Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I wish there was a way for her to feel safe so she’d be okay with settling down. She’s convinced she has to stay moving or things will catch up to her.
“Can I get you ladies…” Brenda, the woman who showed us in here, stops speaking when she sees Marks. “Who are you?”
“She’s with me.” I stand. Shit, how are we going to handle this? Is she going to say something to Brian? Does she have my husband on speed dial and is going to alert him?
“Yeah, that's Marks; just ignore her. We have to drag her shopping with us.” Cosima's tone is sugary sweet. “I’ll take everything on this rack, so I’ll need a new one. Do you have other items I can try on?”
“Of course, give us a little time, and we’ll bring in some more.” Brenda beams before quickly going to find Cosima more clothing. We collectively breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that it was a close call.
“You’re good at this.” I shake my head.
“I think you forget that I’m still a Marino at the end of the day.” This is true.
“That should buy us enough time for me to finish with your phone.” Now that Marks is here, I hate that our visit is going to be rushed.
“Ladies,” Brenda calls as she comes back through the curtains. “This is an issue.” There is a cop right behind her. “This officer needs to speak with you.”
“Thank you, Brenda,” Cosima says dismissively to her, almost rudely. Brenda nods, turning to leave us alone with the cop.
“Is there a problem?” I ask, standing up. Cosima holds out her hand to me.
“Who are you?” Cosima asks him.
“I’m Officer Woods.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Who the fuck are you, and where is Brian?” Cosima steps over and in front of us. What the hell is going on? I see out of the corner of my eye Marks slide the phone down to her side.
"I just have a few questions is all." He gives us a smile. I think he means for it to put us at ease, but it does the opposite.
"Do you have a death wish?" Cosima takes another step toward Officer Woods.
"Don't move." Woods pulls out his gun, aiming it at her.
"So you do have a death wish." Cosima lets out a sigh. Marks gives me a what-the-fuck look. Not over the cop either; it's over Cosima. Does she have a death wish?! I mean, there’s a difference between mouthing off to Z and someone who is pointing a gun at you.
“You shut the fuck up!” he barks at her, losing his façade.
“What do you want?” Cosima asks, not shutting the fuck up. Not really that shocking.
“The wife, which of you is her?” He points the gun at Marks and me, motioning between us.
“War’s wife?” Cosima takes another step toward him. He swings the gun back toward her. Has she lost her fucking mind?
“I told you to shut the fuck up!” he shouts at her.
“He looks like he smells: like two-day-old McDonald’s fries left in the car,” Marks mutters to me, which only makes Woods swing his gun back to us. “You’ve got the ring. You’re coming with me.” That gun trains solely on me. I run my thumb against the underside of my ring.
“That’s not happening.” Marks steps in front of me.
“Oh my God.” I push past her. “Yes, I’m Warren’s wife.”
“She’s not going with you,” Cosima informs him like she’s in charge here.
“How about I put a bullet in you and see if that holds true?”
“That would be awfully loud. Draw attention. You don’t want that, do you?”
“She’s coming with me.” He steps closer, putting the gun under Cosima's chin. “You know what?” Woods licks his lips. “I think I’ll take you too.” My stomach sinks. “In fact, I think I’ll take all of you.”
Chapter Thirty
WARREN
Iroll up the sleeves of my button-up shirt up before loosening a few of the buttons at the top. “Are you going to beat the kid in the office?” Ronan asks.
“Someone is going to pay.” I pull my gun out from inside the glove box. I had Ronan stash it for me. I didn’t want Tova to notice it when I was seeing her off. It would only worry her. I click the safety off before holstering it again.
“Isn’t that why you burned down one of their warehouses?” Ronan checks his own gun.
“That was only an appetizer.” I step out of the SUV. Z is already there, leaning up against the building, fiddling with his phone. He appears pissed off.
“Yeah, some of my shit isn’t working.” He slips the phone into his back pocket, only to pull out another. He flips it in his hand, catching it.
“Is that a problem?”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with this.” He nods to the building. “We’re a go on my end. All systems have gone dark.”