Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Fucking. Genius. On both accounts—Jake and Raize.
Me? I just wanted to learn how to shoot better, so Raize took me out every time he sent the guys on an errand.
On day five since my kidnapping, we were still waiting for Estrada’s decision.
Then it came.
I wished it hadn’t.
24
Ash
“Mom!” I came inside, the screen door slamming shut behind me. It was hot outside, and sunny.
“What are you doing?” My sister was in the kitchen.
My eyes needed to adjust to the inside. We didn’t open the curtains. Mom never wanted them open. I was heading for the stairs, but Brooke was at the table. She was stirring something, and I wandered over.
“What’s that?” Brooke was eyeing the order sheet.
“The neighbor is selling Girl Scout cookies. I wanted Mom to buy some.” I frowned, glancing up. She’d been spending so much time up there lately.
“She’s in bed.”
“Yeah.” And? When was she not in bed?
Brooke stopped stirring and glared at me. “So when she goes to bed, she doesn’t want any of us to interrupt her. She’s taking ‘Mommy time.’”
Ask my opinion, ‘Mommy time’ was stupid. We didn’t do anything to stress her out. Wasn’t that why most the moms on our block said that? They needed a spa day or a pub day? Their kids were stressing them out? I swear that’s what I always heard.
“What are you doing?” I leaned over, trying to see what she was making.
“Stop it!” She snatched her hand over, pulling the bowl away and to the side. Another glare from her. “I’m experimenting.”
I half laughed at that. “Experimenting? That’s what you said you’d be up for doing with Tommy Riskins last week, too.”
“Shut up! You don’t know anything about that.”
I just rolled my eyes. I did. I knew a whole bunch about that, because Tommy turned around and asked me to experiment with him, too. Said maybe I was the sister who had some ‘experience.’ I told him to eat his own dick.
I asked, “Why are you experimenting?” She was trying to make something for us to eat. I could see that much.
Smelled horrible.
“Because someone has to, or we’ll never eat real food again.”
Oh.
We both got quiet, and as if on command, the floorboard squeaked above us.
Mom was up.
It wouldn’t last.
Alarms split the air, and I jerked awake. I jumped out of bed.
Panting, with a pounding heart, it took a second to orient myself. Everything was going crazy. Red flashes were lighting up the house, and the alarms sounded like we had nuclear bombs incoming. Then my door burst open and a dark figure came in.
Before I could even scream, a hand came over my mouth.
It was Raize.
Only Raize.
Always Raize.
I tried to relax, but the alarms wouldn’t stop. The red light flashed over his face as he moved his mouth to my ear.
“Estrada is coming. Go through to the secret room. Take your gun. Escape.” I felt him push something into my hand. “It’s your phone. Keep it on silent.” He was gone in the next instant, and I felt almost bereft.
But then… Estrada!
My brain clicked on, and I whirled, going for the secret door when I remembered—I needed clothes, shoes, and my gun. Glancing at the phone, I saw it was four in the morning. That asshole. He’d come at this time on purpose, to catch us sleeping.
I heard stampeding footsteps down the hall below. Probably Jake and Cavers running. I heard shouting. I had to go!
Grabbing everything, I pushed through the secret door, shut it, and was in the secret room. I couldn’t run in bare feet. Why hadn’t I gone to sleep with my shoes on? I should’ve learned. I was getting so fucking soft.
Cursing, I pulled shoes on, and then I was running.
I went to the exit and paused.
Four trucks were speeding up the driveway. Men stood on the back of each one, assault rifles slung around their chests.
That was a terrifying sight, and I heard more shouting.
They started pointing. I saw Cavers running across the yard.
I’d already lost precious time. When would I learn?
I took off in the opposite direction. There were some trees I could use for cover, but no—even as I considered that, I knew that’s where they’d go. So I veered a different way, not knowing where I was going, just knowing I needed to go.
I went three more feet before the shooting started.
Bang!
I started to scream, but clamped a hand over my mouth and turned, terrified at what I would see.
I cared. When had I started caring?
I didn’t want them to kill Raize, Jake. Even Cavers. Despite Raize not trusting his boss, Cavers had never done anything except follow orders and cook for us. And Jake. I thought of how he cared for Gus—Gus!
I was hyperventilating now.
Where was Gus? Oh my God. Gus.
I couldn’t—there was more shooting, more shouting.
I waited, but I couldn’t hear any barking.