Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
She glances behind her one last time, giving me a sad smile before disappearing around the corner to the stairwell.
I don’t make it down the hall before Jase is up the stairs, full steam in his gait until he lifts his head and sees me.
“We need to talk.” Jase’s voice carries down the hall with an edge of urgency. “Now.”
“What’s going on?” I ask him, feeling my forehead crease and the adrenaline pumping harder.
“There’s been a breach. Looks like we’re going to have company.” His eyes reflect the welcome of a challenge and my lips curl up in agreement.
“Talvery?” I ask him, wondering if her father was already in motion before the call, or if he stupidly acted off impulse.
Jase nods, but worry lines his expression. “There are only six.”
“Six men?” I question. “Talvery isn’t that fucking stupid.”
“One’s an informant and probably how they got past the first gate. Two are her blood.”
“You think someone helped him?” I question Jase, thinking the informant was aided by someone he’s spoken to, but he shakes his head quickly.
“We were alerted the second they were spotted. Where’s Aria?” Jase questions and I’m quick to answer, “She’s safe in my bedroom. She won’t leave.”
My throat dries and tightens, thinking about them stealing her, but worry and fear will only bring my downfall.
“There’s no way he thought he could succeed in doing anything but sending his own men to be killed with only six.”
“There’s definitely something off,” he adds and pulls up the feed on his phone. Six men along the inner tower, fully armored. I watch with him as he asks me, “We could question them?”
My chest tightens as I recognize the face of one man. “Nikolai.”
He dared to come here. To try to take what’s mine? Anger fills my blood and a seething mix of jealousy and vengeance turns my vision red.
“I was thinking we eliminate the three that don’t matter but bring the cousins and Nikolai in for questioning.” His statement is spoken in a low voice as he looks behind us, back to where Aria waits for me.
I lick my lips, knowing that Talvery is fully aware all six would die in an attempt to infiltrate and kill us, to rescue Aria.
“Nikolai is foolish and desperate. If he came because he knew she was here, I could see him only being followed by a few men.”
“They’re all high ranking,” I say quickly, knowing each one of them. Recognizing a few who have killed on my streets.
“There’s no way they came without Talvery knowing.”
“Did they come to kill? Or to take her?” I ask Jase but had I waited for a second longer, I wouldn’t have had to ask at all. I watch as one of them drops a grenade on the edge of the garage, followed by another a few feet farther down. They came to kill.
“They left explosives lining the gate. A scan shows they have enough on the bags strapped to their backs for the entire estate if they could get through it.” My lips twitch with menace. “The same as before?” I ask Jase, remembering the site of the ash and rubble my former home was made to be. “You think it’s the same men?”
Jase and I share a look, but he doesn’t answer me verbally.
A call to Jase’s phone replaces the surveillance on his phone. The moment he answers, my own phone rings to life in my pocket.
“It’s Aria,” Jase tells me before I answer my phone. He doesn’t hide the nervousness as he tells me, “She’s not staying in the bedroom.”
“Where is she going?” I ask him, but then realize it doesn’t matter. If she sees, she’ll have to choose.
“Let her be, let her come if she chooses.” My heart races as Jase tells them my orders and my phone dies in my hand. She’ll see what they’re capable of and what I need to stop, what I need to protect.
Let her see, let her choose.
“Have them kill the three, now.” My voice is hard although inside tremors of rage grow. The three bodies will drop the second the command is given, leaving the other three scrambling but trapped on our estate. “Bring the other three to me.”
Chapter 25
Aria
If only Carter would let me call my father or go to him. My skin pricks with goosebumps that won’t leave and the constant chill I feel is at odds with the heat boiling my blood.
I can convince my father that there’s another way.
I heard what he said. The message for me. He was speaking in code. He’s coming. In only hours, my father is coming for me.
Stay quiet while I’m gone and stay in your room.
My father would tell me that before leaving for the night when we were on lockdown, but only when he would be gone for a few hours. If it was any longer than that, he’d have me go to the safe house.