Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
She hit the bed as her hands were gripped behind her.
“Don’t you dare kill her,” Ray was saying. “She’s all we got since that bitch killed Greg and locked herself in. We have to go. Now. Knock her out, but don’t you fucking kill her.”
Devi kicked and fought, but when the man brought the hilt of his gun down on her head, she slid into darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
She was gone.
They were both gone, but Devi…his Devi was in the hands of a fucking madman, and he hadn’t been here to protect her.
Zach stood in the living room surrounded by his team, but he had never felt more alone.
Because this was his fault. He had brought her with him for selfish reasons.
“I have a private aircraft leaving twenty minutes after the attack.” Lou was on her laptop. “I believe they’re going to Nepal, which vibes with the intel the Canadians gave us. Are you sure we shouldn’t be at the hospital?”
The question was directed at Kala. Who probably should be at the hospital.
When they’d returned to base, they’d found it eerily quiet. The door had been kicked in, and for a moment he thought Devi had made it to the safe room. Big Tag knew the room was in use, and they all believed their people were in there.
“I’m fine. Lucifer’s pretty good at stitching people up,” Kala replied, her eyes on her own laptop.
Then the door had opened and only Kala and Lucy had emerged.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought at first.” Lucy stood beside Tristan, who was also working the web to find information. “There was so much blood I thought the bullet was lodged in her, but it was more like a heavy grazing of her left side. I think they had orders to not kill her. I know the dude I shot was pissed he couldn’t get his hands on her.”
“Which is precisely why you should have left me and taken Devi into the safe room,” Kala said through gritted teeth.
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “We had a sniper situation. I couldn’t get her across the living room without exposing her to gunfire, and she basically begged me to save your lousy ass. Which I am regretting right now.”
Cooper sat beside his wife. “I am eternally grateful, Lucy.”
Kala frowned his way.
Cooper shook his head. “Devi knew you wouldn’t last another round with Huisman. Those drugs of his are primed to kill you this time.”
“Well, now he’ll use them on Devi,” Kala announced.
“We don’t know that.” Big Tag paced, waiting for word that the plane was ready. “He was torturing you for very specific reasons, the chief one being you’re my daughter.”
“I think it was more than that.” Zach found the will to speak. He’d done nothing these last few weeks but sit around and think about Emmanuel Huisman. “Huisman is a red pill misogynist of the highest order. He genuinely believes women are good for breeding and serving men and nothing more. Kala challenges his world view. He treated Carys differently, from what I’ve been told.”
“Well, he was about to cut her fingers off with a straight cutter,” Tristan said, every word tight. “But I do get what you’re saying. He’s fascinated by Kala. He wants to break her.”
“I’ll break his dick the next time I see him and then we’ll see how toxic his masculinity really is,” Kala vowed.
“Eve agrees.” Big Tag continued to move like he couldn’t stand to be still. “I talked to her a few minutes ago. She’s built a profile on him. I think she would say Zach is right on the money. His only real interest in Devi is going to be in controlling Shannon.”
“I should have let them take me.” It was killing him. Those moments in the train station could cost him everything and all because he followed his instincts and fought when he should have conceded.
“And then they would have still tried to take Kala and they would have simply shot Devi.” Big Tag moved in front of him, putting his hands on Zach’s shoulders. “I know where you are, son. I’ve been there far too often, and I can tell you that trying to run different scenarios that might have changed things will do nothing to help her. Throw your guilt out. I need you to be the soldier you are. The operative I trained you to be.”
“See, I was thinking he’s taking this pretty well,” Tris pointed out.
TJ finally looked up from his phone. Zach was almost certain he was texting back and forth with his parents. “He looks calm, but underneath he’s losing his shit. Like I am.”
At least one person got him. It was good that it was Devi’s brother, though TJ had to blame him, too.
“Ben thinks he’s ready to move.” Kenzie had asked to bring the Canadians in, but Big Tag wanted time to assess the situation. She was staring down at her phone. “Ben and Tim are on their way to Nepal. Maybe I should go with them.”