96 Hours From Today Novels & Stories

“Same time next week. The courier will deliver the next one in 6 days at 8:30pm. Thank you.” I had $10K to spend! ***Authors note*** Another short one for now! I’ll make up for it…Brownies honor! Xoxo

I set it down carefully, my full attention on the phone. "When?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. "Thirty days from today. October twentieth." The kitchen seemed to tilt slightly. I gripped the edge of the counter. "Thirty days," I repeated, the words not quite processing. Braham's head snapped up from his laptop, his eyes locking onto mine with sudden intensity.

"When do we leave?" "Sunset. Four hours."

"Reeves wanted you to know: the meeting is happening. Your husband and Chen showed up. They're being briefed now." "Thank you." "She also said to tell you: by this time Saturday, it'll be over. One way or another." I nodded, not trusting mys elf to speak. Sixty hours. Two and a half days. Until everything changed.

But I didn't have time to worry about it now. Adrian drove me home at nine. In the apartment I opened my laptop to review the Hopkins March timeline. "You're working again," he said. "I'm just checking the schedule." "You checked it yesterday." "And I'm checking it again." He sat beside me. "March first is seven weeks away. You have time." "I know. But I want to make sure I'm ready." "You're always ready." I closed the laptop. "You're right. I'm done for tonight."

"Tonight is better than tomorrow. You were right about that." Zara had already known it and hearing it confirmed didn't change the plan so much as it removed the last reason to question the timing. She looked at the east wing and then at Caius and then at Maren, and the three of them stood in the garden with the specific quality of people who have arrived at the edge of something and have stopped discussing whether to cross it. "Six hours," Zara said. "Midnight. Is Petra ready."

The unknown number. One message. An address. A time. Two hours from now. And beneath it, finally, a name.

Eighteen hours. The compound was ready. I was going to make sure it stayed that way.

he asked as he tugged on his shoes. I groaned because I had a pretty full schedule this week. “Thursday.” That was ladies’ night at Forbidden, and only guys worked on ladies’ night. “So the countdown begins anew.” Pausing to check his phone and type something quickly, he grinned and winked at me before slipping it into his pocket. My cell chimed a second later as he started for the door. Frowning, I checked it to see that he’d texted me, saying: FROM COLTON: 60 hours.

The next 24 hours were going to be the slowest 24 hours of my life. I honestly couldn't do anything else right now. It was all in Jericho's hands. I laughed because knowing him, he would be calling me at exactly 6:35pm tomorrow night. He was particular like that when he gave time frames.