Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“That’s what you call him. For me, he has no name.”
Silent tears streamed over her face. “He’s your flesh and blood.”
“He may be my flesh and blood, but he’s nothing but a pawn. I will use him how and when I see fit. I will snuff out his life if I must.”
“You’re killing me, Doumar. Please, please don’t do this. I beg you.” She fell down on her knees in front of him and hugged his legs. “Please let me have my baby.” Sobs shook her shoulders. “Please, Dou.”
His lip curled up as he looked down at her. “You couldn’t love me, Sky. Maybe if you could, things would’ve been different.”
“I’ll love you, I swear. I’ll love you any way you want.”
“Too little, too late. We are what we are. I’m your owner and you’re my property, and you’ll remain that until you blow out your last breath.”
“Our son…” she cried. “Somewhere inside, you must care.”
“Your son is my insurance. Nothing more.”
He freed himself from her hold with a shake of his leg and called for Diamond. Together, they made their way back to his car.
Frozen to the spot, she couldn’t move. It was only when the neighbor touched her arm and asked, “Are you all right?” that she came to her senses.
He offered a hand to help her to her feet.
She hugged herself. “I–I’m fine.”
“I’ve got a spade.” The old man motioned at the heap of skin and meat. “You’ll want to bury that.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He disappeared behind his caravan and returned with a spade. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you need help?”
“No.” She wiped away her tears and steeled herself, forcing her emotions down. “I’ll manage.”
In a corner of the deserted field next to the property, she dug a shallow hole and covered up what remained of the cat before returning the spade. Her neighbor, bless his soul, chased a shot of whiskey down her throat.
Her hands were still shaking when she got back to her caravan. For a while, she did nothing but stare into space. With much effort, she forced herself back into action. She scrubbed the dirt from her nails and hands and ate a sandwich to nourish her body even if she had no appetite. With the routine of cleaning and eating taken care of, she sat down on the bed with an open palm resting on her knee.
She’d never read her own palm or her son’s. For the fear of losing hope, she preferred not to know what their uncertain futures held. But everything had changed now. Tracing the lifeline with her thumb, she closed her eyes and lost herself in a place in time that would show her the outcome of her future.
She was sitting next to Godfrey in the back of a boat. Doumar was steering. It was dusk. The light fell in a rose-colored glow on the canal. They passed the beautiful façade of the old parliament. Around them, danger lurked.
“You’ll see your son soon,” Godfrey said, patting her hand.
Doumar glanced at them from over his shoulder.
Up ahead was the Elgin Bridge and behind it the house on Riverwalk that Bono and his team used as a base. They docked under the bridge and waited. It didn’t take long for an explosion to blast through Bono’s building. Shortly after, Bono pulled his motorbike up to the curb not far from their boat. Two SUV’s followed. The team members filed from the doors and ran to a helipad where a helicopter waited. They scrambled inside. The blades started turning even before the doors were sealed. It was their escape plan, the details of which she’d stolen and given to Godfrey.
The helicopter lifted an inch off the ground before a malfunctioning alarm sounded. The craft tipped. Another smaller explosion ripped the blades apart.
“What’s going on?” she asked, unable to hide the panic in her voice.
“My technician tampered with their aircraft,” Godfrey said with pride. “Thanks to overriding the system, their instruments didn’t pick up the malfunctions. Plus, the automatic locking system is stuck, preventing them from opening the doors.”
Godfrey got to his feet with satisfaction etched on his face. When she made no sign of moving, Doumar grabbed her arm and jerked her upright, pushing her behind Godfrey toward the land. As they approached the craft, Joss pointed a weapon in their direction and pulled the trigger, but the bullet didn’t penetrate the bulletproof glass.
Bono turned his head toward her. Yellow aviator glasses obscured his eyes, making it impossible to read his expression as he realized her betrayal, but his lips mouthed, “I love you.”
The scene she’d seen when reading Joss’s palm unfolded. People with Medusa posters stormed the craft and threw rotten food at the windows. A few who carried pesticide spray tanks opened the nozzles, drenching the aircraft in liquid. The smell was familiar. It wasn’t the pungent odor of crop or mosquito pesticide, but the sharp odor of diesel.