Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
I agreed. Even if the aftermath meant I spent a year in prison, everyone thinking I was a murderer. In the end, Prentice had gotten what he deserved.
Hawk and Eli straightened at the same second, both of them looking at their phones.
“Incoming,” Eli said, his gaze sweeping the garage. “Fuck. We have too many civilians. We’ve got to get them secured.”
“No time,” Hawk said. “Fuck.” His gaze flicked to the hole in the concrete and to the door of the garage. “Haywood’s on his way. Ford, you’re up.”
Hawk turned and shared a glance with Griffen, who scooped Hope up, tossed her over his shoulder, and strode for the door into the Manor, Edgar tight on their heels.
Hawk’s gaze slid to Paige, who looked up at me, her eyes shining with determination. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
PAIGE
“We’ve got him covered,” Hawk said. “He’s coming in from the east, through the woods. Ryder and Wren are on him.”
“What if he spots them?” Ford asked.
“He won’t,” Hawk said with a low laugh. “Ford, walk out of the garage.” Hawk scanned the open doors and spotted the broom Billy Bob had leaned against the closest wall. “Grab that broom. Sweep the driveway. Take your time so we know he sees you. That’ll draw him to you.”
“And then what?” I asked. “Ford leads Haywood back in, and you guys shoot him?” I was hoping that was the answer, because this sounded an awful lot like Ford was bait. Cole Haywood had already proven he was willing to kill to get what he wanted, and it seemed clear that what he wanted was to hurt Ford.
“Paige, get in the house,” Hawk said. “Harvey, you too.”
Harvey shook his head, his eyes on Ford. “I’m not leaving.”
“Neither am I,” I added. A little voice in the back of my brain was shrieking, Run, run, run! But I wasn’t leaving Ford. I looked down into the hole in the garage floor, at the lumps of rough concrete in the bottom. My father. Ford’s mother. Tipping my head back, I stared at the ceiling, imagining I could see through the layers of plaster and wood to the hallway above. A shiver crawled down my spine at the memory of that frozen door the night we’d been trapped in the room. I thought of the lights that flickered on and off, and the problems with the heat and the water. Our first kiss in the closet when I’d gone to reset the breakers. All of it had been leading us to each other, and together, to this moment. To their bodies. They hadn’t left each other, and I wasn’t leaving Ford. Our parents had died together. We were going to live together. After they dealt with Cole Haywood.
“Cole isn’t here for me,” I said to Ford and Hawk. “I’ll stay out of the way, but I’m not running for safety while Ford is in danger.”
Ford looked like he was going to argue, but Hawk, his focus on the woods across the field, said, “Ford, go. Get the broom. Use it for a minute, until I give you the signal to come back into the garage. I’ll deal with Paige and Harvey.”
Ford pulled me close. “We have a plan,” he said. “Please get inside with everyone else.”
I reached up to press my palms to his cheeks, pulling him down so I could press a quick kiss to his mouth. “I love you and I’m not leaving. Go play bait so we can get this over with. I’ll stay out of sight. I’m not going to mess up your plan, but I’m not leaving. Trust me.”
“I love you, too,” Ford said, and drew in a breath. “Please—”
Hawk interrupted with a low, “Ford, now.”
“Go,” I said, stepping back and giving him a gentle shove.
Ford shot a look at Hawk, that Hawk answered with a solemn nod. I expected him to toss me over his shoulder the way Griffen had with Hope, but he ignored me, turning to Harvey.
“Harvey,” he began, but Harvey shook his head slowly.
Harvey edged closer to the wall beside the hole in the concrete. Grabbing one of the shovels leaning where Griffen and Ford had left them, he followed the wall to the corner by the garage door and tucked himself into the shadows. Hawk narrowed his eyes at Harvey, then glanced at Ford fiddling with the broom. His gaze flicked to the field beyond the courtyard. Cole Haywood had emerged from the woods, his cautious pace picking up speed as he spotted Ford. I worried he’d pull out a gun and try to shoot Ford, but instead he strode across the field, hands swinging free at his sides, his distant figure growing closer with every step.
Hawk looked over to Harvey. “We don’t have time to argue about it. Stay there. If you get yourself killed, it’s not on me. My job is to keep Ford and Paige alive.”