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)
“We will have to agree to disagree on that. Your father is ruthless. I actually admire him a bit. He would have been a good addition to my team if he wasn’t so intransigent.”
“Reconcile that man with the one you hope he is today. The one who doesn’t hurt your bestie. My father is ruthless, and he loves his children.” She felt her heart rate tick up every inch he moved in. The need to fight was almost too strong to ignore, but she still didn’t know where Lou was. He could have protocols in place when it came to her. “My father would do anything for us, but he’s always thought Kenzie was a bit of a changeling. Don’t get me wrong. Kenz can do the hard stuff, but she’s soft inside. She’s the sweet one, the one who so desperately needs everyone to love her. It can be pathetic at times. So my father has always protected her, and now you’ve given him an excuse to take out the biggest threat of all.”
It was close enough to the truth. Her father would never kill Ben in a way that anyone could find out. She also knew her father would question the validity of that tape. She made it plain that it wasn’t real and they had to take care of Ben and find out if his girlfriend had been a captive all these years.
“He would not.”
She allowed her lips to curl slightly, trying to capture a particular expression of Kala’s. The smug smirk she used when dealing with assholes. “They took out the cameras. You should have expected that. Did you think without Lou we couldn’t take out a couple of security cams? You don’t know what happened. You saw the beginning but not the end.”
“I know they left the grounds in the early morning hours,” Huisman admitted. “I am sure they had Benjamin with them since he wasn’t found there. Your father called French intelligence, so we’ll have to move the operation. But that’s for the best since I also assume your father handed over the girls to MI6.”
Not all of them, but she wasn’t going to out Sosa. If he thought she was dead from the poison, then that was probably a good thing. “I don’t care what happens to them, but I suspect you’ll be worried about your bestie. Do you wonder how many parts he’s in now? Bet you didn’t count on that.”
A cracking sound split the air a second before the pain bloomed across her face. He’d meant that slap. It snapped her head back and split her lip, but she didn’t care. She was Kala now. Kala never minded some blood. She smiled. “I wish I’d been there. I would love to have been the one to do it, to watch the light in his eyes die.”
She thought he would hit her again, but he took a step back, his gaze going dark.
“Well, at least I’m no longer worried I might have the wrong twin. You should hope Benjamin isn’t in pieces. I’m the only one allowed to hurt him. The women of your team don’t know their places. You should expect more of that if you continue to behave like an animal.”
Sure. She was the animal. She wiped her hand across her lip, coming back with blood. “Maybe you can trade Lou for Ben’s parts.”
“It’s good that you understand you’re not going to be traded. Now that I have you here, I won’t let you go again.” He stepped away and straightened his suit. He glanced back at the guards. “Bring her in.”
The door opened again and two more guards were there and had hands on Lou.
Kenzie could breathe again. Lou was here. She was alive.
But she obviously hadn’t been complying. She had a black eye and her lip was busted up. There was a brace around her left wrist. What the hell had they done to her? Kenzie’s brain went to a thousand dark places. Lou had been alone here with a bunch of fucking mercenaries. What scars couldn’t she see? The minute the guards let go of her, she ran to Kenzie, throwing her arms around her and holding her tight.
Kenz could feel tears on her neck as Lou squeezed so hard.
“What did you do?” Lou asked.
She breathed her in. They’d been friends for long enough that now they were family. Lou was closer to Kala, but she’d always been there for Kenzie, too. “What I had to. Tell me how they hurt you.”
“She wasn’t raped.” Huisman’s eyes rolled as if that was so boring a punishment he wouldn’t dream of it. “I told you I need her. She attempted to escape, and my men brought her back. It’s her fault because she fought them. I assure you I didn’t want her arm injured, and I know how easy it is to mentally break a woman. I need her working, not sitting around crying about a little sex.”