Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
My arms get a firm grip around his legs as I pull him out of her grasp and down to the ground. The force of my back hitting the concrete knocks the wind out of me, and I land with a thud, the boy landing against me. I kick my leg out to trip the woman to stop her from fleeing the scene.
The woman stumbles onto her hands and knees as the waiting SUV shuts the door, speeds away, and nearly crashes through the front gate of the school’s parking lot. I pull out my phone just as Mr. Drummond and the lazy security guard run out of the building. The would-be abductor doesn't wait for them to reach us before she takes off in the same direction as the SUV.
After helping the boy to his feet, I stand beside him, protective and scrutinizing our surroundings.
"Are you okay?" I ask the young boy who clings to my arm. I gently pull my arm away from him and ask, "What's your name?"
"Jeremy." His voice trembles as a shade of crimson blankets his little face. Panic and fear pour out of him. It triggers something maternal inside of me. He reminds me of my teenage years when I had to take care of my little brother.
I kneel beside him to grab his attention from the staff running toward us. There’s something inside of me that needs to ease his fears. I attempt to put on my most soothing tone when I speak. "Thank you, Jeremy. You really saved me a minute ago. Thanks for being really brave."
"You're welcome?" Jeremy says, unable to hide that he doesn't believe me. He spares a glance at my black leather boots and offers me a timid smile for my attempt to get his mind off how scary this is.
Mr. Drummond keels over at the waist, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath as he pushes out a few words. "My goodness, you're okay, Jeremy. That’s good."
"Okay? Good?" I question angrily.
Mr. Drummond’s noticeably taken by surprise at my tone. I'm not going to minimize what happened.
The rage growing inside of me laces every word. "What is so good about someone being able to simply put on a blazer and waltz through your halls? What’s okay about someone who can take a kid and walk out of any exit? No one stopped her. No one said anything. Especially not that lazy piece of shit next to you. Sorry, kid."
Jeremy chuckles at my apology for cursing in front of him.
"I'd like to know the answer to that as well." A dark voice speaks harshly from behind me.
"Dad!" Jeremy releases me to run to his father.
The man gazes sternly in my direction. Handsome and stunning are an understatement. His devil-arched eyebrows are set in a scowl above his light blue eyes. A thin and pristinely trimmed goatee accentuates his angular jawline. Thick wafts of dark brown hair are gelled down and slicked back.
The charcoal gray suit he's wearing fits his body perfectly. The anger riding his face fits this situation perfectly, and it’s definitely a face worth riding.
"You see, um," Mr. Drummond stutters. "Mr. Archer, I was in the process of grabbing young Jeremy out of his classroom when-"
Mr. Archer is menacing with his icy glare and height towering over me and Mr. Drummond.
Mr. Archer says, "Why were you going to get Jeremy when I called to tell you he was already traveling away from his classroom?"
Mr. Drummond hesitates, unable to find any words to excuse his actions, letting his lips tremble before clamping them shut.
Mr. Archer’s annoyance with Mr. Drummond is palpable as he turns to me. His menacing glare fades to gratitude. "Good morning, I'm Aiden Archer. Thank you for what you did."
"I’m Lana Casey, and it's not a problem,” I reply, extending my hand to shake his.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lana." Aiden's voice is low, his gaze dropping to my mouth. Maybe he's simply happy I kept his son safe.
Either way, the moment his hand wraps around mine to shake it, a shock of sexual anticipation ricochets across my body. My eyes dart to his to see the same glimmer of seductive surprise.
Aiden breaks the tension between us as he says, “I'd love to take you to lunch to thank you. Surely, Mr. Drummond doesn't have an issue with one of his guards taking an early break?"
"I don’t know her. She doesn't work here," Mr. Drummond says frantically.
"So, not only did you allow strangers to enter the building, you let one take my son while another was able to identify this kidnap attempt? But she's not on your payroll?" Aiden questions. He nods slowly, considering what he’s just learned. "Interesting. In that case, Miss Casey, if you have some time, I'd love to get to know you. Perhaps we can talk about an opportunity for you to work for me."