Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
She heard a pinging sound and realized it was coming from the door. “They’re here.”
They stood on opposite sides. The living room with its comfy chairs and sofas and coffee table was a chasm between Devi and Lucy and her cousin.
“They’re coming through the door, and they will take me.” Devi had heard this scenario a million times. “They will want to use me to bring in Zach.” Another ping and then someone was banging on the door. Kicking it, probably. “They’ll bring Kala in and she will die. They will kill you. Please. You can get to the safe room.”
She couldn’t because it would mean running across the space, and she could see more than one red dot prowling around, looking for a target. How many guns did they have on three women?
Lucy glanced at the door and frowned at whatever she saw there. “You honestly believe she’ll die?”
Devi nodded. “She will die. Please save her, Lucy. They won’t kill me, and Zach will find me. Take her to the safe room and lock it down. Stabilize her. Cooper will come for her. Let me give you the distraction. If they have me, they don’t need her.”
“She’s going to kill me.” But Lucy wrapped her hands around Kala’s wrists and started pulling her toward the safe room. “Try to get out if you can. The windows above the beds can be broken. They’re safety glass, meant for quick escapes. Be careful and call someone. Kenzie, if you can. Tell her where we are. This should be you doing this. You should be in that fucking safe room with her.”
The door finally gave way, and she heard the sound of men rushing in as Lucy disappeared with Kala.
She recognized that man. Zach’s father stood in the living room. His mask was off, his predator unleashed. Two men showed up behind him, both with guns in hand.
Devi stood there, trying to give her cousin a chance. “I already called the police.”
Ray White’s lips curled up in a smirk. “They have better things to do. Trust me. When my boss decides to distract, he does it well. They’re all down at the train station trying to find the terrorists. And he made sure there’s an Interpol team there so everyone is trying to save their fucking brothers. Gotta love cops,” he said with a chuckle. He glanced around, his eyes stopping on Kala’s backpack near Devi’s feet. “So where is Kala Taggart?”
Devi shrugged. “She went out for breakfast.”
“She got shot. Tell me they didn’t kill her.” Ray walked in, acting like this was a normal visit between friends. “They were specifically told to not kill Miss Magenta. The boss likes her. I think he’s got a little crush.” He nodded to the others, and one of them took off the way Lucy had gone.
Please let her be in the safe room. Please. Please let her sacrifice mean something. “What do you want with me?”
He looked her up and down, the way a man does before he makes his move. It was gross. “Well, honey, I think I want to find out why my son is willing to risk the world for you. Right before the bombs started exploding, my boss might have implied to Zach that I was at the station and after his mom. So that probably threw him off and he won’t see the real men ready to take her into custody. She’s got a soft spot when it comes to Zach.”
“He’s her son.” Her heart was pounding in her chest. Panic threatened, but she remembered all the training her mom had given her. Her parents hadn’t let her go off into the world without learning some self-defense. The biggest part was to not panic.
“Yeah, that’s been helpful over the years. I shoulda knocked her up more,” Ray said. “I think when she knows how our son feels about you, she’ll do what we need. Of course if we catch Zach, then it’ll just be fun to watch him squirm. Thinks he’s better than his father. I’ll show him.”
The sound of gunfire blasted through the townhouse, and Devi took the chance. Lucy was fighting and she was smart. If she only had to deal with one…
Devi took off for the back rooms. The doors were heavy and they locked. She slammed the bedroom door closed and locked it, reaching for the only chair in the room and propping it against the door. Immediately it started shaking.
Devi ignored it and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her hand and climbing on the bed. Thank the universe she had some of her father’s height. She pulled the thin lamp, turning it over and using the heavy base to break the window.
She was halfway out when she felt hands around her ankles, pulling her back.