Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
She was shaking. Cold and numb.
In shock.
Pull yourself together.
“You don’t have to talk yet,” North told her, grabbing hold of her hands. “You’re in shock. Jared, she needs a drink and to brush her teeth. And a blanket.”
North picked her up and placed her on the counter as Jared left. He grabbed a toothbrush and helped her clean her teeth before Jared returned with a blanket.
North wrapped her up tight in the blanket and lifted her, holding her against his chest. Immediately, she started to feel better.
“You’re getting good at settling her down,” Jared commented.
“She needs her pacifier and whales,” North replied briskly. “You take her while I run up and get them.”
Jared cradled her in his arms, walking into his office to sit on the sofa with her.
“Is your side all right, baby girl? You aren’t too sore?” he asked in concern.
It was throbbing but she didn’t feel like talking right now.
Two women were beheaded.
Small, blonde women like her.
Was this . . . did this have something to do with her? Is that why Antony and Rex had been murdered?
Because of her?
“All right, we’ll just sit for a moment.” Jared shifted his weight so he could grab his phone from his pocket and then he set it down next to him.
She eyed it.
Zander was waiting for her to call. Keira had to be freaking out over all of this.
Pull yourself together.
But she couldn’t. She was shaking. Upset. Her breathing was too fast and so was her heartbeat.
North returned with her pacifier. He crouched next to her, holding it up to her mouth.
She didn’t want it. She didn’t want anything.
“Suck on it for a moment, baby,” Jared urged. “It might help you calm down.” Wally and Lina were placed on her lap. She’d cuddle them but she was wrapped up too tight.
“I’ve got her heated blanket as well. We’ll swap the blanket out.”
North had bought her the most amazing blanket that actually heated up. They managed to switch her around without jostling her too much and then Jared sat with her again while the two of them quietly talked.
She simply closed her eyes and shut the world out for a while.
It was too much
It was all too much.
And she just needed to drift.
Jared leaned down and kissed the top of Angie’s head. He was holding himself tightly, trying to control the anger flooding him.
“This person was after her all along.” North shook his head. “Who is it? How did they know she was here? And why kill Rex and Antony?”
Jared shook his head. He didn’t have any answers. He just hoped that Angie might.
North scowled as he studied his laptop. The other man’s tight control seemed shaken as well. He was still wearing his filthy clothes. They all were.
The messy state they were in was nothing compared to the chaos in his mind.
“Did Zander have any idea what this was about?” North asked.
“No. I need to message him,” Jared said, reaching for his phone.
“Call him,” she whispered.
“What?” Jared asked, staring down at her.
She’d pushed the pacifier out of her mouth and was now shifting around. “Help me out of the blankets.”
North set his laptop down and reached over to free her.
She let out a deep breath and moved to sit next to Jared. He frowned, not liking that. He preferred to have her on his lap. Where he could take care of her.
He had to keep her close, make sure she was safe.
Was some maniac trying to murder her?
Fuck. Fuck!
“Please call him. I’m okay,” she said. “I can do this.”
“Do you have any idea what this is about? Who this could be?” North asked.
She shook her head, frowning. “I don’t . . . I don’t know.”
Shit.
Jared called Zander, putting him on speaker phone.
“About time,” the other man said, answering the call. “I’ve been waiting for-fucking-ever for you to call back.”
“Sorry, Zander,” Angie said in a croaky voice. “My fault. Had to vomit.”
“Fuck, Angie,” Zander said, his voice softening. “You all right, darling girl?”
“N-not really.”
“I need you to go onto video, okay?” Zander said. “Keira is freaking the fuck out and she needs to see you.”
“I’d like to see her.”
“Wait, I’ll call you back on my laptop,” North said.
Jared hung up and gave Zander’s number to North.
When Zander answered again, with all of his people, Keira let out a small sob.
Angie waved. “Hey, guys. Keira, I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure.”
“Jesus, what happened to you?” Honey asked. “Did you roll around in a pile of flour?”
“Something like that.” Angie attempted a smile but Jared could see it was weak and shaky.
Keira let out a small sob and Zander drew her close, kissing the top of her head. “What happened?”
“Um, there was a bit of a food fight.”
“I can see that,” Zander boomed. “Never thought I’d see a mafia kingpin involved in a food fight. Fistfight, yes. Gunfight, sure. Food fight? Nope.”