Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
She rolled her eyes. “Because I’m not crying and begging you to save my friend. My sister is overly dramatic. She wouldn’t even listen to me when I said that sex tape was probably AI garbage. I couldn’t break it because you have the one person on my team who could likely figure it out. So, despite the fact that Lou is worth ten Ben Parkers, she only cared about rescuing him. So she could try to kill him. She only thinks about her own damn feelings. It was easy to get out of The Garden because everyone was paying attention to Kenzie. It was a whole scene, but I suspect you anticipated that.”
“I do like a touch of chaos,” Huisman admitted. “She does seem to be a bit on the unstable side. Unlike you, from what I can tell she’s a bit of a slut.”
Like that was the worst thing she could be called. Or original. “My sister has had a lot of boyfriends. She always thinks she’s in love and makes mountains out of molehills, but Ben has been a pain in my ass since the day she laid eyes on him.”
“He’s a traditionally attractive man. Very masculine. Women are attracted to Benjamin because of their biological needs.”
She’d been attracted to him because of that pull she’d felt. And then she’d gotten to know him, and when he wasn’t thinking about Huisman, he was sweet and they fit together like puzzle pieces finally falling into place. She forced the thoughts out of her head because the last thing she needed was to go soft and have Huisman asking more questions. “My sister is addicted to drama. She gets bored when the world is too peaceful, so she lapped this new development up like a cat with cream. So tell me—did she arrive like an avenging angel? She sure as fuck was more interested in dealing with her dumbass lover than saving the woman who’s been our friend for most of our lives.”
“She was intriguing in her rage. I was surprised she didn’t cry. I honestly expected more tears.”
Fuck. Her sister was supposed to play for the camera, to let Huisman think his plans all worked. She’d hoped for a full-on Real Housewives of Spyworld scene. “She’s a damn spy. You think she can’t turn the waterworks off when she wants to? I assure you she’s an excellent actress, and she wouldn’t want to give Ben another second of her tears. My question is what are you going to do when my sister kills him?”
There was the first crack in his armor. A slight tic of his jaw. So he was lying about being concerned about Ben, but she’d known that. She’d made a thorough study of the man who seemed to always come between her and the man she loved.
Ben was his obsession, the center of his twisted universe. Yes, he wanted to burn the world down, but he damn straight wanted Ben at his side while he did it.
“She won’t kill him. She’s too in love with him. Or rather she believes herself to be. A woman’s love is a useless, selfish thing, but she won’t be able to murder him.” He took a long breath, as though letting the tension go. His mask slipped back into place.
But she’d figured out how to shake him. It was time to stand and get her Academy Award. “Did you watch? Was it a tender reunion because when I left, Kenzie seemed unhinged. I love my sister. I’ve never seen her so angry. She thought she found the one, and I don’t know if her heart can take a betrayal like this. I think she could do something she’ll regret, and my father won’t stop her. My father will do the deed himself if he thinks he can get away with it.”
Huisman went still, his eyes reminding her of a snake about to bite. “He wouldn’t.”
Well, she’d known this would be painful. She wasn’t about to start playing it safe now. “If my father thought Ben Parker betrayed my sister? That he has someone on the side he’s sleeping with? He saw the video you sent. It won’t take much to convince my father to take out his more violent impulses. Did you leave anyone for him to fight? Or was Ben offered up like a sacrificial lamb?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He edged closer to her.
If she managed to break his neck, would the guards fight or run?
“You think you know my family, but I don’t understand your logic, Emmanuel. I’m going to call you that from now on. Or maybe Manny. Isn’t that what Ben calls you? Manny, explain to me how you can reconcile the idea that my father is a brutal killer willing to protect his men at any cost, including your father’s life. Which he didn’t do, by the way.”