Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Sure, I was used to breaking into places. I was probably more the expert here than Miko was. But the houses I broke into didn’t usually require me to be armed. The worst I’d ever encountered was a halfway trained security dog who was easily distracted from his job by a treat and some belly scratches, leaving him bounding behind me through the house like my new best friend.
I certainly never had to worry about someone strangling me with a fucking charging cord. I was totally okay having the guy with the gun put his neck out there first.
That said, it was my hold on the back of his suit jacket that had him avoiding falling over a strangely placed ottoman. What can I say? My ability to see in the dark was keen thanks to so many years doing my job.
The common area was small and, as far as I could tell, empty. Of people or corpses.
It wasn’t until we made our way into the primary bedroom that there was a clatter to warn us just a second before the closet door flew open, knocking me back into the wall as a dark form flew at Miko.
His arm whacked the edge of the door, sending the gun flying.
I scrambled toward it, knowing I would be a hell of a lot more useful with a weapon than I’d be without it.
As I crawled across the floor, I heard the crunching sound of fists hitting flesh and my stomach dropped at the idea of Miko being on the receiving end of those punches.
The sounds of their grunts and curses filled the air, their bodies crashing into walls, into the dresser, items scattering all about. I finally saw the gun, wedged under a small desk sitting under the window.
It was as I crawled past the bed that a gasp rose up my throat. Because there, under the bed, was a man.
He was mostly in shadow, but there was just enough light in the room for me to see his wide, terrified eyes. And a finger pressed to his lips, begging that I didn’t give him away.
I didn’t exactly know my move right then.
Save for the fact that I needed the fucking gun.
So I scrambled forward, grabbed it, and turned with my back against the wall, holding it out in case I needed to use it.
But right then, the man wrangled free from Miko’s grip and just… tore off.
“Max?”
“I’m fine. Go,” I said, knowing how torn he felt.
But I had his gun; even if the guy under the bed decided to attack, I was safe.
That said, the guy must have disappeared quickly because Miko was back in under two minutes.
“Sugar?”
“Hey, we have a situation here,” I said as his footsteps moved closer. “Turn the light on with your elbow,” I demanded.
“What’s—“ he started as the light flashed on.
“Get out,” I demanded of the guy under the bed.
He wiggled out, his dirty shoulder of his white tee and hair out first, then his face.
I recognized him instantly. Not from my apartment, but from the images Miko had shown me.
Black hair, brown eyes, kind of scrawny and nerdy-looking.
“Chuck, the fuck?” Miko asked. It was the relief in his voice that had me lowering the gun and focusing on Miko.
He had a small split in his lip, but was otherwise unharmed, save for his rumpled appearance from the scuffle. So most of those hits I’d heard must have landed on the other guy. Miko, it seemed, knew how to fight.
Great.
Like I needed another reason to find him hot.
“Kinda forgot to clean under there last… year,” Chuck said, swatting at the dirt on his shirt.
A little chuckle escaped me at that, making Chuck shoot me a sheepish smile. “Thanks for not selling me out.”
“You looked pretty freaked out,” I said, shrugging.
“Chuck, who the fuck was that?” Miko asked.
To that, Chuck shook his head as he hauled himself up onto his bed.
“I have no idea. I heard someone moving around in the house,” he told us. “Freaked me out, so I just… got under my bed. Then it wasn’t long after that when you guys came in. Who is this?” Then, looking at me, “What happened to your face?”
“I’m thinking a run-in with the same guy who was here to fuck you up,” I told him.
“Oh, shit,” Chuck said, blanching. And the poor guy was already anemic-pale. “You think he wanted to beat me up?”
“I think he wanted to kill you,” Miko said, surprising me with his blunt honesty. “He killed Henry before coming here.”
“What? No. I liked him. We played together sometimes,” he said, waving toward his desk, where his monitor and gaming console were set up.
Miko and I shared a look, both of us wondering if maybe Chuck had some information on Henry’s roommate.
“Alright, listen, Chuck. We can’t stay here. You can’t stay here.”