Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“No one,” I say honestly, angry that my eyes dance with unshed tears because he’s holding me so tightly. My palm throbs with the splinter still stuck beneath the surface of the skin, but my mind is racing.
I can let him take me. I can pretend he’s hurting me, and I won’t go easily. I’ll have to fight, which might even be fun. And then I’ll be right there, in their headquarters, and I can find out everything I possibly can.
Oh my God. If they don’t kill me, which is still a distinct possibility… This could work out quite well.
Nikko and Ollie come back in. “Coast is clear. She told the truth. She’s here alone.”
Lev nods. “Ollie, sweep the loft and make sure she has no phone or any other comm devices.”
My belly dips. Obviously, they’ll have to take my phone. But that doesn’t matter. I’ll find a way to get in touch.
I must.
“I only have a phone,” I tell them. “You’ll find it up there. I have nothing else.”
“Don’t believe a word she says,” Viktor growls, his huge arms folded over his chest.
I blow out a belabored sigh. “You don’t have to. Go ahead, check me for bugs or whatever.” I look at Lev and wink. “You might want to strip me to do that.”
Undeterred, he leans in closer to me and holds my gaze. “Oh, believe me, I will absolutely make sure you have nothing on you.”
A pang of fear stabs me in the chest.
“I thought you were still a teen,” I say to him, my voice a low purr. I let my gaze skate from the strong cut of his jaw down to his neck and the breadth of his powerful shoulders, the line of muscles visible even beneath the fabric of his shirt. His body is tightly coiled and finely tuned, with curved biceps. Strength personified. I lick my lips. “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.”
His gaze grows menacing as he grips my wrists tighter. “You eavesdropped on my family. You heard intel that has nothing to do with you. You know your life is mine for what you’ve done, don’t you?”
Mikhail chuckles, and the sound makes a shiver skate down my spine. “Fucking love how loyal and hardworking you are, brother. Take her back to your place. Interrogate the shit out of her while Aleks runs intel to see if LSD knows anything about her presence here.”
I toss my head. “You call the most powerful cartel in all of Colombia LSD like the stupid drug lowlifes use?” I scoff. “Los Sangre Dorada Cartel deserves more respect than that. And no, they have no idea I’m here. Don’t you know that in my family, I’m expected to put out then spit out little brats?” I make a face of disgust. “You men act like you’ve discovered the Holy Grail. So sorry to say, I’m really no one of importance.”
Lev smirks and shakes his head. “Oh, we’ll see about that.”
I wink at him. “I look forward to it.”
Viktor takes a step toward me. “She has no fucking respect for any of us.” He grits his teeth and glares at Lev. “You know how this would go if she were in anyone else’s custody.”
Lev holds himself to his full height, still holding me in an iron grip. “She’s more dangerous than she appears, and I intend to find out exactly who she is and what she knows. And believe me, brother.” His voice lowers to a menacing pitch. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly.”
Uh-oh.
Viktor nods, appeased, and shoots his gaze back to me once more. “You sure you don’t need help with this? I’m happy to lend a hand.” If my hand were free, I’d blow him a kiss just to see that vein throb in his neck.
“How’s Lydia, big boy?” I watch with delight as his face turns beet red.
“Thanks so much for the offer,” Lev says with dripping sarcasm. “But I promise you, I have everything under control. Including her.” Ollie comes down from the loft with my phone in his hand. He gives it to Aleksandr, the tall one.
Fuck.
If my brother knew about this, he would murder me. I swallow hard.
“Scan it,” Mikhail says. “We’ll meet tomorrow morning after you’ve had a chance to find everything you can from her phone and Lev’s had a chance to interrogate her.”
Aleksandr scowls at the phone and in seconds, has managed to bypass the password. My God, what we could do with a brain like that in my family. I stare, half horrified and half awed. “Wow, princess,” he says, shaking his head. “They don’t love you at all, do they? No location tracker enabled at all.”
It’s the first thing any of them have said that stings.
Asshole.
He slides my phone in his back pocket.