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)
“We need to talk.” She grabs my arm and pulls me from the room. Damn, I’m getting two of these ‘talks’ now. We enter the living room area, and I see Clover. She looks like she’s about to cry. Before I can ask what’s wrong, she tells me.
“I think Mark is here. I heard a car.” Clover sounds defeated as she opens the sliding glass door to let Leonard out into the snow. Of course, Leonard, a proper cat, stands in the doorway, deciding whether he wants to stay in, out, or in-between.
It’s not long before I feel Barrow wrap his arm around me and pull me into him.
“I can’t let you go,” he says against my ear. “Either you stay or I go with you. I can’t do the long-distance shit. I need you. I need to be wherever you are.”
A knot forms in my throat. He needs me. I need him, too. I can’t do the long-distance thing either. Before I can tell him that I’ve decided to stay and that I love him, all hell breaks loose.
13
BARROW
The first shot shatters the deer antler chandelier overhead. I push Bells to the floor and cover her with my body. Another shot lodges in the wall overhead.
“The fuck?” Charles yells from the hallway.
I hear the bolt action of a rifle, and I know I have seconds before another shot’s fired. “Stay down,” I tell Bells, then jump to my feet and rush to the door. I grab it and yank it closed right as a shot hits the glass, cracking it in a sunburst pattern, but not breaking through.
“The glass is bulletproof?” Bells asks, her voice in a higher tone than normal.
“Yes. All the glass on the lodge is.” I rush past her, making sure she’s safe, then I open the weapons cabinet as Charles darts in with Tiernan on his heels.
“The fuck?” Diego stomps in, a sniper rifle already in his hand.
“Someone’s got a death wish.” Tiernan takes a single knife. It’s all he needs, the deadly bastard.
“What was that?” Daphne’s voice floats from the kitchen.
“Stay where you are,” Tiernan growls.
“I stashed Clover. She’s safe.” Charles checks his magazines.
“Bells, Aurora, go back to my room and lock yourselves in.” I take a pistol and two knives, then help Bells to her feet. “No matter what you hear, you stay in there, all right?”
She nods, fear in her eyes, but also trust. “Will you be okay?”
“Don’t worry about us. We’re going hunting.” I smirk and kiss her, then hurry down the hall as Diego does the same with Aurora.
“What is it now? Someone trying to kill me again?” Aurora sounds almost bored, as if this is all old news to her. She’s already used to the way of things around here.
Bells, well, she’s always been tough as hell. “Maybe one of your last assassins got lost and he’s finally caught up.”
“That’s embarrassing.” Aurora almost giggles. She has so much faith in Diego that she isn’t the least bit scared.
I give Bells one hard kiss before urging her into our room. “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” I smack Bells’ ass, and she squeals. “And I can guarantee you someone is about to get hurt. No one comes for us. No one puts you in danger. You’re mine, Bells. Forever. I promise you.”
“I believe you.” She steals one quick kiss before ducking into my room.
Diego grabs Aurora and mauls her with a kiss of his own. “You’ll be safe in here.” He guides her inside with Bells, then slams the door. “Lock it, songbird.”
I hear the lock click, and then we return to the main living area. Charles is armed to the teeth, and Tiernan has already stalked out the door and into the snow, Leonard on his heels.
“Things sure have gotten interesting around here.” I scan the treeline as Diego and I head out.
“In a good way.” He grins, his bloodlust already high.
I point through the trees. “Muzzle flare was up that way, but he was making a circuit around to the right.”
“I’ll flank him.” Diego takes off, stealthy as fuck despite how huge he is.
I head straight for the shooter’s nest. He’s not there anymore. I can feel his absence, but if I can find where he was, I can track him, then take him out.
When I get there, Tiernan’s already on it. “Something weird about it.” He kneels and looks at the discarded shell casings. “This guy’s not a—”
“Professional,” we say at the same time. No trained assassin leaves this much evidence behind.
“I’ll keep circling.” He stands and takes off through the trees.
Something itches on the inside of my skull. If this guy isn’t a professional, he’s not going to be smart enough to form a plan of attack. He just got lucky with those shots through the door. In fact, they were high as fuck. He’s a bad shot. Amateur. But that makes him more dangerous. Unpredictable. Stupid.