Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“Mr. Bannon, isn’t it?” Knox held up the wallet. “You should have thought twice before trying to kidnap a pickpocket.”
Dean swore, shaking his head, clearly disgusted with himself.
Harper’s smile was all teeth. “Howdy.” She tilted her head. “How’re your ears?”
“A little better.”
“Too bad.” She bent forward a little. “How does it feel to be brought down by a five-year-old?” His eyes flared, and she straightened. “Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought.”
Knox took an aggressive step toward him. “I don’t make deals, but I’ll make an exception in this case because I need answers. If you answer my questions honestly, I won’t kill you.”
Hope briefly flickered in Dean’s eyes, but then he shot Knox a skeptical look. “I find that hard to believe.”
Knox shrugged. “Then what do you have to lose?” Dean said nothing, but Knox saw capitulation in his eyes. “Now I’m going to take a stab in the dark and guess that you were hired by someone to take Heidi Wallis. Why did they want her?” Knox raised a hand. “Don’t try telling me you acted independently. We both know you’d be lying. Not that it will bother me all that much if it becomes necessary to… persuade you to tell me what I want to know. My demon will definitely enjoy it. Just as it enjoyed killing the two hunters that attacked Harper.”
Dean swallowed. “I don’t know why they wanted the kid. I don’t even know who they are. I didn’t ask any questions. It’s none of my business.”
“She’s five,” Harper spat. “It doesn’t bother you that you could have been hired by a pervert? Maybe you were hoping they’d share her with you.”
He jerked back. “What? Hell, no. I was hired to do a job – that’s it.”
“A job for who?” asked Knox.
“I don’t know. I got an anonymous email. It was encrypted. Whoever sent it was smart. It self-deleted a few minutes after I opened it.”
Knox exchanged a knowing look with Harper. “How are you supposed to contact this person?”
“I’m not,” said Dean. “I was hired to take her and drop her unconscious at a specific place, where the money would be waiting. The old quarry near the landfill. Then I was supposed to leave straight after – no hanging around, and no trying to make contact with anyone.”
Knox thought on that for a moment. Whoever was behind the attacks was taking many precautions to ensure they couldn’t be identified, which meant they weren’t underestimating Knox’s ability to find them. Yet, they obviously considered themselves smart enough to avoid capture or they would never have fucked with Harper in the first place. “What did they want with Heidi?”
“They didn’t say. I didn’t ask. I’m normally contacted by people who demand ransoms, so I’m guessing that’s what this is about.”
Harper cast him an exasperated look. “She’s a Wallis. We’re not exactly billionaires.”
“No,” agreed Dean. “But he is,” he added, tipping his chin at Knox.
Knox narrowed his eyes. “You think they were hoping to extort money from me?” It didn’t seem likely to him.
Dean shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it wasn’t money that they wanted from you – I don’t know. That’s really all I can tell you.”
Sensing that was the truth, Knox drawled, “All right.” He licked his teeth. “You’ve been very helpful, Mr. Bannon. Cooperative.” Which thoroughly disappointed Knox’s demon. “If you’re lucky, your death might be a quick one.”
“Not exactly surprised you’re reneging on your deal,” clipped Dean.
“I’m not going to kill you. I just needed to question you. No, it’s the Wallis imps that are going to kill you. Considering you tried to kidnap one of their own, I’d say they have the right to give you what you’ve got coming.”
Harper nodded. Grams, he’s ready for you.
Mere moments later, Ciaran, Jolene, and Richie appeared a few feet away. “Thank you, Knox,” said Jolene, eyes hard on Dean. “Mind if we take the chair?”
Knox swept out a hand in invitation. “Not at all.”
“Grab him,” she told the other imps.
“Wait,” Dean said to the imps. “I told him what you need to know!”
“You also tried to kidnap my daughter,” snarled Richie. “At what point did you think that would go unpunished?”
Dean’s gaze darted from face to face, as if searching for an ally. When he looked at Harper, she shrugged and said, “You really should have known better than to fuck with my family.” And then they were gone.
Knox turned to Harper and drew her close. Her scent dulled the rage that seemed his constant companion these days. She slid her arms around him and smoothed them up and down his back, comforting him and taking comfort. Sweeping a hand down her hair, he kissed her temple. “I wanted to kill that fucker so bad.”
“So did I.” Harper leaned into him. “But Jolene needs to do this. It’s hard for her to stand back while we deal with the person who sent those hunters after me.”