Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I know. I’m sorry,” she said.
“I will be back. I promise.” He kissed her gently. “Be brave. Stay quiet. Just wait for me. All right?”
“All right,” she said. “I love you. Be safe.”
“I love you too, baby.”
He waited until she was safely up the tree, then he raced back to the house. He moved quietly into the house, finding the keys to the truck in the kitchen. There was no way they were getting away without a vehicle.
The house was quiet and a chill ran through him.
Where was Tobias? He didn’t want to call out and risk alerting their attacker to his location.
It was fucking cold outside and he could already feel it, so he knew Immy felt it.
He’d grab their coats on his way out. Once he got to Tobias. He tiptoed through the house, heading to their bedroom. It was still a bit smoky, but not as bad.
He found the Tobias in the bedroom, lying on his front.
Fuck!
He searched him, unable to see what was wrong, and found blood on the back of his head.
Shit! Fuck!
Then he glanced up and around. Where was the attacker?
Fuck! Immy!
Jumping to his feet, he saw Tobias’s phone sitting on the bedside and picked it up. Then he remembered Tobias’s gun.
Jenner grabbed it out of the bedside table, swallowing heavily.
He called Sampson as he raced through the house, pulling shoes on quickly at the door as well as grabbing a coat for Immy. Then he headed back to where he’d left her.
But as he left the house, he heard her scream.
Then, terrifyingly, nothing.
“Immy!”
Immy was so scared.
It was so dark. There were barely any stars out. She couldn’t hear anything. She didn’t know where Jenner or Tobias were.
What was going on?
There was a rustling noise and she opened her eyes, staring down at the ground.
She didn’t know how, but she just knew he was there. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her whimper.
“You got two choices,” the voice said. “Come down by yourself or I shoot you and you fall out of the tree.”
The voice sounded strange. Garbled. She definitely didn’t recognize it.
A whimper escaped her, and she didn’t know what to do.
Die now or later?
At least if you get down now you’ve got a chance.
So she started down the tree. When she reached the bottom, she stared at him. Who was he? But he was completely covered in black so she couldn’t find anything to help her figure out who he was.
“Good choice,” he said, grabbing her arm.
She couldn’t hold back her scream and some sort of instinct kicked in, a memory of something that Sampson had taught her. She lashed out with her fist, catching him in the face. Then she followed it up with a foot to his balls. And suddenly, the asshole was on the ground, gasping for breath.
She stood there for a moment.
Run, Immy!
So she took off. She ran blindly, unsure of where to go or what to do. Sticks and rocks dug into her bare feet, her lungs heaved for breath. She was making far too much noise but she didn’t want to slow down. And then her ankle rolled under her and she crashed to the ground.
She lay there, sobbing for breath. She tried to get back onto her feet, but her ankle was having none of it.
No.
Get moving!
And then she saw him step out of the trees. She whimpered and cringed back, reaching for something to defend herself. She grabbed a rock, throwing it, then another one. A stick. Some leaves.
Good one, Immy.
“Immy! Immy, stop throwing shit at me.”
The guy removed his black balaclava. And she gaped up at him in shock.
“Isaiah?”
Isaiah was the man in black? But that made no sense. Why would he shoot Lauren? Sure, she was annoying and she’d kidnapped Immy . . . but couldn’t he just have incapacitated Lauren? And why would he threaten to shoot Immy? Why break a window and fill their bedroom with smoke?
“Why did you threaten to shoot me?” she cried.
He paused. “Immy, I didn’t do that.”
“Sure you did. Just now. And you shot Lauren. And where are the guys? What did you do to them?”
“Immy, that wasn’t me. That was the Deity.”
“But he’s dead.”
“The new Deity, Immy. I’m so close to getting him. I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier to help you. I need to know where he went.”
“I don’t know. He threatened to shoot me and then I think I punched him in the face and kicked him in the nuts. I’m not real sure. I might have blacked out. Where are Tobias and Jenner?” Fear flooded her.
“I don’t know, Imms. I’ve got to go and find this guy.”
“No, no, you have to stay with me.”
“Immy!” Jenner screamed.
“Jenner is coming and I might lose him if I don’t go now,” Isaiah explained.