Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
A very undignified cry left Alexei as he retreated. He tried to raise his gun, heart pounding painfully in his chest, because it was too late. The assassin was on top of him, gun raised and finger on the trigger.
His right foot slid in the dirt and he fell. Only the world tilted more than it should have. He was on a fucking hill and rolling head over heels. He cursed himself, his luck, and even this stupid park. Pain exploded in his elbow and his hand spasmed, the gun flying loose.
When he finally stopped, he was lying flat on his back, feet in the air and tangled in a bush. His head throbbed and his heart lurched in his chest as the assassin deftly followed him down the short hill, gun still trained on him.
“That offer still good?” Alexei asked as he lifted both empty hands up in the air.
He wasn’t a bad-looking guy, with his slightly grizzled five o’ clock shadow and dark eyes. His low chuckle was warm and almost chocolately in its richness. But he had nothing on Soren.
“Yeah, you got the hard drive?”
Very slowly, Alexei lowered his left hand and slipped it into the front pocket of his shorts. He watched the man’s finger jump from the guard to the trigger, but he was otherwise relaxed. Alexei paused and tried to draw more air into his lungs as he drew out the hard drive in question. He held it up for the assassin to see.
“Excellent. Toss it here.”
Sweaty fingers tightened on the protective case. This was it. He slowly released the breath he was holding and sent the hard drive gently arcing through the air, placing it right into the extended open hand of the assassin.
“Do you have it?” Sheila demanded sharply.
It was not easy to keep the look of complete scorn from his face, but Soren managed it somehow. “Do you really think I would have shown up here if I didn’t have it?” Okay, maybe he didn’t keep the scorn out of his voice.
“Meeting me here is one of the first displays of real intelligence that I’ve seen from you, Soren. I’m not quite sure you’re smart enough to not show up with a lot of excuses about why we can’t do this now.”
Soren tried not to frown as he sat on the bench in front of the Rijksmuseum. Crowds were milling around the red brick walkway, slowly heading to or from the massive museum a short distance away. But his mind wasn’t on them.
“I’ve got it. Have you called off your dogs? I’m ready to have this done, and you promised that my boyfriend would be untouched.”
Sheila’s lips turned into a smug smile. “About him. You do know that he slipped out of the house before you did? How do you know he doesn’t have the hard drive? The real hard drive.”
Soren’s frown turned into a smirk. “He left because that was his job. You’re the one who refused to get rid of the assassins and the contract on my head. He’s dealing with his cohorts while I’m here chatting with you. And no, he doesn’t have the hard drive. We couldn’t decrypt it, so that means we couldn’t copy it. This damn thing has been far more trouble than it was worth. I want this done.”
Wrapped in a delicate flower-covered dress and a large brim hat, Sheila was still looking too smug for his peace of mind. It was a struggle to not look around for the sniper waiting to kill him on her signal. Even in a crowded place like the Rijksmuseum.
“Relax. Hand over the hard drive, and I’ll have no reason to kill you. This could even become a more profitable arrangement for both of us. Far better than allowing you to cause chaos while actively on our payroll.”
Soren drew in an unsteady breath as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the black hard drive that had put his life on a roller coaster in the past weeks. Yes, he’d been nearly killed several times, but he’d also found the man who owned his heart. The sooner he could return to his side with the threat removed from both their heads, the better.
There was a slight tremble in his fingers as he placed the hard drive into Sheila’s waiting hand.
“Are we done?” he snapped.
“We are so long as this is the real thing,” she replied with equal sharpness. “And if it’s not, we know where to find you.”
She carefully tucked the hard drive into the small leather purse she was carrying and rose gracefully. He watched her walk away from him, heading toward the main street. She was turned just enough toward him that he could see her lips moving as she likely spoke to the sniper who was watching them.