Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 157162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“I’m aware you’re alive since you’re on the phone,” Jasper replied flatly. “And you’ll know it wasn’t me since if I was shooting at anyone, I wouldn’t miss.”
My heart compressed at the certainty in his tone, a truth I’d already come to yesterday, but hearing it out loud made it all the more disturbing.
“Despite current circumstances, the fact remains that I would never shoot at you,” he added in the same unemotional tone, yet there was a slight intensity to his voice that was rare.
That was his way of saying he cared about me. As much as a man like him was capable of. Never overt. Never in a way that would leave him exposed.
I inhaled deeply, looking out at the waves. I was two towns over in a swanky hotel bar drinking a martini and working. If someone was trying to kill me, I didn’t need to be around anyone who’d get caught in the crossfire. And I knew that the Jupiter crew would be descending on my house at some point, something I didn’t need. Nora needed them, fussing over Henry. Taking care of her. I wasn’t able to steal her thunder just because someone decided to get trigger happy. A good thing they weren’t a better shot, I supposed. Otherwise, poor Henry’s birthday would always be shadowed by my death.
“Is your employer contracting out my assassination?” I believed Jasper. He was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a liar.
“My employer does not want you dead. You’re too useful for that.”
I tapped my finger against the rim of my glass when I caught the eye of the server, needing another. Needed a hundred more drinks. If only I could drink my problems away. Millions of people had tried that before, doing nothing but creating a million more troubles. Yet we continued to try. Because what else could we do? Face the world sober? Strong people did that. People I did not want to fuck with, those who raw-dogged life.
“Not trying to scare me back to New York?” I was looking for a hole in Jasper’s story. Truth be told, it would be nice if it was him so I could know and form a plan. The shooter being unknown just added to my list of shit to do.
“If they wanted to scare you, they wouldn’t do it with a flesh wound.” Jasper’s tone was full of foreboding.
My teeth smashed together. Yeah. That I knew. The mob was a lot of things, but they weren’t subtle. I would’ve lost a finger, if I was lucky.
“You have someone else who wants you dead and has terrible aim or who wants you scared and is stupid enough to think the shooting would scare you,” Jasper added when I didn’t speak for a long time.
He was confident that I wasn’t scared because he knew me. That I was too jaded to be frightened by a botched shooting. And that would’ve been true if I’d been alone. If I hadn’t been walking with someone who’d used his own body to cover me, willing to get himself riddled with bullets to ensure my safety.
That terrified me.
The thought of Elliot bleeding to death on top of me, his life given willingly to save mine, walking around breathing while he rotted in the earth.
The last of my martini turned rancid in my mouth at the mere thought.
“Yes, it would take a lot more than that,” I lied. The last thing Jasper needed to know about was Elliot.
“You pissed off a small-town hunter?” He was unusually chatty.
I mouthed a thank you to the server as he put another drink in front of me in record time.
My mind raced, trying to figure out who the shooter was if it wasn’t Jasper or anyone connected to him. It’s not like I didn’t have a list of enemies. Plenty of fallen men would dance on my grave given the chance. Some might’ve even had enough power or bravery to attempt to kill me, but I doubted it.
“Something like that,” I murmured.
“You want me to look into it?”
I froze, my martini inches from my mouth. It was not an offer from the goodness of his heart. He’d expect something in return. And I was done owing Jasper Hayes.
“No,” I shook my head. “I can handle this.”
“Flesh wound would beg to differ,” he countered.
I scowled, though he couldn’t see it. “I’m breathing, aren’t I?”
“For now,” he finally said after a loaded pause. It wasn’t exactly a threat, yet it cooled my blood, nonetheless. “My offer stands, if you come to your senses.”
“I’ve come to them, which is why I’ll never ask for another favor from you as long as I live.” Not giving him a chance to reply, I hung up on him.
The second I broke the call, my phone started vibrating again.