Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
She sighs and looks me up and down. “Change your shirt.”
Good call. It’s bright pink and unmissable. I take off toward my room and grab a black sweater before I pull boots on. We’d packed winter stuff when we expected to stay in Frozen Falls. I grab a pair of gloves too before I run back to the kitchen.
“That was fast.” Even as she says that, she begins to head to the door. I follow behind her, trying to keep up. If we want to get out of here, we’re going to have to be quick and stick together. She already looks like she has a plan in place.
We enter a large garage. “Get in that Jeep.” She points at it. The thing is massive and has chains on the tires. She said ‘get in’ as if it will be easy. It’s so high off the ground I’ll have to climb up to get in.
“I’m driving, but you start it up,” she says before she tosses the keys my way. I catch them mid air, then do as she asks. The Jeep is already facing outward. In fact, all of the vehicles seem to be.
I turn back to watch as Daphne hits a button and takes off running toward the Jeep. She jumps in, and I realize she opened the garage door. As soon as it’s open enough for her to get out, she wastes no time in doing so. She guns it like someone is hot on our trail.
“I'm not sure if there is an alert that goes off when the door is opened.” She shrugs.
Charles and Barrow would have stopped us both if they knew what we were up to. The massive Jeep pushes through the snow as we head toward Frozen Falls.
“How will we find them?”
“Frozen Falls isn't that big.” True. I bet anything she knows everything there is to know about Frozen Falls and has memorized it. When we finally hit what I think is a real road, I make a loud sigh of relief. I hear Daphne make one, too.
“Were you even sure you’d make it this far?”
“Nope. I figured the worst that could happen would be that we got stuck, and they would have to come and save us.”
“Been there. Done that,” I joke. It’s either that or panic.
Daphne is so confident. I would’ve thought that she and Bells might bump heads, but Bells is the one who thought Daphne was on our side. I think I agree, especially after Daphne tried to get me not to come. Either way, Bells is going to murder us both when she finds out about this. Clover might frown me to death. It won’t be pretty.
“Rescued by four interesting, handsome, shadowy men. Look how well that ended for you.”
I smirk. “Good point.”
“And Tiernan. He’s got enough interesting to last a lifetime. So many stories all rolled up into one man.”
“I guess we’re all lucky to have wound up at the lodge.” I’ve found my home. With the way Daphne keeps bringing up Tiernan, I wonder if that’s part of the reason why she wanted to venture into Frozen Falls. I have a feeling this is about more than the story. In fact, this might be where her story begins.
14
DIEGO
We pull up outside Maudie’s Town House, the only ‘hotel’ Frozen Falls has to offer. It’s a large Georgian colonial that burned in 1901 and was rebuilt as an exact replica. For decades, it was a brothel and rooming house. Now it’s a fancy place to stay. Frozen Falls is full of interesting facts like that. I suppose all old towns are.
I stow my musings as I make sure my pistols are secure. A car drives past slowly, and I give it a long look. But it’s just a local. Now that the roads are clear in town, more people are moving around. All the better for us, since we won’t be noticed.
“I’ve been waiting for something like this.” Tiernan practically beams as he checks his knives. “Hand to hand under the radar. God, yes. A challenge.”
“The guys outside the lodge weren’t enough for you?”
“Too easy.” He shrugs and peers up at the house. “This takes skill.”
“Hope we’re not rusty.” I grit my teeth as I think about the asshole who’s holed up in Maudie’s.
“Not a chance.” He throws a knife, misses the roof of the truck by only a hair’s breadth, and catches it with fluid ease. “We’re killing this guy, right?”
I turn to him, my blood chilling as I settle my heart rate and ready myself for what needs to be done. “We’ll be heading back to the lodge with his body.”
His grin grows. “I knew coming with you was a good idea.”
I grunt a laugh and open the truck door, then jump down to the street. It’s still icy in patches, and snow is piled on the curb. Stepping over it, I meet Tiernan on the sidewalk. He gives me a nod, and then we split up. Given the fact he’s not a terrifying giant, he’ll take the front door while I head around to the back.