Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
We finish getting ready before we head out. I don't get that nervous energy until we're in the SUV. Killian goes over everything again with me. Roland already came through with the plane.
"You will stay in the lobby, Zolotse," Killian tells me.
"I will." I nod adamantly. "You don't need to worry about me." His brows rise, and I know that was the wrong thing to say. "Really, I'll stay put until you tell me to move my booty."
Killian presses his forehead to mine. "I love you, Zolotse."
"I love you too." I press my mouth to his.
Killian might have done underhanded things to get me, but they'd all been done with sweetness, and no harm was intended. Right now, he's going up against a person that he shouldn't be. They have worked together in the past, but he's doing it for me. The man is willing to change his whole life for me. That tells me all I need to know about how much he cares for me.
"Five minutes," he tells me before I slip out of the SUV.
I fire off another text while I wait the longest five minutes of my life, but Lily doesn't message me back. She did thirty minutes ago when she said Tristan left, but maybe she's not taking the time to respond and is focusing on getting out.
Killian has Lily's number too, so they can message if need be.
Finally, it's go time, and I slip on my sunglasses and make sure my crown is in place before I power on my lightsaber and enter the building.
The two men behind the giant marble desk stand, their attention right on me. The lobby is pretty dead.
"Ma'am?" The bald one speaks first.
"The beginning of wisdom is the statement 'I do not know.'"
"What?" the younger blond one asks, interrupting my monologue, but I keep going.
"The person who cannot make that statement is one who will never learn anything. And I have prided myself on my ability to learn.”
"We're going to have to ask you to leave," Baldy says.
"What's that, Trall?" the other asks.
"Yes!" I can't believe he got that.
"The lightsaber was throwing me."
"Do not question my weapons, human." I guess I'm leaning into Warcraft. I keep going and go into another monologue. I get further this time before I have no choice but to stop. “Don't!" I bring my lightsaber down on the desk. "You're not calling anyone."
I glance over my shoulder to see a couple of men in all-black suits rushing in toward the elevators.
"Why didn't you stop them?" I point over my shoulder with my thumb.
"They are free to come and go."
"Is it because I'm a girl? My age? My crown?!" I try to act super offended.
"No." Baldly shakes his head. "It's because of—"
"Me," a male with a deep voice says from right behind me. I slowly turn to meet the chest of a swanky suit. I know who it is instantly. I may have googled him more than once. My eyes lock with Tristan's. Oh crap, this is not good.
"Mr. Vanderbilt, we were just escorting her out."
"She's not going anywhere." He grabs my elbow.
"Hey," I say, trying to jerk my arm away. "Stranger danger!"
"You want to see Lily?" he asks.
"It's okay," I tell the two security men. "No need to call the police on Tristan here."
Blondy snorts a laugh. "We would never do that."
"But he was kidnapping me," I point out. The hell, man? No wonder Lily is trapped here.
"This conversation is over," Tristan tells all of them and starts pulling me back toward the elevators. I go with him because why not? He's not going to keep me captive. "You think you could pull one over on me?" Tristan asks when the elevator doors close, leaving us all alone.
What does Lily see in this man? He's tall with dark hair and deep blue eyes. They are striking, and he's pretty. Not a bad build, but Killian's is better.
"I think you're a jerk face." I glare up at him. "You don't know who you're messing with."
"Oh, I know." He gives a slow, icy smirk. "Killian Kotov is here." Wait, does he have him? Did we walk right into a trap? I do the only thing I can think of to get me out of this situation. I hit Tristan Vanderbilt with my taser.
Chapter Twenty-Six
KILLIAN
“This is not going according to plan," Lily hisses.
“Keep moving,” I order her.
“I’m not a hostage, you know?”
I grunt a response. As I worried, Lily couldn't get out the front door. I’d gone in through the service elevator and slipped through the back.
"Is he dead?" Lily asks as we pass one of the four men I'd knocked out.
"No."
"Would you tell me if he was?" I grunt a response. Normally I wouldn't have lied if he was dead. I would have told her, but that might upset Teddy, so I’d lie.