Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
For all those generations, it’s been a point of contention. Tonight, I will bring an end to any peace. Tonight, I will claim this land and the rest of the territory Malek thinks he will rule, and I will bury him deep in its earth.
I open my phone and look at the photo again. Allegra with her wrists and ankles bound. Allegra stripped naked, a bruise already forming on her cheekbone, blood on her lip.
Fury burns me from the inside out.
I assume it was Malek who sent it, who has stripped her, hurt her. I assume it’s Malek and not Enzo because if it is Enzo, I won’t be able to keep my word to Angelo. Was I ever going to keep my word to Angelo?
It doesn’t matter. Not now. Now, I need to get to Allegra.
Jet and I are in one SUV, two soldiers in the back, more SUVs follow. We’re taking the way through the forest. More soldiers are taking a direct road. They’re the ones he’ll be expecting
The land itself is on Moretti side. The lake is on ours. The bastard has the advantage.
I have to assume Malek knows about the two ways leading into the property, the road and this forest path. This is no road. It’s slow going over rough terrain, our SUVs crushing out a path.
One thing I am sure of is that Enzo is unaware his phone is being tracked. Neither he nor Malek are aware that I know where they are. That I’m coming for them. That photo shows me nothing of her surroundings. Just Allegra. Just hurt, naked Allegra hanging by her wrists as bait to lure me.
Bastard.
I’m going to make his death a slow one.
“You okay?” Jet asks, glancing over at me from the driver’s side.
I didn’t tell him about the photo. I nod once, the SUV bumping over fallen trees in this dense, dark wood.
“It’s not much farther. We’ll need to turn off headlights soon,” I say.
“Can’t drive this terrain without lights.”
My phone pings again. My heartbeat skips. It’s an unknown number. Jet looks at me as I swipe to open it, unsure what I’ll find. But what I see isn’t a photo. It’s a text message. A location.
Jet glances at me.
Given the distance between this place and home, he’ll expect me to take an hour to get here. Little does he know I’m in his back yard.
“That’s him. Stop the cars. We go on foot.”
“You sure?” Jet asks. “We can get closer.”
“He just sent the location. We have the element of surprise. We need it. He’s using her as bait, Jet. I can’t take a chance, I won’t, not with her life.”
Jet glances at me. He presses a hand to my shoulder. “We’ll get her.”
I nod, but there’s a part of me that knows he could have done anything to her after taking that photo. She could already—no. I need to stop.
One of the soldiers in the backseat radios the others. The SUVs come to a stop and a moment later, the forest is plunged into sudden and complete darkness. We climb out, an army of men all dressed in military fatigues, armed to the fucking nines. Jet, too, has an AK-47 strapped across his chest. We hike through dense forest, our boots crunching dead leaves and branches. The chill in the air makes me think of her bound and naked and freezing. I let the thought of her drive me closer, hurry my steps, my men at my back. We are soldiers going to war.
We stop at the bottom of the final hill. Once we’re at the top, I’ll see exactly what we’re dealing with. All is silent and I give the signal to move, leading the way, Jet flanking me.
Night noises surround us, and as we near the top of the hill, I hear the lake. An unnatural light suddenly illuminates the sky, and we freeze. Are we caught? Was I wrong about the element of surprise?
I ready myself for an onslaught of bullets and even as each man stands with hands on his weapon ready for war, nothing happens.
I signal for them to remain as they are and listen, making out a sound like a car engine as we get closer. A generator, I realize. It must be powering the light going skyward. What the fuck is he doing?
We ascend the final hill that blocks the ruin of the lake house from view. I assume he’s making that his command post. A bird chirps overhead, disturbed by our approach. Leaves rustle as it takes off from its perch. Again, we hold still, listening for any sound, watching for any movement. Only once all is silent again do we take the final steps to the top of the hill where I’ll be able to see exactly what we’ll be walking into.