Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61101 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61101 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Nodding, I say, “I know. And we will. But we need to stay strong. I know it’s hard. I wanted to lose control in that room.” I take a step toward her, and she allows me to pull her into my chest. She’s slender, but no longer the waif we first found locked in Thanos’s cell.
“This will end tonight,” Harper agrees. “But I want Bane.”
“We can’t take them both on,” I tell her. “We need to deal with them separately.”
I look into those pretty brown eyes and capture with my own. There is a war raging in Harper’s stare, but as much I want to help her end her demons, we have to be meticulous about how we do this.
“Do you want to take Bane out tonight?” Rayne asks as she steps back, her pain now gone and replaced with anger.
For a moment, I think Harper is going to say yes, but when she looks at our girl, she shakes her head. “No. You need this.”
“We all need this,” Rayne insists. “They’re both running things now that Malcolm is dead.”
“Let’s get out of this hallway,” I suggest.
The thought of any of those assholes finding us standing here doesn’t sit well with me. Blood will be shed.
We move silently toward the fire exit that leads out to the alley where our car is parked. There’s only one way we’re getting Rayne’s mother out of this place, and it’s by force.
“Will you be able to distract her?” I ask Harper, and she nods.
She has learned how to wield her influence. With her beauty and those pretty eyes, she can distract anyone. My chest tightens when I think about how well those bastards trained her.
“Why can’t I do it?” Rayne looks at me, her gaze pleading with me to let her go, but she knows she can’t. We need to catch her mother off guard. It’s too much of a risk to let Rayne do it.
“We are not changing the plan. I want you to wait in the car, Rayne, like we discussed.” My voice is stern. My girl needs to be safely tucked away until she finally comes face-to-face with her mother.
“Okay,” Rayne whispers with a nod before she turns and leaves via the fire exit.
I turn back to Harper. “You ready?”
“Born ready.” She winks playfully, and I take her hand before leading her back into the party.
The dinner is in full swing as we weave our way through the tables until we reach ours. It’s going to take a few more minutes before we can get out of here undetected.
I watch as Mrs. Atwood walks around the room, laughing and flirting with the people she knows will donate the most, and I want nothing more than to see how she looks when she’s bleeding. Grinding my teeth, I try to calm myself by gulping down the glass of wine that’s been placed on the table for me.
I’ve come across a few monsters that have truly made my blood run cold, and Rayne’s mother is definitely one of them.
Harper’s hand lands on my thigh, and I glance at her.
“What?”
“You’re practically vibrating in your seat,” she tells me under her breath. She leans in close, her lips brushing along my jaw, and the warmth of her sweetness calms me somewhat. “I’m going to get up and pull her aside.”
Harper scoots out of her chair, and my gaze is glued to her hips as she sways them with every step she takes. I can’t pull my stare away from her, and when she stops beside Rae Atwood and gently places her hand on our mark’s arm, I have to fight the urge to go to her.
Both women smile as they make their way toward the large doors leading out into the hallway. I’m about to push to my feet when a hand lands on my shoulder.
Bane.
“I wanted to leave my card with you, young man,” he tells me, a grin on his face.
He looks down at me, his beady eyes seem to be focused on my mask, but I don’t remove it. He won’t get to see me tonight. When he does, it will be the last face he ever sees.
He hands me the small rectangle with all his contact details printed on it. I fight the urge to smile. It’s as if fate has landed him right in my lap. The man I’ve been looking for has given me everything I need to find him again and kill him.
“Thank you,” I say, pushing to my feet. Once again, I’m towering over him, so he has to tip his head back to meet my stare. “You can be sure I’ll be in touch with you very soon.”
I don’t wait for him to reply, because the more time I spend around him, or any of these vile monsters, the more I’m tempted to gut them like fish.