Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“This has nothing to do with Leo, I’m just trying to help.”
“Ooh, Leo.” She waggles her brows. “I don’t think you’ve ever told us the name of anyone you were dating.”
“Is that short for Leonard?” Jayden asks. “Did you pick him up at an old folks’ home?”
I roll my eyes. “No, it’s just Leo. That’s his full name.” I walk over to the file cart. “That’s the list of files to pull?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely. You’re swamped and I’m caught up.”
She still doesn’t look convinced, so I just take the cart. It’s midafternoon, and I could use a break from the walls of my office to wake me up a bit.
“I’ll make a drink run, too,” I say. “Just us three, not the whole office. Text me your orders.”
“Okay.” Missy puts her palms up, not arguing. “Thanks, Mara. I appreciate you.”
“No problem.”
We have both digital and hard copy files because we need original signatures on paperwork. Once a case has a disposition, we return the hard copy file for storage. It involves an elevator ride down to the courthouse basement and a lot of walking.
When I reach the file storage area, the head file clerk, Andy, greets me with a smile.
“Hey, where’s the boss?”
“I needed a break from the office, so I offered to come.”
“We’ll help you file,” he says. “It’s a slow day.”
“Nice. Thanks.”
The people who work in file storage every day are all about ten times faster than I am at filing. Within twenty minutes, there’s only one file left on the cart.
“This one goes to the annex,” Andy says.
“I can run it over.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m going on a coffee run anyway.”
“Thanks. If you give me your list, we’ll pull new files and have them ready to go for you.”
“You guys are the best.”
Andy gives me a puzzled look. “Did you just win a big case or something? You look too happy for a regular Monday afternoon.”
I can’t stop smiling over my weekend with Leo, and I know I must look like a weirdo. Usually, I’m a scowling cynic, even though I tone down my moods a lot at work. But today, I feel like the main character in a rom-com, an upbeat soundtrack accompanying me.
“I’m just in a great mood,” I say. “I’ll be back soon.”
I tuck the single file beneath my arm and head for my car. This evening will be the first time Leo and I get together with our friends since we became a thing. We’re prepared for endless teasing. I’m actually looking forward to it. Suki and Lainey have both found their someones, and I wasn’t sure I ever would. It’s a stroke of luck that Leo and I already have the same close friend group.
My car is parked in a nearby deck, and I hurry there because it’s so cold outside. I unlock my car and get inside, setting the file on my passenger seat. Even inside my car, it’s still freezing.
“Don’t move.”
The voice coming from my back seat makes my heart stop as I look in my rearview mirror. Shit. It was stupid of me to leave the courthouse without a bailiff. A rear side window of my car is broken out, and a man with wild blond hair and a lean, bearded face is in the car with me.
“Bitch, I mean it. You move and I’ll pull the trigger.”
Adrenaline floods my system so hard and fast I’m lightheaded. Drake Harn caught up with me.
“I won’t move,” I promise.
“I’ve got a gun up against your seat. If you want to live, do exactly what I tell you.”
It’s all I can do to keep breathing. I could get out of the car and run, but he could shoot me in the back. There’s no one else around and nothing to hide behind but cars.
“Start the car and drive,” he orders.
My hands shake as I get my key into the ignition. Statistically, if he takes me somewhere, I’m more likely not to survive. Thoughts of what he might do to me are racing through my head.
I don’t see what choice I have. If I refuse to drive, he could shoot me and flee. Maybe I’ll be able to get someone’s attention while I’m driving and signal for help.
I keep my breathing steady as I drive, feeling on the verge of passing out. I was worried Drake might slash my tires or something; I genuinely didn’t think this could happen.
“Libby and I were fine,” he says, his voice harsh. “You fucked it all up. She wants to leave me.”
What can I say to that? I did try to convince Libby to testify against her husband and get out of her abusive situation. I look in every direction as I leave the parking deck. The only people I see walking have their heads down, trying to protect their faces from the icy wind.