Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Even if I had a chance at winning this fight, would I take the risk? Would I really put my wife in danger?
“I swore I’d keep you safe,” I whisper, squeezing the key in my fist.
“No,” she says, voice shaking. “After all this? Stellan, please don’t.”
I take the key out and dangle it by the ring. “You’ll let her live,” I call out.
Isak holds up one hand. “I swear on my honor. Which I know doesn’t mean much to you, but I take that sort of thing seriously.”
“I mean it. She walks from this. No matter what.”
“I don’t care about the girl. I just want that key.”
I toss it to him underhand. It glitters in the sun, all my hope, my future, my family, turning end-over-end as it flies toward my enemy.
Isak catches it. “Well, that was easy.” He turns his back on me. “Kill him. Leave the girl alive. But hurt her a little bit.”
“You motherfucker,” I snarl.
“No!” Kira says, grabbing my arm.
Gunshots snap the air. But not from the Turks. They shout in alarm and surprise, and I turn rapidly, grabbing Kira and yanking her to the side. I throw her down to the ground near some bushes and fall on top of her, covering her body with my own.
Lenny's in the doorway to his shop, firing an automatic rifle at the retreating Turkish men. He's screaming like a psycho, the gun bucking against his shoulder. I'm pretty sure he misses every single shot, but it forces the Turks back into their vehicle. They speed off, tires kicking up smoke.
The gunfire tapers off. Lenny chases them as far as the street, waving the gun in the air like a madman. He turns, showing teeth in a vicious grin. “Nobody fucks with my customers,” he says, leaning the rifle on his shoulder.
I push myself to my knees. “Kira, are you okay?”
She brushes herself off and nods. “I’m fine. I’m totally fine. But, Stellan—”
I get to my feet. Take one step. And collapse in pain. “Fuck,” I snarl as I touch a wound in my leg, right above the knee.
A bullet ripped straight through. My pants are soaked in blood.
“Looks like you need a doctor,” Lenny says, already taking out his phone to dial.
“No,” I say, shoving myself to my feet. “No doctor. Kira, you’re driving. We have to stop them.”
“Stellan, you’re hurt.”
“They’ve got it. They’ve got the key. I can’t let them go.” I stagger to the car, heart racing. Every step is agony.
“Hold on there, partner, you can’t just run off.” Lenny looks around wildly. “I just got into a firefight! I need witnesses to back me up!” He gestures at the driver. “I’ve got a corpse here!”
“Show the cops your security footage.” I start the SUV as Kira climbs in beside me.
“Shit!” Lenny screams. I pull out, nearly running him over. “You’re leaving me with an even bigger mess!”
I hit the road going fast. Kira has to steady the wheel.
“This is a bad idea,” she says quietly. “We have to patch you up.”
“Isak’s going to get away.”
“But you’re going to pass out from blood loss. Please, just let me fix you up; then we’ll catch him. We can still get on the plane, right?”
“He’s got one too. He’ll beat me to the bank.”
“Call Prime. Have him watch the place. We’ll figure it out, but please, Stellan. Let me help you.”
I hit the steering wheel, but I know she’s right. “The plane has medical supplies. You’ll do it when we’re taking off.”
“Stellan—”
“No more arguments.” I grit my teeth and drive faster for the airport. “I’ve got bandages in the glove compartment. They’ll keep me alive until you can stitch me closed.”
She doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t argue.
I have one goal now. There’s only one thing that matters.
Find Vural. Get the key back. Stop him from stealing the Black Book.
Everything depends on it.
STELLAN
My phone rings the second the plane lands. I limp down the steps and onto the tarmac. My leg feels like shit, but Kira did a good job cleaning me up. I’ll make sure the flight crew gets an extra big bonus for this one. I’m pretty sure I left a sizable bloodstain on the carpet.
“Prime, what’s going on?”
“Morning, boss.” Prime sounds like his usual calm and cocky self. It drives me nuts. “I’m at the bank, as instructed. The place just opened, but he’s already inside. I think he got them to come in early or some shit.”
Anger and surprise flicker through me. He beat us home by a mile. He must’ve rushed straight to the bank from the airport.
“Keep watching. Don’t let Vural out of your sight no matter what.”
“I can’t do much from a distance even if he does show up. Give me permission to ambush the fucker.”
“Too risky. Cops will get involved, and I don’t want any dead civilians. You can’t go in that bank.”