Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 125248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
His eyes filled with tears. Had someone else been hurt because of him?
Another crash downstairs.
Xander dialed 911 again.
Busy.
“How is that possible?” he whispered hysterically.
Something else shattered.
His entire body shook, his teeth chattering hard enough to hurt.
Maybe it’s a robbery. Please let it just be a robbery.
Amidst the panic, a clear thought cut through the frenzy building inside him.
Cassidy.
Xander called the number he’d memorized from staring at the same card a hundred times.
It rang once before the call connected.
“Xander, what’s wrong?”
The way Cassidy recognized it was him and answered so quickly, coupled with the steadiness in his voice, damn near broke him.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Xander?”
“I—” His breathing hitched. “Someone’s in my house.”
Silence.
He heard faint beeping in the background as though Cassidy was calling somebody.
“There’s no 911,” he choked out. “It’s busy.”
“Where are you?”
Cassidy was so calm and measured…stern.
“My bedroom.”
Another loud bang sounded, but closer, maybe in one of the other bedrooms.
“Cassie help me.”
“I’m already on my way.”
Xander was squeezing the phone so hard he was surprised it didn’t break.
He could hear footsteps now. Maybe more than one, he couldn’t tell.
“They’re coming,” he whispered.
“Do you have balcony access or a big window?”
“Yes.”
“I need you to open it. Then go hide somewhere else in the room. Right now.”
Xander forced himself to move.
He threw open the balcony doors before darting into the connected workout room and closing the door behind him.
He crouched behind the six-foot tall weight rack, fear pumping through him so fast and hard he was surprised he hadn’t passed out.
“I have people coming to you,” Cassidy assured him. “Keep quiet. I’m gonna stay on the line with you.”
Xander never heard Cassidy’s vehicle start, but he knew he was driving because he could hear the roar of his engine.
Hard banging sounded as if somebody was in the upstairs hallway trying to smash the bedroom doors off their frames.
There was a long stretch of silence, before two sharp, muffled pops made him clamp both hands over his mouth to keep from yelling—gunshots—then his bedroom door burst open.
Xander pressed his fist against his mouth trying not to make sound.
“They’re coming,” he whispered. “Oh God, Cassie, I don’t wanna die.”
Cassidy
Cassidy pushed his GT500 so fast the speedometer needle trembled near its limit as though it were begging for mercy.
One-fifty.
One-sixty-seven
One-seventy-five.
The Mustang tore through the sleeping city like a black bullet.
Cassidy had one hand gripping the wheel as he dialed on his business phone with the other, and Xander’s terrified breathing filling the Bluetooth in his ear.
“Please…please…”
Xander’s whispers were so broken and soft, Cassidy strained to hear him over the supercharged V8 Predator engine.
The fear in Xander’s voice was palpable—raw and stabbing.
Every one of his frightened breaths tightened something in Cassidy’s chest. But, despite the spiking adrenaline, he kept his voice level.
“Xander. I don’t want you to speak. Just press a button if you found a place to hide.”
Silence.
Then a beep sounded through the line.
Cassidy let out a soft exhale.
“Good,” he said in a hushed voice. “Stay hidden. I’m on my way and so are the police.”
He clenched his jaw at Xander’s shuddering breaths, and the faint sounds of him trying not to panic.
“Quiet, Xander,” he ordered. “Don’t make a sound. I’m almost there. I swear I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”
Damnit, he hoped he could keep that promise as he pressed his boot all the way down on the accelerator until it was touching the floorboard.
He muted Xander’s call and switched back to the other line.
When he’d first called God, he’d expected the lieutenant himself. Instead, his computer genius, Free, answered.
And thank Christ he did.
The hacker moved like lightning, as if critical tactical response was ingrained in him.
Within seconds Free had dispatched local law enforcement, LAPD SWAT, the city’s crises negotiation team, and mobilized God’s enforcers.
Before he could speak, Free started in as if he already knew what he was about to ask.
“LAPD ETA four minutes. Enforcers ETA two.”
“Not good enough,” Cassidy growled.
Free continued without missing a beat. “Grid routing’s been adjusted. I’ve cleared your path through the last five intersections. Keep pushing southbound.”
Over Xander’s struggling breaths, he heard heavy footsteps and objects breaking.
His stomach dropped through his seat.
“We’re out of minutes,” he snarled at Free, before he unmuted Xander.
“Xander, listen to me,” he whispered harshly. “If they find you…you fight them. Fight ’em with everything you got.”
Before he could say another word, a screeching alarm blared in the background.
It wasn’t Xander’s house alarm, but it was very close. Close enough to echo.
Xander’s breath hitched.
“I’ve triggered the neighbor’s security system.” Free said. “Let’s see if I can scare this motherfucker off.”
Cassidy tightened his grip on the wheel.
“I’m almost there, Xander.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, making him sag with relief.
“Stay hidden until the police are inside,” he ordered.
The answering silence damn near killed him, because he had no idea what state Xander was in now.