Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I was going to make you and the marshal suffer and then kill you for what you’ve done to me.”
Kara’s eyes went wide, and her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing.
“I thought I couldn’t let you live, even if I wanted to,” he continued. “But now I have Kara. I won’t hurt her. I’ll keep her safe, and in return,” he said it like he was making a huge concession, “I’ll let you and the marshal go.”
Staying emotionless wasn’t possible for her anymore. Her face twisted with horror. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“She belongs to me. If you try to come between us, I’ll kill you.”
“No,” Kara gasped.
“Yes,” he said, turning to her. “Yes.”
“You can’t have her.” L’s expression went dark with fury. “She’s not yours. She’s—”
“Shawn Dunn’s?” The cold, blue eyes snapped back to the camera. “Yeah, she told me all about him in the shower.”
Kara’s face flushed bright red and her handcuffed hands flew up to cradle her face. “He drugged me, but nothing happened.”
Juric smirked. “Liar.”
I couldn’t get to the door. There were hands stopping me, some on my arms, and others on the back of my shirt, strangling me as I fought against their hold. Someone muttered for me to be quiet as Jason pleaded for me to stay calm.
L’s voice echoed through the speakers of the laptop. “Ryan, please. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“You fed me to the CIA.” Anger made his voice rise in pitch and volume. “You don’t want me, and I don’t fucking want you.”
His face took a horrifying dark cast, revealing the monster he was, and true fear swept through me like a river of ice. This monster had Kara. He wanted to keep her. And, Scheiße, if our plan failed, we might lose her forever.
I wasn’t mentally prepared to handle that idea, and suddenly all the air vanished from the room.
You will not let that happen, I promised myself. You will do fucking anything to get her back.
The anger in Juric began to fade. “We go our separate ways,” he said, calmer. “If anyone comes after us? I’ll have to kill her, and no one wants that. Do you understand?”
L didn’t say anything. She just stared and stared at the camera.
“Answer me, Laurel,” he ordered. “Otherwise, you won’t get to say goodbye.”
Her eyes filled with dread, and it was heartbreaking. “I . . . understand.”
“You’ve got one minute.” He stood and disappeared from the screen—
But not from the room. Kara made that apparent when she lifted her gaze to him, beyond the camera’s range, and delivered a look of pure, unadulterated hatred. If Juric was half as smart as he believed he was, he should be afraid.
“Kara,” L said, getting her sister’s attention back on her. “I love you. You do whatever you have to do to stay alive.”
A painful half-smile leaked out on L’s face, masking the true meaning of her next statement.
“You’re my favorite sister,” she said. “You remember when I told you that, at your graduation? It’s still true.”
I could see the thoughts tumbling in Kara’s brain, processing the strange statement, because L hadn’t said that. She’d claimed for months she couldn’t make it to Kara’s college graduation ceremony, only to appear minutes before, revealing it had been a planned surprise.
This was the way we would tell Kara we were coming for her. Her message from the butcher’s shop had made it to us. Would she understand what L was trying to say?
“I remember.” Kara’s voice was strong. She got it. There was a new light in her eyes that she quickly hid. “How is . . . he?”
I exhaled loudly, my body softening. Once again, her life was in danger, but she was worrying about me. I wanted to tell her I was here. That I was coming for her. Just hang on.
“He’s worried,” L said. “We’re all worried about what Juric’s doing to you. What he might be making you do.” Her lips mouthed the word “Trap?”
Kara shook her head and her gaze moved up to Juric, filled with fire. “He doesn’t have any control over me.”
“I don’t?” His voice rang through the speaker. “Say goodbye, liar.”
“Wait,” L said, frantic.
Kara’s face was anxious, but determined and strong. “Goodbye.”
The screen went black and a dialog box appeared, announcing the call had ended.
Jason closed the last Velcro strap of my bulletproof vest and tugged at the neck, making sure it was centered on my body. He gave me and the vest an evaluating look while muttering something about what a shitty idea this was.
“Show me you can move.” His attitude was cold and no-bullshit.
I turned my shoulders side to side. The vest was snug. “It fits,” I snapped. “Let’s go.”
“Do you remember how to load the mag?”
I clicked the release on the SIG Sauer and pulled the magazine out, then slapped it back in the pistol. He’d shown me the basics of personal firearms when he’d taken over as head of security and gave me the briefest refresher after the call ended.