Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
“Charlotte, you have a choice,” I say. Her eyes flick between her father and me. “I either kill you or your father.”
Avani smiles next to me.
“W-what do you m-mean?” Her eyes grow wide, her tears drying on her cheeks. “You can’t kill us. Why would you kill us?” she screams.
Avani reaches for the knife on the floor and picks it up before she steps over to Marcus. “Turn around,” she orders him.
“Fuck you, whore,” he spits.
She slashes across his chest.
The door behind us is kicked open, but I was expecting that to occur. The boys turn, and within seconds, the room is cleared. A few screams rip through the air, and I know the Hunters have just killed the guards with a few quick flicks of a knife.
“Turn around,” Avani tells Marcus again.
He does, reluctantly.
She wastes no time as she steps closer and starts cutting his skin. The room is silent, and I’ve got to give it to him, he isn’t screaming as she slices into his flesh.
“Make her stop, Grayson! Make her stop,” Charlotte begs.
“No can do.” I smile.
“What did I ever see in you?” she asks, shaking her head.
“Who the fuck knows?” I wink and look back to Avani. I watch as she continues carving. Marcus starts swearing as I walk up to her, placing my hand on her shoulder gently, I give her a squeeze. When I see what she wrote, I smile.
I’m a rapist.
She steps back, holding the knife tight as he collapses to the floor.
“Five minutes,” Zuko says.
I look at her, reach for her chin, and turn her to face me. “What do you want?” I ask her.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want him dead?”
She looks at him on his knees, the words bleeding all over his back before she nods her head.
“Do you want to do it?” I reach for her hand, the same one holding the knife.
“I think I do,” she admits.
“Then do it,” I tell her, letting go of her hand.
“No, no! Don’t do it. He’s my father,” Charlotte screams.
“Do it,” I tell her again.
Time is ticking.
We need to move before we are caught.
“Two minutes,” Zuko says.
“Fuck.” She breathes deeply, stepping forward. Her hand lifts, and she stabs the asshole straight in the chest.
Dropping her hand, she covers her face.
“One minute,” Zuko calls.
I pull my knife from Marcus’s chest, slice his throat, then walk over to Charlotte.
“Wrong father, sorry,” I tell her before I slice her throat as well.
Avani stands there, somewhat shocked. But we don’t have time to chat.
I lift her into my arms and carry her out of the house.
Chapter 29
Did I forget how to breathe?
Avani
Being numb after going through something like that is normal, right?
That’s how I feel right now.
Numb.
Unfeeling.
Stupefied.
I should be upset, screaming, or laughing, happy or even relieved. I’m sure one of those reactions would be good. Instead, I sit in my apartment, still in my dress, with Grayson sitting across from me, watching me.
Not saying a word.
He is just…there.
I’m not sure how long we’ve been sitting here. But the sun has started to rise, and my stomach is growling.
Grayson gets up and goes to the kitchen. After removing his jacket, he places it on the counter, and starts cooking some bacon and eggs while I stay right where I am.
Numb.
When it’s done, he walks over, holds out the plate, and offers it to me. “You need to eat.”
I lift my hands and see there is still blood on them.
Blood that is not mine.
Grayson sets down the plate, goes back to the kitchen, then comes back with a bowl full of water and a cloth. He takes my hands and starts cleaning them.
“Why did you take me there?” I ask, my voice weaker than I’m used to.
“You know why,” he says.
“No, no, I don’t,” I reply, shaking my head.
When my hands are clean, he places the food in my lap. “Eat.”
I pick up a piece of bacon and chew. “Are you refusing to answer me?”
“No, but you haven’t processed what happened, and you need sleep and food first.”
“So why are you here?”
“To look after you,” Grayson utters, his messy curly hair falls into his eyes, the very same ones staring at me with worry, and a touch of pity edged into them.
“Is that what you call what you’re doing?”
“Yes. And tomorrow, after you’ve rested, we can talk.”
“You killed her. You dated her, and then you killed her.” The bacon falls from my hand. My appetite is suddenly gone. “How could you kill her?”
“Because she no longer served a purpose, and Charlotte being left alive would put a target on you.” He lifts me up to my feet. “And no one is allowed to hold that power over you again.”
He leads me to my bathroom and turns on the shower and undresses me. He’s slow and careful like he’s afraid I might crack at any time.