Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 127249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Emily hesitates.
I storm across the porch and down the steps to where one of the SUV’s is parked.
My tone is harsh. “What did she say, Emily?”
The man who leans on the hood jumps to attention and opens the back door just as two cars with four men in each stop outside the gates. They would’ve been on watch in the street. I have three times that many men patrolling the grounds and surroundings. Wisely, Reino left enough manpower to guard the house.
Emily’s sharp exhale is loud in my ear. “She asked for her mother.”
The words stop me dead. “What did you say?”
Ulysses comes charging from the guesthouse at the back where he slept for a few hours, pulling on his sleeveless jacket over his gun holster in the run.
“She asked me to put her mother on the line.”
Fuck.
What am I supposed to make of that?
Emily continues in a tremulous voice. “I didn’t know what to say. I was worried she’d hang up, so I thought it was best to play along until we knew what was going on. I didn’t want to contradict her and risk upsetting her more, so I told her that her mother was busy and that I’d send you to fetch her.”
Ulysses hops into the front with the driver while I get into the back. Reino takes a seat in the row facing me.
I’m probably the last person Tatiana wants to see. I’m lucky she didn’t bolt when Emily suggested I go get her. If she didn’t run when Emily told her I’m coming for her, she must be in serious trouble.
I clutch the phone in a death grip. “Did she give you a number where she can be reached?”
The driver takes off fast, following the directions Reino gives.
“She’s in a clothing store. She used the shop assistant’s phone. I spoke to the lady who gave me the address and said she’d keep Tatiana there until you arrive.”
“Good. You did the right thing. Send me the number.”
We clear the gates at breakneck speed while the other cars follow.
“What do you want me to do?” Emily asks.
I think fast. “Get the doctor on the phone and explain the situation without going into the details about Tatiana’s disappearance. Ask him to meet me at the store.”
The driver steers us swiftly through the traffic, breaking every speed limit and running red lights as far as we go.
“Shouldn’t we call an ambulance?” Emily sounds frightened out of her wits. “We don’t know if she’s injured.”
“I’ll let the doctor decide.” But I’m praying it won’t be necessary.
“I’ll go over to your house,” Emily says in a decisive manner. “When you bring her home, you’ll need all the help you can get.”
I thank her and end the call.
Ulysses turns in his seat. “Where’s Kent?”
“Overseeing the search operation in the west.” I keep a vigilant eye on our surroundings. “Let him continue for now. I want to be certain I have Tatiana before I call off the search.”
Ulysses faces forward with a nod, grabbing the roof handle in a white-knuckled grip.
A ping announces Emily’s text message. I contemplate calling the number she sent me, but I don’t want to spook Tatiana or the shop assistant. Given the state I’m in, I’ll probably scare them. Tatiana may go on the run again and slip through my fingers. Instead, I content myself with dropping the number in a tracking app, which indicates that the shop assistant is in the location she gave to Emily.
While we drive, I watch the app like a hawk. When we finally arrive at the address, I’ve got my door open before the driver has brought the vehicle to a complete stop. I’m on the sidewalk in front of the store in a flash. The men peel out of the cars that screech to a halt behind us and form a tight circle around me while scouting the area.
As I rush toward the entrance, Ulysses holds me back with a hand on my arm.
“Boss, wait. Let’s check it out first to make sure it’s safe.”
I don’t care if I’m walking into a trap. All that matters is getting to my wife.
Shaking him off, I push the door open and storm inside.
A young lady with auburn hair and freckles stares at me with round eyes. But it’s not on her that I focus. It’s on the beautiful woman who sits in a chair near the changing area, a woman with golden hair and eyes the color of jade.
My woman.
For a couple of heartbeats, as I take her in, reassuring myself she’s real and not some fucked-up figment of my imagination, the world comes to a standstill.
When our gazes lock, she gets to her feet. Her face is pale, and her cheeks are hollow. Dark circles mar her wide, luminescent eyes. Her arms, legs, and clothes are streaked with dirt and covered in dust. The outfit she wears isn’t familiar, but it looks like something I would’ve chosen for her down to the flat shoes on her feet. Blood sticks to her hair on the side, just above her temple.