Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Don’t lock the door,” he reminds me, and in return, I mutter, “Don’t come in.”
“As long as you’re alone in there and you don’t scream, you don’t have to worry.”
When I push the door shut, I swear I hear him chuckle, and I yank it open again, but Knight’s already gone.
I must’ve imagined it.
Chapter 15
KNIGHT
I check the room I’ll be using, and finding my duffle bag at the foot of the bed, I zip it open and dig between the three machine guns, a Beretta, and a Glock for a fresh shirt and cargo pants.
I’ve been living out of this bag since I started searching for Ronnie and have never bothered to set down roots.
There’s been no reason for me to have a home.
I zip the bag closed and walk to the ensuite bathroom. I drop the clean clothes on the counter before pulling the Heckler & Koch handgun from where it’s tucked into the waistband at the back of my pants.
Out of habit, I release the magazine and check that it’s loaded before slamming it back into place. I set the weapon down on the counter, then crouch to remove the K-Bar knife from where it’s tucked into my right boot.
I reach up and drop the blade beside the gun before focusing on taking off my boots.
As I undress, my thoughts turn to Cassia. It’s so fucking sad that she’s not able to mourn her family. All the heartbreak is just being bottled up inside her, and it will either harden or break her.
I don’t want her to harden like I did.
When Cassia’s working, she can be the badass queen she needs to be, but when we’re home, I’ll offer her all the comfort she needs. Hopefully, it will help her take the time to grieve.
I switch on the faucets, and as soon as the water warms up, I step beneath the spray. I don’t waste time as I wash myself, and minutes later, I step out of the shower and grab a towel.
After drying myself, I quickly put on a clean shirt and cargo pants. Just as I’ve stepped into my boots, I hear voices, and it has me grabbing my weapons.
I race out through the bedroom and burst into the hallway.
Cassia’s aunt shrieks with fright, and the man dressed in the island’s uniform freezes, his eyes widening as he stares at me.
“You’ll give me a heart attack,” the aunt chuckles, breathless from the fright.
“Sorry, ma’am,” I mutter.
“Call me Marina,” she offers.
I nod, then give her my name, “Lincoln Knight.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you, Lincoln,” she says. Her eyes, the same brown as Cassia’s, search my face. “Let me show the kind man where to place my luggage, then I’ll make us some tea.”
Even though I don’t drink tea, I nod.
While Marina shows the staff member to her room, I walk to Cassia’s bedroom. I stop near the closets and hear the water running in the shower.
From here on out, I’ll wait until she’s done before I shower so she’s not vulnerable while she’s naked.
The thought of Cassia naked has me thinking of the incident in the hospital. The image of her sexy ass, smooth olive skin, and breasts has me hardening, but then I hear movement and Marina saying, “Thank you so much.”
I instantly lose my hard-on, and take a moment to tuck the knife into the side of my boot and the gun into the waistband of my pants.
Slowly I walk closer to the door and watch as Marina escorts the staff member to the front door.
“Have a great day, Jorge,” she says, her tone friendly. When she heads toward the kitchen, she notices me, and her smile widens. “Don’t just stand there, Lincoln. Come, let’s have some tea before I die of thirst.”
I walk to the kitchen, and while I watch her prepare the tea, I start to feel awkward.
Marina looks like she’s in her mid-fifties, and she’s embracing the gray streaks in her hair. There are laugh lines on her face, telling me she smiles easily.
Cassia must’ve gotten her beauty from her mother’s side of the family because it sure wasn’t from Ilias.
“Tell me about yourself,” Marina suddenly says.
“Ma’am?” the word pops from me, a hint of nervousness in my voice, which is something I’m not used to.
“Marina,” she corrects me. She glances over her shoulder, then asks, “How did you meet my niece?”
“That’s a long story for another day,” Cassia suddenly says as she comes up behind me.
Thank fuck. I’ve been so long in the company of criminals that I’ve forgotten how to interact with normal people. Especially ones like Cassia’s friendly but curious aunt.
“Do you want some tea?” Marina asks Cassia.
“Coffee,” she replies, and noticing Marina is making tea for me, she adds, “Lincoln prefers coffee.”
Hearing them use my first name makes me feel…weird.