Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Before either of us can say more, the door opens and Malcom peers inside.
“Ready when you are,” he says.
“Be right out.” I tug Amal’s cloak closer around her, buttoning the single large button at her throat. It falls fully closed, a good quality wool cloak which is necessary for this weather. Edinburgh is fucking freezing, wind slapping you with rain, alternating with hail and, if you’re really lucky, all coming down sideways at the same time. It’s been like this for the full week I’ve been here.
With my hand at her back, I escort her to the exit. One of my men opens the door and sure as fuck, the weather hasn’t let up. If anything, it’s worse.
“Why are you in Edinburgh anyway?” I ask, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head.
“Too cold for you?” she asks, glancing up at me. With the dark sky behind her, she looks otherworldly. It’s this place. This gothic city that time forgot.
“Too wet. Christ, this makes Devil’s Peak look balmy.”
We hurry down the stairs. Malcom opens the back door of the SUV, and I help Amal in before climbing in beside her. Once we’re settled, Malcom walks to the driver’s side, his hair almost completely soaked by the time he’s inside.
“Hotel?” he asks.
“No. 8A Forth Street.”
Amal’s gaze snaps to mine. “My apartment?”
“We need to get your things.”
“How did you know where I was staying?”
“You’d be surprised the things I know about you.”
“What you said that there was someone else?” she asks, ignoring my comment. “Is that true?”
I nod. She doesn’t need to know the specifics. “Why didn’t you tell me about the threats you were getting?”
She looks surprised. “How did you find out?”
“Pulling phone logs isn’t hard, Amal.” My guess is she has a burner phone to call her brother with, or I’d have been here sooner.
“I’ve handled myself just fine. Those threats weren’t anything new.”
“No, I got that last part. But coming here alone gave at least one asshole an opening.”
“No one should have been able to track me. I made sure.”
“Guess you didn’t make sure enough.”
“Who was it?”
“No one important. Some muscle man. Low ranking. An errand boy.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“To scare me.”
“I think you’re plenty scared already.”
Although I expect her to deny it, she doesn’t.
“Want me to check the place, Jet?” Malcom asks as we turn the corner onto her street and he pulls into a parking spot a few houses down. Amal’s been renting a small apartment a little way out of the center of town.
“No, I got it. Get the boys a couple of those. And me too, will you?” I ask Malcom gesturing to the bakery down the street that makes cardamom buns, the more refined, more delicious big sister of the cinnamon bun.
“Thought you’d never ask,” Malcom chuckles.
“You want one?” I ask Amal. “They’re good.”
She shakes her head and we climb out, then head to her apartment. She opens her purse and fishes out the key. I hold my hand out and, with a roll if her eyes, she hands it to me. Once we’re inside, I switch on the lights.
Although neat and tidy, the apartment is small. I think the entire place would fit in my living room with room left over. “You have five minutes to get your things,” I tell her as she slips her cloak off.
“I’ve been here three months. I’m going to need more than five minutes.”
“Well, you have five minutes so prioritize.”
“Asshole,” she mutters then turns and walks down the hall to her bedroom, hands clenched into fists, muttering some nonsense. I follow her, feeling weirdly happy.
Once we reach her bedroom, she switches on the light and faces me. “If you’re so anxious, let’s just get it done here and now. Get it over with.”
I snort, make a point of looking at the tiny, rickety looking bed over her shoulder. “For what I have planned, we’re going to need a bigger, sturdier bed.” I turn back to her. “With posts,” I add, narrowing my eyes at her.
She swallows, then steels herself. “Well, sadly this was all your watch could afford me.”
I feel myself tense. “That watch was important.”
“I didn’t think you’d miss it. I mean, it was tossed in the back of your drawer and broken, and you have what? A dozen more? Fucking rich people.” She tosses over her shoulder and starts to walk away but I grab hold of her and tug her back.
“You think you understand things you don’t understand. You shouldn’t have taken it and definitely not pawned it. If you needed money, you could have asked me. I’d have given it to you.”
“Oh yeah. So, if I’d asked you for a couple thousand dollars you’d just have handed it to me?”
“Yeah, actually, Amal. I’d have given you anything you asked for.”