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 crept out into the hallway. It was silent. Too silent.
What time was it?
She had no clue. But it was still dark outside. Instead of heading to the main stairs, she moved toward the staff ones at the back of the mansion. This was an old house, built a long time ago when people wanted the staff to have a separate entrance and stairwell.
To be neither seen nor heard.
As she moved down the stairs and toward the back door, she expected someone to grab her at any moment, to drag her toward the basement.
No one here would care.
No one would help her.
She knew that for sure. As she reached the back door she heard voices approaching. She probably could have made it out in time, but what if she didn’t?
Instead, she crept into a small cloak room and held the door slightly open so she could see who it was.
“Oh my God! Can you believe that he’s actually dead?” a woman’s voice asked.
“No! Apparently he was found shot dead. No one knows who did it,” her companion replied.
“Well, not to speak ill of the dead . . .”
“Shh,” the second woman snapped. “You can’t say anything like that around here. You never know who will be listening in.”
They walked past and she took her chance.
This was it.
She was free.
Angie knew it was going to be hard to get off the grounds undetected. She just had to hope that everyone was so preoccupied with Fergus’s death that they weren’t at their posts.
Or that whoever helped her ran interference.
However, she knew that she couldn’t rely on that.
From now on, she was on her own.
Wait. Where was she? She stopped and spun around. Was she even going the right way?
She had the worst sense of direction.
Loud shouts that sounded like they were getting closer had her jumping in fright. She took off, but Wally got snagged by something as she moved and flew out of her hand.
Pausing, she looked around for him.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Those voices grew closer.
Go, Angie!
With a sob, she took off, leaving her best friend behind.
Angie was pretty sure this motel room was infested with fleas.
Because she was covered in itchy bites.
God. She was so miserable.
She was trying to make her money last because she had no ID, no job experience, and very few belongings. She’d had to buy a few things to get by, but they could all fit in a shopping bag.
This sucked.
She’d managed to get a job under the table cleaning a bar at night, but it was awful.
This wasn’t the life she’d thought she would live.
A knock on the door startled her. Who would knock on her door? No one knew where she was.
Unless . . . had Jared found her?
Moving over to the door, she tried to check through the peephole, but the person was standing in the shadows.
She knew she shouldn’t open the door. But for some reason she did it anyway.
The man didn’t move. She still couldn’t see his face, but she could feel the weight of his gaze.
“Well. You look like you’re having fun,” he drawled.
“I think you’re at the wrong door.”
“Oh no, I’m not. I’m never wrong. You’re Angie Bartolli.”
Her heart pounded. This was it. She’d been found. “Jared sent you?”
“Jared? Nope. I don’t work for him. I work for someone else. And, believe it or not, I’m here to help you.”
She shook her head. “No one ever helps me.” She was starting to wonder if the man who’d helped her escape had actually been helping her. Or if he’d just wanted her gone.
“Well, today is the day that changes. So, Angie Bartolli, how would you like to come with me? I’ll set you up in a nice house, give you plenty of money, and keep you safe.”
“Hard pass,” she said.
“You know you won’t last long on your own, right? Even if Jared Bartolli isn’t looking for you, the rest of the family might be. And what have you got? A few hundred dollars to your name?”
“Who are you?”
“A friend who wants to help.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got options. Plans.”
None. She had none.
“Yes? Do they involve going to your sister?” the man asked smoothly.
How did he know about her sister?
Was he trying to find Keira? Did he want to harm her?
Angie had to protect her.
“My sister? I don’t have a sister.”
“Hmm. Interesting. Not much lost love between you, then?”
“If you are talking about Keira then you should know that we’re not blood related. And I have nothing to do with her anymore. I . . . I hate her.”
“I always found that the best relationships are the ones we have with people who aren’t blood. So you won’t be going to her?”
“No.”
“Come with me. I’ll give you a house and my protection. Everything you need.”
“Why? From the goodness of your heart?” she asked sarcastically. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that it’s no strings attached.”