Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“If he dies, you die,” I tell Arturo. He’s never far from Paxton, and I’m sure they are expecting him to be driving Paxton down to the docks.
Mac hands me my earpiece to slide in. I want to say more to Paxton, but I’m not sure what that more is.
“If you die, I’ll have Bonte do her witchy magic to bring you back so I can kill you myself,” I tell him.
I expect his kiss to be hard when he leans down, pressing his mouth to mine, but it’s not. It’s soft and far shorter than I want.
“Burn 'em down, Sunshine,” he tells me before stepping back.
“Are we good?” I ask Eros, who is geared up and ready. I double-check my own weapons before we both head out together but part ways once we’ve cut a hole into the fencing to slip through and go to our designated locations. This is my favorite part. The live action.
I slip down the line of containers, staying in the shadows until I get to mine. It’s toward the center, where it opens up to a wide area for the two giant cranes. I take a beat, and when Mac doesn’t give me any updates, I know my target is still in place.
I pull myself up to the top of the container, keeping flat and maneuvering to the center before I run my nails along the metal on the right side and roll to the other. I hear the soft click of the container door opening, and as expected, the man slips out, going to his left to circle around, believing if there is a person, they’ll be on that side.
I watch the man outfitted in all black, a gun in one hand and another strapped to his thigh, move past, and I hop down, gripping my karambit knife tightly in my hand, the blade round, and I wait patiently, watching.
When he turns to go around the backside that I’d climbed up, I do the same light whistle all of us kids did growing up to let the others know if a parent was closing in while we were doing something we shouldn’t be.
The man spins around, and I use his quick momentum with my own, swinging my hand in the opposite direction, right across his throat. His eyes widen for a brief second before his body starts to fall.
I grit my teeth as I lean in so that he comes down partly on me, and then I can lower his heavy ass to the ground quickly. I don’t need to say a word. Mac is watching. When it’s quiet, that means everything is going according to plan.
I hoist myself back up on top of the container and crawl toward the front and get into my position. I peer across to the other side filled with more containers. I can’t see Eros, but I know he’s there.
Now we wait.
Holding is a skill set I’m good at. It’s a matter of being patient, really, but today I don’t have it. I close my eyes and take a few calming breaths to steady my pulse. I open my eyes, everything appearing peaceful, the sound of the water almost calming.
I see the lights of Paxton’s SUV before I hear it. It pulls down and into the center. I watch with bated breath as Paxton, Arturo, and another one of his men, Jeno, unfold from the SUV, appearing casual and talking. As though they don’t expect a thing.
Jeno, animated with his hand motions, proceeds to tell Paxton what had been hit, putting on a show.
That low whistle flutters through my ear, and I hear the creak behind me. I don’t move an inch, simply waiting, knowing a man is creeping up behind me.
“Now,” Mac whispers into my ear. I roll to my back as the man comes over me, a gun pointed down at me. I kick out, hitting him hard in the stomach. He stumbles back, and I push with my elbow to spin, kicking his feet out from under him.
He falls hard, and I know everyone heard it.
“Cunt,” the man grunts. I hope he doesn’t think he’s hurting my feelings. I don’t have those when it comes to outsiders. And I’ve been called far worse. If I had more time, I’d make him eat his words, but I need to stick to the plan today.
In one quick explosive motion, I spring from lying flat on my back right to my feet, over him this time. Except I pull the fucking trigger. My shot is silent, but a scatter of others ring out. I run toward the front of the container to see Paxton and his men, all with guns drawn and two bodies dead on the ground.
Damn, he looks fucking hot with a gun in his hand. I know now is not the time for these sorts of thoughts, but I can’t help it.