing down. Duke’s voice is in my head, telling me to stay, telling me I can’t risk our future, but Rachael isn’t part of this. If she gets hurt, it will be because she’s my friend, and that’s it. There’s no other reason for them to target her.
Creeping to the door, I open it and walk down the stairs as quietly as possible. The entire time, it’s like Duke is watching me, telling me to turn back and tell Tim what’s happening, but I can’t let them hurt Rachael. I should’ve guessed they might go for her to get to me and through me, to get to Duke.
Turning away from the living room, I walk to the backyard. My breath catches when I spot the two men standing on the other side of the fence, their shoulders and heads visible. Both of them are wearing masks. One of them gestures at me, waving a leather-gloved hand as if telling me to hurry up.
I swallow and turn back to the house. This is my chance to tell Tim, but then I think about Rachael’s voice, the choking, the fear. Opening the back door, I move toward the men.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Duke
I stand in the center of a cage. Not a cage like I used to fight in, but an actual cage. It’s big enough to move around, bright lights glaring at me from above. As soon as I arrived at the warehouse, several masked men emerged, aiming guns at me. I barely had time to react. Anyway, there was nothing I could do before they shoved a black bag over my head.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been waiting here. I can’t hear anybody else, but it seems clear that they want to put on some sick show. Maybe if I play along, but that could be wishful thinking on my part. There may be no playing along with these men. Maybe Ethan was right. I should’ve worn a wire or even brought a gun.