Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He snarled and grabbed me. “You’re coming with me.” I struggled trying to get away. I wanted to scream for Dante, but I froze when Ivanov pulled out a gun and jabbed it into my back. “Keep moving,” he ordered.
I slowed to a walk. He was right behind me. What would happen if I took off running? Would he shoot me? Where was Dante?
A moment later, Dante and Lorenzo stepped out into the path, weapons raised.
“Let him go,” Dante ordered.
Ivanov shook his head. “You were careless. You left him alone, so he’s mine now. Mine to use any way I want or mine to kill.”
He pressed the gun against my temple. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand. I was sure I was going to throw up or pass out. What was going to happen now? How were they going to take Ivanov down without him killing me?
39
DANTE
Inearly lost my mind when Ivanov grabbed Alex. I wanted to rush out into the path and tear Ivanov apart. Lorenzo kept a hand on my arm, making me wait. I knew that things would go best if we followed the plan.
But now, Ivanov had a gun to Alex’s head. I felt sick. Terrified. He could kill Alex in a second. Why had I ever agreed to this?
“He doesn’t want him dead,” Lorenzo reminded me. “He wants to take him so he hurts all of us.” I knew that was true, but I was panicking inside.
Fortunately, Lorenzo was doing better than I was. He moved to where Alex and Ivanov could see him. “Let him go. Your fight is with us.”
Ivanov chuckled. “So you do know who I am?”
“We do,” I said, joining Lorenzo on the path. I still had the small hope we were wrong about his identity, but now I knew we’d been right all along.
“It took you so long to figure out I was tracking him. I guess you’re not so smart after all. Even now, I doubt you know everything. I drugged him and brought him to you as a present, Dante. I wanted you to take him in, hoped you started to care for him. I never dreamed how easy it would be.”
I was going to fucking kill him, and I was going to make it hurt.
“We figured that out.” At least we’d had an idea. “You’re not the genius you want to be.”
“I followed him everywhere. It was so easy to track his movements. No one even noticed.”
“Alex did.” I calculated my chances if I lunged for him. I would take another bullet, but I couldn’t risk Alex.
“But that didn’t stop him from walking right into my path. Now, I have him at my mercy.”
Alex looked at me, clearly pleading for me to save him. I’d promised him I’d protect him. I’d promised him he would be safe. We had to get him away from Ivanov.
Lorenzo glanced at me and held out his hand in a gesture that told me to calm down and let things play out. We had a plan.
“Do you have any idea when I’m going to do to him?” Ivanov asked. “Do you know how much I’m going to hurt him, him and his fucking friend? I’ll make them watch as I torture each of them, then I’ll kill them both before I kill all of you.”
No sane man could do what he’d done, but now he had really lost it. His eyes were wild, crazy.
“You ruined everything,” he yelled. “You and my worthless cunt of a daughter.”
It was all I could do not to rush him. If his gun hadn’t been where it could kill Alex in an instant, I would have taken him then.
Then, just as we’d planned, a small monkey scurried down onto the path headed straight toward Ivanov.
“What the fuck is that?” he screamed. “A rat?”
He turned the gun toward the monkey at the same time I raised my gun, shooting him through the shoulder. He screamed as Lorenzo shot a tranquilizer dart into his neck.
As he fell, Lancelot whistled to his pet, and Tony ran back to him.
I raced to grab Alex, who stumbled to the side. Lancelot and Lorenzo were supposed to secure Ivanov, but he pulled the dart out, threw it down, and took off running. How was he able to move like that? He had to be in so much pain. And why wasn’t the tranquilizer working? Did it not shoot the medicine into him?
“Have you got Alex?” Lorenzo asked.
I nodded.
Tony jumped down from Lancelot’s arm and ran to us as Lorenzo and Lancelot took off after Ivanov, chasing him into the dark.
I pulled Alex into my arms and held him tight. I needed to feel him against me, to know he was there, alive and safe. Tony climbed me and sat on my shoulder.