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)
"I don't think those grunts are as sexy as Teddy told me." I grunt again. I want to get out of this building. Teddy should be headed out now too, but she hasn't messaged me.
"This way," I tell Lily, entering the parking garage. I call Teddy when we get into the car while I pull around, but it only rings and goes to voicemail.
A pit of worry forms in my stomach at not being able to contact her. It’s uncomfortable and not a reaction I’m used to having. This time when I call her, it goes straight to voicemail, alerting me to either it being turned off or she’s somewhere she doesn’t have a signal.
I pause, my mind shuffling through the possibilities. “How did you know Tristan had a meeting today?”
“He told me. Why?" Lily glances back toward the door we exited out of. “Shouldn’t we—"
“Was it on his calendar?" I ask. Teddy once told me that Lily checks his calendar for events coming up to determine when she could try to slip away from him.
“No.” Lily shakes her head.
“Fuck,” I say, the realization hitting me that we walked right into Tristan’s trap. “We’re going back in,” I tell her.
“What?! No.” Lily backs up a few steps from me, and I reach out and take hold of her forearm. She wraps her hand around to grab me right back. Not sure what she thinks she’s going to do.
“Now you’re a hostage." Lily slightly pales, but I don’t give a flying fuck. I won’t let anything stand in the way of getting Teddy back. She’s the only one that matters in all of this. I start leading Lily back toward the exit door. I don’t believe Tristan really went anywhere.
The second I feel Lily’s hand tighten, I instantly know why she grabbed my forearm. I move before she can. I could have let her try to reverse the hold so she realizes it couldn’t work on me. I’m too fucking big. She can throw all of her weight at me, and it won’t do shit.
Instead, I yank her, spinning her around, and lock her in a hold. “Holy fucking shit, asshole.” Now that’s the Lily Teddy has told me about.
“Tristan has my Zolotse. Let me be perfectly clear with you.” I look her in the eyes. “There is nothing or no one I won’t sacrifice to get her back.”
“What?” Lily’s whole body relaxes, and she stops fighting my hold. “Why didn’t you just say that? I’m not leaving Teddy behind.” I release my hold on her, spinning her back around to face me.
“Next time, don’t hesitate. I felt you prepare for your strike,” I inform her, in case she’s ever in a situation like this again. The rate she and Teddy are going, it wouldn’t surprise me.
“Thanks,” Lily says dryly.
“Follow me, no questions,” I order, heading back through the door. I pull out both of my guns.
“Oh shit,” Lily hisses as I go ahead and take out the camera. I programmed them to glitch, but it only lasts so long, and I don’t have time to play around. “It was quiet.”
“Silencer,” I tell her as I point the other gun at the security guard on the ground.
“Don’t kill him.” I shoot the dart into his thigh to make sure he stays out. I do this all the way back up the stairs. My phone starts to go off, and I motion for Lily to turn around so we can go back down one floor.
“You’re playing a deadly game, Tristan.”
“The way I see it, we’re even at the moment," Tristan counters. He’s trying to keep his tone level, but there is a small hitch. He’s just as worried about me having Lily as I am about him holding my Teddy.
“Your Lily isn’t worth anything compared to Teddy,” I growl through the phone.
Lily throws her hands up and mouths, I’m right here.
“I don’t care whether you think she’s worth it or not. We trade.” I’ll agree to a trade, and then I’ll kill him are my thoughts. Until I realize that Teddy wouldn't care for this plan, nor would she be okay with an exchange.
“How do I know you have her?” I ask to kill time. I motion for Lily to follow me.
“She tased me.” That answers that question. I bite back a chuckle. I’m too pissed to find any of this funny. I don’t believe he'll hurt Teddy, but people get desperate.
Tristan has more of a moral compass than I do. However, I won’t be taking that chance. I’d kill Lily and every other person in the building to save Teddy. Tristan might feel the same way. He’s not the same man I once knew.
"You kidnapped me! Of course I tased you, you, you—" Teddy stumbles to find her words. "Giant jerk face! Not even the good kind of giant, like Killian."