On My Knees Read Online Free PDF Page A

a book or a damn series of books and have every one of you in it."
    "No one will believe it is anything other than fiction. And we are not a secret. At least not to the upper echelons of power in world governments."
    "You mean our government knows about you? As in the President and the military and—"
    "Yes." Augustus interrupted. "They have known for a decade. We have been in negotiations with them for the last three years."
    "For what?"
    "Peace."
    Layla suddenly knew what it meant to "have a chill slide down your spine" because that's exactly what happened at hearing Augustus speak that one word. Her courage or maybe it was her strength, suddenly waned to the point that she had to sit.
    "Peace?"
    "Yes."
    "And have you succeeded?"
    "There is tenuous peace between us but I cannot say there is trust."
    She shook her head and reached up to squeeze the bridge of her nose between index finger and thumb. Her sinuses were aching and it helped relieve the pressure. But more than that, it was something she found herself doing when she needed to process information or consider something seriously.
    There was complete silence in the room and she lost track of time. She didn't know how to process the information. On the one hand, maybe she had been drugged and was just hallucinating. Maybe none of this was real.
    On the other hand, it seemed too real and clear to be a hallucination. However, the implication that it was real changed her entire view of reality. If beings such as those in the room existed then it changed everything.
    She let her hand fall to her lap and looked at Augustus. "I think I'd like to speak with you privately."
    He nodded and looked at the others. Gabriel smiled and stood, taking time to give Layla a wink. Connor smirked and followed Gabriel out. The others didn't even bother to look her way. They just got up and left.
    Layla gathered her thoughts. She fully intended to leave this place. Today. The question was how best to accomplish that task.
    "I appreciate you telling me about The Seven and your Council, but I don't see what it has to do with me. I'm a writer. A romance writer. I can't possibly be of value to your kind and it serves no purpose at all to keep me here."
    "Wrong."
    That curt one word response rankled and before she knew it, reason was shoved aside by anger and frustration. "Look, Augustus, let's get one thing clear. You might be in charge here, but I'm not a member of your merry band and you can't keep me here against my will."
    "Yes I can."
    Layla flew to her feet. "That's illegal!"
    "Your laws do not apply here."
    "I beg your damn pardon but they sure as shit do. According to you, your territory is in the United States. And the US is governed by local, state, and federal governments. So, unless you've whisked me away to some parallel universe, you follow the same laws as the rest of us."
    "No, we don't."
    His deadpan expression and brusque responses were getting the best of her. "God almighty, could you be more dense and annoying? You can't stand there and tell me you live in this country and don't have to follow its laws!"
    "I can if where we stand is a sovereign nation."
    Layla felt the wind die from her sails. "A sovereign nation?"
    "Yes. This property and all of the other seats of power for our people have been sanctioned as reservations. Thus we are, in effect, a sovereign nation, governed by ourselves."
    Son of a bitch.
    "Prove it."
    "I don't have to."
    "You sure as hell do."
    "Why?"
    "Because … " She couldn't come up with a valid reason and maybe it was time to stop talking about it. She felt like Dorothy in Oz. She just wanted to go home. Since she didn't have any ruby slippers to click together, she was going to have to find another way.
    Right now, the only option she could see was to try to make another run for it. If he tried to stop her, she wouldn't fall for it. Wouldn't let him touch her. She'd make it out, come hell or high water, as her Grannie used to say.
    "Forget it." She