Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“Please, David,” I shout, shimmying against the wall as I try to move my arms up to hit him. “Please don’t do this!”
“You can blame yourself for this,” he grits, blue eyes narrowed on mine. “And for whatever happens to your boyfriend when I’m done with you.”
I inhale sharply and move harder, bringing my knee up again, but his shin is blocking it. I move hard again and manage to free one of my arms. I punch him once, twice. He laughs, but he spits blood as he does it, his eyes even more menacing as he adjusts his arm and pushes me again.
“Do that again and your boyfriend dies.”
My chest tightens. I know he’d make good on his promise. I was wrong before when I thought he couldn’t hold anything over me. He can use Lachlan. I stop struggling for a moment and squeeze my eyes shut to think about how I can get out of this situation and ensure Lach remains unharmed. When I stop, he laughs. Suddenly, the fire alarm stops. His eyes widen on mine and I scream again, but my throat is hoarse.
“Side of the building,” I say as loud as I can. “Golf area!”
His belt comes off and he tosses it aside, working on the button of his pants next. He brings a hand to my thigh and starts making his way up, and I know that all I can do is wait. I keep struggling, though. I’m exhausted, but I keep at it.
CHAPTER 57
LACHLAN
“Don’t fucking tell me you’ve looked everywhere!” I shout at Ronnie and Derek over the fire alarm. “He couldn’t have gotten far!”
My entire body shakes as I take off running in the other direction. With the deafening alarm, they haven’t been able to speak to the two guys who stayed back in the SUV and are listening to her mic. The drone is still flying somewhere. I know it’s just a matter of time before we locate her, but we don’t have time. She doesn’t have time. I don’t have time. I try to concentrate and push away the images that flash through my head, but it’s impossible. I can’t stop thinking about that fucking psychotic creep touching her. The idea of him even touching her arm is enough to set me off, but that’s not where the images stop. Everyone is mostly contained on the left side of the building, since that’s where the event space is. The bathroom is on the other side, but we checked it, we checked outside, we checked. . .oh, fuck.
I take off running to the other side of the building. We checked it, of course, but we didn’t check all of it. We couldn’t have. I take off my jacket and tie, tossing them behind me as I run. The buttons of my sleeves pop off when I jerk the material up to my elbows. The alarm finally stops fucking ringing and I hear her scream. I run faster. I reach the side of the building and look around. There’s an area there that we missed. It looks like a picnic area. As I get closer, I realize it must be for golf.
I scan it but can’t see the entirety of it. When I finally do, I see one of his hands moving up her leg, almost near her ass. Lyla’s trying to push him off her; her attempts are weak, as if she’s tired and can’t hold him off any longer. Even as she does this, her expression is blank, like she’s already taken herself elsewhere. My heart can’t possibly break any more than it does right now. My rage grows as I get near them. By the time I reach them and yank him off her, I say a silent apology to her in my head, because I know I won’t be able to stop until he’s dead.
CHAPTER 58
LYLA
One minute Jameson is breathing on my face, touching me in ways that make me want to vomit, and the next, he’s hauled off me. I instantly sag to the ground, my body trembling uncontrollably. I hear shouting and see two pairs of dress shoes just a few steps away from me, but my body is too paralyzed by adrenaline to move.
“This is none of your business,” Jameson screams loudly.
I look up and see both men towering above me. Jameson’s in shape, but not like Lachlan. And even if he wasn’t in superior shape, Lachlan has two advantages: his age and an anger that holds the weight of a thousand men.
“You thought you were going to get rid of me?” Lach screams, punching him so hard that I hear his bones crack as his face turns. Lach keeps going, “You’re a fucking coward.”
I quickly start working on unstrapping my heels and stand up, using the wall beside me to support my shaky legs. Lach throws another punch, and Jameson manages to dodge it. He swings at Lach, who also tries to dodge it, but it grazes his jaw.