Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 159420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
It’s laughable. The way I’m twisting against the ropes. Not only do I have very little hope of outrunning these men if I do get free, but there’s zero chance of me getting free in the first place. It’s not the kind of knot that will untie, not by me, not by anyone else. Only one man can undo these, and he’s the one who put me here. He’s the one who threw me to the wolves once again. Only these wolves walk on two legs and their eyes, dark and bottomless, light up with amusement as they watch me try to get away. They even chuckle and mutter among themselves, making my skin crawl as they walk toward me.
But I can’t stop. I struggle harder. Especially when I see the look in their eyes. I’ve seen it so many times before that I know what it means. I know what their intentions are, and despite how futile my attempts may be, I’m not going down without a fight. I’m not. I’ll fight them. I’ll even beg them if I have to, but I’m not going to make this easy on them.
They’re halfway over to me when it happens. A crack blasts through the air that stops my heart and seizes my breath. I’ve never heard a gunshot before, but I know that’s what it was. Instinctively. It rings loud and shrill, followed by an even louder howl from one of the men. The one walking on the right goes down on one knee. I can’t see his face, but I know his features must be contorted in pain. And then all my focus is drawn to the blood that blooms, dark and thick, through his jeans on his left thigh.
I don’t get to process that because the moment his companion gets hit, the other man whips the gun out of his waistband and spins to the side, pointing in the direction from which the shot was fired. Terrified, terrified, I swivel my gaze in the same direction, and my heart soars in my chest, my limbs loosen, and my breaths come back. But only for a few seconds because I remember. He’s the one who brought me here. Him.
He stands half in the light and half in shadows, his face covered by the bandanna and a gun pointed at the man. His feet are planted wide, and his body seems even larger than usual, more muscular and mean. So mean. Paired with the Stetson sitting low on his head, letting only the dangerous glint of his eyes pass through, he looks like a stranger. Someone I don’t know. Someone I’ve never met.
A killer.
He even sounds different, his voice low and deadly, lethal. “That was to tell you I mean business.”
As if on cue, the man on the ground moans and curses. His partner clutches the gun tighter and says, “Boss ain’t gonna be happy about that.”
He jerks his chin and replies, “You can tell him I ain’t happy with him either.”
The man keeps the gun aimed at Radisson, but I detect a tiny movement of his finger that sends my heart racing.
I flinch when Radisson’s voice booms through the air. “Wouldn’t pull that trigger if I were you.” The man goes still and Radisson continues, “At worst, you miss and I shoot you in retaliation. At best, your aim’s true and I still shoot you back. Either way, you get shot. And gettin’ shot ain’t all that fun.” He tips his chin toward the man who’s still on his knees, clutching his thigh. “Just ask him.”
The man stares at Radisson for a few seconds, and even though I can’t see his face or even read his eyes since he’s turned away, I still think he’s a little spooked as he says, “All we want’s the girl. That’s all. We don’t want no trouble.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t bring me what I wanted in exchange.”
My stomach bottoms out. Exchange. Is that why? He wants something, and he’s using me to get it. He’s using me. Like everyone else. Using me all along.
Over the ringing of my ears, I hear the man say, “There was a change of plans.”
Radisson hums. “Yeah, got the text.”
“So you know the parcel is waitin’ for you at the new location.”
Radisson stares at the man for a few seconds, the danger in his eyes still sharp as steel. “Gotta say, you guys had me fooled. All this time, I thought I was dealin’ with professionals. But turns out, you’re a bunch of cowboy morons if you think I’m just gonna hand over the cargo without gettin’ what I want first.”
The man with the gun shifts on his feet. “Just follow the instructions; you’ll get what you want.”
Radisson tilts his head to the side, watching him curiously. Then, in the blink of an eye, he shifts his arm and shoots the kneeling man. This time in his forehead, right at the center, and he drops dead, his eyes still open. The man with the gun flinches, the gun in his hand shaking.