Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“Something’s wrong with Devi,” Hayes said bluntly. “You know what it is?”
Mac sighed and shook his head. “She won’t tell me.”
Hayes grunted. “Have you heard anything about what happened to her attacker from the other night?”
“Was just talking to Jerry, the Chief, today. He was charged with assault and remanded on bail.”
Right. At least he was charged.
Hayes sat back at the table and waited until it was close to closing time before he left a tip on the table and walked out to his truck. It took half an hour to clear the place and for her to walk out with the old man.
They got into a beat-up ancient truck and drove away. Hayes wanted to follow, but he knew that would be pretty fucking obvious at this time of night. Instead, he brought up her home address and plugged it into his GPS. He gave them another five minutes before he started driving. When he reached the trailer park, he didn’t enter but drove past it and parked on the side of the road before walking in. It took him a moment to find her trailer. Half of them weren’t numbered.
Mother-fucker.
There wasn’t any security lighting but the full moon provided enough light to see that it was the worst one in the park. And he didn’t like that.
At all.
He needed to get her out of this place. Why did she stay? Surely she could afford better.
His hands clenched into fists and he had to resist the urge to pound on her door, pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of here.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Every light was on. How was she meant to sleep? And where was her father? Was he even there or was she all on her own?
That was it. He was going in.
He wasn’t going to just stand here anymore.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Shit. Pulling it out, he saw it was Donovan.
Shit. That meant he couldn’t ignore it. He stepped back into the trees that surrounded the park.
“What?” Yeah, he was a grouchy bastard. But he wasn’t really interested in changing.
“Stein got a call and he’s sneaking out to meet with someone. I’m following him.”
What. The. Fuck.
Hayes was torn. He wanted to grab Devi and get her out of here. However, Donovan might be annoying as fuck, but he was his partner. And this sounded fucking dangerous.
For the moment, Devi was safe. She was home, where she’d spent every other night of her life.
So he guessed Donovan needed him more.
“Wait for me,” Hayes barked at him.
“Can’t, man,” Donovan replied. “I don’t know where he’s going so if I stop I’m going to lose him.”
“Fuck. Shit. I’ll track your phone.” They could track their work phones. Hayes jumped in his vehicle and took off, putting Donovan on speaker as he opened the tracker app.
“Sorry to interrupt your Devi watching,” Donovan said.
“Shut up,” Hayes growled. “Why the fuck would Stein leave the house without telling you? And where is Sondra?”
“Asleep upstairs. She took her usual pill and Scotch mix. She’ll be out. I reset the alarm.”
“And he doesn’t know you’re behind him?”
“I’m not an idiot, Hayes,” Donovan snapped.
Okay. He’d never heard the other man get angry like that. He was always so easygoing.
“Right. Good. How did you overhear the phone call?”
“Oh, I bugged his office.”
What?
“I thought Kent said not to do that,” Hayes said in confusion. Had Kent changed his mind and not told him?
“Yeah, I ignored him.”
Fucking hell.
“Are you fucking nuts? Kent is our boss!”
“Yeah, what’s he going to do? Fire me?”
“Yes, you idiot! Or worse, Stein will find out and Kent’s reputation will be toast. He’ll sue. Kent will lose everything and we’ll all be out of jobs.”
There was silence.
“I don’t think I’ve heard you say that much.”
Hayes began praying for divine intervention. Because without that he was going to kill this stupid idiot.
“Tonight, we remove those bugs, got me?” Hayes said in a low voice.
“Got it. He’s entered a shady area of town.”
Yeah, Donovan wasn’t far from Hayes. Because Devi lived in that same fucking shady area.
“Shit, he’s gone into a parking garage. I’m going to park on the ground level and move in by foot.”
“Fucking wait for me,” Hayes demanded.
“Can’t do that, man. I have a feeling he’s meeting with the same guy he was talking to the other night. We need to know what is going on. Plus, he’s still the client, right? I’m simply protecting him.”
God, give him something. Patience, strength, he didn’t know what. But if he didn’t kill Donovan then he deserved a fucking medal.
Hayes pulled over half a block from the parking garage and, sticking to the shadows, he ran toward where the other man was.
Slowing, he moved quietly up several floors of stairs to Donovan’s location. He spotted Donovan crouching behind a large concrete post. Hayes moved carefully forward, choosing a post further away.