Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
She chuckled. “I told him he would need to be more worried about you than the FBI.”
I let out a long breath. “You’re right. He does need to worry about me. All I could think about was when I got here how I was going to kill him with my two hands.”
“And I love you for that.”
Cadie’s eyes widened when she realized what she had said. I acted as if I hadn’t caught it, and she let out a small, relieved breath.
“How in the hell did you get him to come to the cabin?”
“Well,” she started as she looked toward the vehicle where Michael was sitting. “It was all by mistake. Michael was staying close by in a rented cabin, and he noticed no one was staying at this one. He thought we could stay here and leave for Boston tomorrow.”
“Boston?”
Cadie nodded. “He had orders from his father to take me back to him.”
I closed my eyes and sent a prayer of thanks that their plan was foiled.
“How did he know you were here?”
She drew in a long breath and exhaled. “Is Mark here?”
“He’s on his way back right now. I think Lionel told him we had a location on you.”
“Did the FBI agent see us approach the cabin?”
“No, he was pulled off surveillance the other day for another mission, or whatever the hell they call it. They thought it would be okay since we weren’t staying here.”
“That explains why no one saw Michael snooping around the cabin. Thank God, Mark had the silent alarm put in, though.”
“Yeah, he’s getting a damn good Christmas present this year.”
She chuckled. “Let’s get out of here.”
I wrapped my arm around her and held her close as we walked toward where Lucas stood. “May we drive back with you?”
“Sure thing,” he said as he opened the back door, and we both crawled into the SUV.
Mark arrived shortly after we got back to my parents’ house. Michael was sitting in the living room, with Lucas and Lionel flanking both sides of him. Cadie had asked them to take the cuffs off, and they agreed after she promised them Michael wasn’t going to run.
Michael had told Mark and Lucas about how he had known Cadie was in Moose Village and how his father had threatened to hurt Melanie if he didn’t get Cadie back to Boston. He told them about how he had never wanted to be part of his father’s darker world but had been pulled into it anyway. When Lucas asked if Michael would be willing to testify against his father, he looked at Cadie.
“If he does this, what about the murder?”
Lucas leaned back in his chair. “He killed someone, Cadie.”
“Yes, but his father threatened his sister and mother if Michael didn’t fall into line.”
Mark turned to Lucas. “If he was coerced into the killing, we might be able to work with that.”
“What do you want in return?” Lucas asked.
“I’d really like to not go to jail and not be killed by someone my father hires. For my mom and sister to also be safe. And Melanie, I’d like for her to be safe as well. She didn’t ask for any of this.”
“Does he have her now?” Mark asked.
“He has eyes on her and can grab her at any moment.”
Lucas looked at Lionel. “Get her information from Michael, then put a tail on her.”
“Not to be that guy,” Michael said. “But I was able to get around you guys, and I’m not even close to being good at this. How can I be sure she’ll be safe?”
“The first thing we need to ask,” Cadie said. “Does she know you’re involved with your father’s mob business?”
He nodded. “I told her what was happening when I left. She wasn’t happy, but she was more scared for me and you. I told her to keep going on like nothing was happening. I know my father has someone following her around, but when I spoke to her this morning, she was at work.”
Cadie smiled. “That was sweet of her to be worried about me.”
I stood. “Does no one else think this is all just fucked up? This guy killed someone, he kidnapped Cadie, and now we’re worried about how his girlfriend feels?”
Mark walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. “I know you’re upset, Kian.”
“Upset? I’m more than upset, Mark. I want to wrap my hands around his neck and choke him.”
Michael held up his hands. “I’m not arguing with you on that. I’d want to kill me too if the roles were reversed.”
It was Lucas who spoke next. “Kian, the bigger picture here is Michael’s father. If we can get Michael to testify on the crimes his father has done, we can put him and others in jail. The man has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people. He’s worked with arms dealers in other countries, and who knows what else he has his hands in that the FBI doesn’t know about. If it means putting Michael in protective custody and giving him a new life, then it’s worth it.”