Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Glancing down at the screen, I see it’s one of my own security team calling me. “Give me a moment, Lucifer.”
I lift the phone to my ear. “What?”
“They fucking took out the house, Simon. It’s a ball of fire!” he shouts into the phone.
“Terry, who did?” I ask back quickly. “Why are you fucking calling me and not Peter?”
“Peter was finishing up… inside the kitchen. He saw something that spooked him and told us to run. He’s gone, sir! Something blew up the house!”
“Gods below and above,” I hiss out. “Get the truck with the belongings to the warehouse! I’ll put extra security on your tails and they’ll meet up with you.”
“Yes, sir! We’ll try to get there now. There’s a lot of sirens coming our way.”
“Just go!” I shout into the phone before disconnecting it.
“What the hell was that about?” Lucifer asks as he rises from his chair and comes around the desk.
“They took out Cherry’s house and Peter was in it.”
His face goes completely blank as he says, “How?”
“Bomb. Peter tried to do something, but was unsuccessful. He was able to get the security team we had with him out. That’s all I know.”
My phone starts going off again. Glancing down at it, I see it’s the security cameras at my house.
Fuck.
Walking towards the door, I am moving before I even speak back to Lucifer. “My house has movement on the inside. Probably your sister, but I need to check.”
“I’ll send Andrew to get the truck to the warehouse,” Lucifer says to me as he follows behind me.
“I’ll get James over to Cherry’s to play coordinator. He’ll have to speak with the police and the fire department. I’ll have him take a supply of cash to keep people quiet.”
“Good, but if people connect the names of Cherry and Lucky Tails, we won’t be able to contain the mess,” Lucifer says quickly.
“No chance of that. She never had her real name on anything she did at Lucky Tails,” I say, as I rush down the stairs.
“Make sure of that.”
“I’ll try to get to the warehouse tonight if I feel Meredith will be safe.”
“Make sure we put extra security on the warehouse. I don’t want another explosion.”
“Will do. I’ll get Johnathan to bring in some of his old contacts if I can. We need more men and now, Lucifer.”
“Push on the Governor. We need him now.”
“I will,” I say with resignation. “God help me.”
Looking at my phone again, I watch as Meredith moves through the house. She’s searching for a way out. Her movements are hesitant but deliberate. She won’t be able to get out though, not without my help. But I can tell from the damage she did to her bedroom door, she sure as hell will try.
“Simon, this isn’t the Russians,” Lucifer says as we reach his front door.
He grabs me by my arm to turn me towards him.
“No, it’s someone else. We’d know if it was them by now,” I say, nodding to him.
“Find out who it is. I want this over with,” he growls out at me.
“I have an idea I need to hunt down. Give me a bit. Can you get the priest to wait for me?”
“Of course, do what you need. Don’t forget what else I’ve said. If she’s a problem…”
“No, she’s mine,” I say as I pull my arm from his hand, turning to open the door.
“Then keep her ass under control.”
I nod my head. “I plan on it.”
Rushing out to my Escalade, I stop before entering.
Turning back towards the door, I yell to Lucifer, “I’m going to get a bomb squad out to the other men’s houses and wherever we’re most vulnerable.”
“I’ll be keeping the children at home for a while. Perhaps it is time for private tutors,” he says as he shuts the door.
Taking a quick moment, I go through the interior of my car. Then I check the engine and underside of the vehicle. There’s no way someone has had a chance to put one on me, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.
Driving up to the gate, I keep getting buzzes on my phone the entire way out. She’s moving throughout the house. Checking the surveillance, I can see that she is sitting at my computer desk.
As she looks up, I look up at the camera facing the compound’s gate.
“I see you, Meredith,” I say to her.
Turning my attention to the guard, I say, “Inspect every vehicle that comes through these gates. Double guards on the compound from here on out until further notice.”
“Will do, sir.”
Pulling out the gate, I gun the massive engine. I don’t see any movement on the outside of the house. That’s good.
But I need to make sure that she’s safe with my own eyes.
Pulling up to the garage, my eyes scan around the outside of the house. I see nothing worth my suspicion, but I can’t be too careful.