Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“We need to move,” Knight said, his voice smooth and pleasant despite everything. “Those guys will have men coming to find that one.” He jerked his head in the direction of the fallen biker.
I nodded and moved toward the truck. Veda followed after a beat of hesitation. She climbed into the back seat on the passenger side and immediately pressed herself against the door, gun held against her chest in both hands. Not pointed at anyone, but kept at the ready. I climbed in beside her while Knight got in the passenger seat beside Tiny.
The ride to the Kiss of Death compound took maybe two minutes. Veda stared straight ahead, her breathing shallow and controlled. Blood dripped from her palm onto her jeans, leaving dark spots on the denim. She didn’t seem to notice. Her hand kept going to her chest, pressing flat like she hurt.
“You sure you’re OK?” We rolled through the gate and straight to one of the camouflaged paths leading deeper into the compound. Tiny took the tight corners with practiced ease, never slowing down. Veda nodded but didn’t speak. “Veda, you’re rubbing your chest. Are you hurt worse than we thought?”
Tiny pulled into the garage, a large warehouse. Tools hung on pegboards along one wall. Lifts occupied two of the bays. Half a dozen motorcycles in various states of repair sat on the concrete floor. The space was well-lit and familiar. Home.
“I’m fine. It’s the reason I was there to begin with. I’d prefer not to lose it.”
“Prefer not to lose what?”
She looked up at me and opened her mouth, but she seemed to realize she could be in a bad situation. Veda stumbled out of the vehicle before the truck fully stopped. Then she backed up until she hit the nearest wall and brought her gun up, pointing it at me as I climbed out of the truck.
I stopped about ten feet away and raised both hands, palms out, making myself readable. “You’re safe here,” I said, keeping my voice level and calm. “You’re not trapped. Door’s right there.” I nodded toward the bay door we’d entered through, still open to the night air beyond. “You want to leave, leave. Nobody’s stopping you.”
Her gun stayed up, both hands wrapped around the grip despite the blood making her palm slick. Her arms shook with exhaustion or shock or both. She looked at the door I’d indicated, then back at me, her eyes moving fast like she weighed her options.
Knight stood near the truck, far enough back to be non-threatening, just watching. He’d seen people at their breaking point before. Hell, we all had. He knew better than to approach or speak, knew the wrong word right now would send her running. Or shooting.
Veda’s gaze moved around the garage, taking in the other men present. A couple guys near the far wall had stopped working to watch, their expressions neutral. Nobody moved toward her and, even better, nobody made the situation worse by trying to help.
She looked back at me. Her jaw worked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. The gun barrel wavered slightly, dipping a few inches before she corrected and brought it back up. Her breathing came faster now, ragged at the edges. The adrenaline was wearing off and everything underneath was starting to surface.
I stayed still, hands still raised, and waited. Pushing now would be the worst possible move. She needed to make this choice on her own, needed to decide whether staying was worth the risk of trusting men she didn’t know in a place she’d never been.
Finally, she lowered the weapon until it pointed at the floor instead of at my chest. Her whole body sagged slightly, like that small movement took everything she had left. She didn’t run or move toward the door.
“Now,” I said, lowering my hands slowly. “You want to tell me what you’ve got that’s important enough to risk your life to get?”
Chapter Three
Veda
I clutched the pen camera against my chest. Rather, I pressed my hand to my chest over the tiny drive tucked between my breasts in my bra. I tucked the gun in my waistband but I didn’t think I’d chosen the smartest place. Last thing I wanted was to get my ass shot off with friendly fire, but I also didn’t want to accidentally shoot someone else.
Griffin wanted to know what I had that was worth dying for. I needed to decide if I was all in or not. Because, if I wasn’t, I needed to leave. Now. My palm stung where the window had cut me, to say nothing of the scrapes and small cuts on my face. Blood had dried brown and flaky around the edges of the wound. I kept my back pressed to the wall.
“I was a bookkeeper at a place down the street from Enclave Éclipse,” I started. “I watched a man named Iron put two people down in cold blood in the back office. And I got every second of it on this.” I pulled the pen camera from my shirt.