Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
He’d always preferred the dark. He often ran by himself, shrouded in fog in the swamp, the night creatures his warning system as he let the demons in his head have free rein and then fade away from sheer exhaustion. Since he’d been with Shylah, those demons had, for the most part, stayed silent. She seemed to be a guardian. A shield of sorts. Shylah was pure magic. If they had to die, he was going to give her everything he could before that happened.
Inside the lab the computer powered up immediately. Joe answered his call within thirty seconds. “You alright, Sandman?” Joe asked, calling him by the name his team often used.
“Have a request for quite a few items. I need you to pull out all stops. Money isn’t an object. I’m sending you paperwork to access my accounts, but you know I’m good for it. Don’t care what you have to spend. My next call is to Trap and Gino, asking them to help with the money until you can get into my accounts.”
“No worries.”
“I have a list. Some of the items are specific, so you’re going to have to work all night, but I have to have them by tomorrow. I’m sending the list now.”
He waited a couple of minutes, picking up a pad of paper and sketching how he planned on changing the lab into a place where he could marry his woman.
“Draden.” Joe’s voice held caution. “This is crazy. Some of this stuff is insane. How do you expect me to get this here by morning?”
“Afternoon. She’s very tired, and I’m going to do my best to black out the windows so she’ll sleep. Then we’ll have a good breakfast before I meet you. At that time, I’ll put everything together. I know it doesn’t give you much time, but Trap has a jet that can go anywhere in hours. It’s expensive as hell, but he’ll be thrilled to make the pilot work for his keep.”
“You sure this is what you want? I believe Trap and Wyatt when they say the two of you are fighting this virus off. You don’t have to do anything drastic yet.”
“We’re infected. What part of that didn’t you get? Of course we’re fighting it off. We both have unique and very strong immune systems, but that doesn’t mean we won’t fail, just like everyone else. I hope like hell we don’t, but live or die, I’m doing this because I want to do it. No matter what, she’s the one.”
“Getting married is permanent, Draden. You don’t even have a prenup.”
He wasn’t used to spilling his feelings and it annoyed him that he had to keep reassuring his friend that he knew what he was doing. He’d never given a damn about the money. On the other hand, he knew he was asking the impossible. Even expecting it.
“Don’t need a prenup. I know this seems extravagant, and I know it won’t be easy to pull off, Joe, but it’s important to me.”
Joe sighed. “I get that. I’ll get it done for you. I don’t know how, but it will be done.”
“As soon as possible,” Draden pushed.
“You got it. I just want you to hold out hope.”
“I do. I am.” He wasn’t. He didn’t like the rash spreading over Shylah’s body. It hadn’t been there before, and it definitely was worse. In the beginning, when she wasn’t showing any signs, he had convinced himself that she was going to be fine. The moment Wyatt had told him they were both infected, but fighting it off, he had to fight spiraling into depression and anger. He didn’t think about himself. He knew he could put a bullet in his head when the time came, but Shylah … That was an entirely different matter. He had counted on her winning.
“I need to talk to Trap, Joe,” Draden pushed. He wanted Joe to get started. Joe was the one who had to do most of the work, arranging for the jet to pick up any item wherever it was in the world and get it back in time. It was a huge undertaking. He also had to arrange for an official to perform the ceremony as well as push the paperwork through. His task wasn’t easy, but Joe always got things done and Draden was counting on that.
Joe signed off after giving his reassurances that he would find as many things on the list as possible in the time allotted to him. Draden called Trap and Wyatt next. As always, Trap remained in the background, working, his back to the camera. Wyatt took the time to sit and regard his friend with a hint of shock on his face when Draden explained what was going on.
“This is a little sudden.” Wyatt was far more cautious than Joe had been. “Are you certain you don’t want to give this a few more days?”