Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“You could have hit her,” Diego shouts at Tiernan as he snaps the neck of the man he’s fighting.
Tiernan lets out a chuckle at Diego's comment. “I never miss.”
Then Tiernan’s eyes lock on to Daphne for a moment. The woman with us wraps her arm around my neck, pulling me tight to her to shield herself with me. I’m not sure I make the best shield for her. She reminds me of Xena, the warrior princess. What I’m sure of by the look in Diego’s eyes is that she’s going to be a dead woman soon.
The door at the end of the hallway files open. There stands Kingston with a gun in his hand and two more men behind him.
“Fuck.” Diego spits and turns toward him as I hold my breath.
“I love these odds.” Tiernan twirls two knives in his palms.
Daphne makes a small, strangled noise at the sight of it.
“There you are.” Kent’s sky blue eyes lock with mine. “Come here. Come to me.” He holds out his hand.
The woman behind me loosens her grip.
I swallow hard and look at Diego.
He stares back at me with an intensity that shakes me to my core. I’m his world, and he’s mine.
“Don’t be afraid of him.” Kent edges forward. “I’ll protect you. Come here.”
When I look back at him, I want to cringe. He has that psychotic glow in his eyes, and it’s like he’s possessed. He’s always been this way when it comes to me. And not just me. Whichever woman he’s targeting. It’s horrible, unnerving.
I take a deep breath, and instead of going to Kent, I dart to the right and mold myself to Diego’s side. His arm comes around me, and when I catch his familiar scent I bury my nose in his shirt.
“What the fuck!” Kent’s voice rises an octave.
“She’s made her choice.” Diego’s confidence rings through the air, and I snuggle closer as he grips me tight.
“She’s mine. You’re a fucking monster.” Kent is blond, tall, handsome, unscarred. Perfect blue eyes and clothes that cost a fortune. Nothing like my Diego. Not strong, brave, or true. Not gorgeous inside and out.
“You’re the monster.” I turn to him. “You shouldn’t have come here, Kent. You should’ve left me alone.”
“You belong to me. Why would I ever let you go?” He glances at Diego. “Especially to this brute.”
“I love him.” I smile when Diego squeezes me tighter. “I love everything about him, especially the part where he kills you.”
Diego lets out a low laugh, and then all hell breaks loose.
16
DIEGO
I drop the woman first. She’s been edging toward Daphne ever since Aurora came to my side.
A knife in her chest sends her stumbling backwards as Kent screams, Daphne hits the ground, and Tiernan launches himself forward, slicing through the mercenaries like a fucking saw.
I pull Aurora behind me. “Stay with me.”
“Okay.” I can barely hear her reply as I reach out and grab Daphne from the floor. “With Aurora.”
She falls in line behind us, my body blocking them from Tiernan’s frenzy and the errant bullets flying down the hall.
Maudie isn’t going to be happy with us when this shit’s over.
I keep moving forward, but an assassin comes swinging out of the bedroom just ahead of me. I shove a knife through his heart, then shove him back inside the room he exited. With a quick sweep, I find it’s clear.
“You two stay here.”
“Don’t leave!” Aurora wraps herself around me.
“I’ll be back, and you don’t need to witness this.”
Someone in the hallway screams as Tiernan laughs. “That’s some beautiful blood spatter. Thanks for sharing it with me.”
I steal one quick kiss, then lower Aurora to the floor. Once she and Daphne are safe, I return to the hall and go to work.
Two bullets hit me in the vest and almost knock me on my ass, but I power through and rush forward. The first assassin dodges me. But he’s not fast enough. I shove my fist out and crush his windpipe.
With a gurgle he drops. The other disappears into the bedroom at the end of the hall and slams the door. Kent Kingston’s room.
“He’s in there.” Tiernan wipes his blades on his pants. “Alone. I had fun, but I kind of wish there were more.” He frowns at the bodies littering the floor.
“Guard Aurora and Daphne.” I jerk my chin toward the bedroom where they’re stashed.
“Can do.” He stalks past as I rear back and kick the door in.
Bullets shatter the antique molding and splinter the wood as I hit the deck and roll forward. I reach Kent and kick my legs out, knocking him on his ass.
He screams and scrambles for the gun he’s dropped, but I’m on him too quickly.
When I wrap my hands around his throat, he tries to buck me, but I don’t give him any room.