Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 75193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
The two of them left, Kelly completely missing me hidden behind Ridley’s large body.
I waited until they were in the kitchen with the door closed before I went up to the door and stuck my head against it.
“What are you doing?” Core’s deep voice asked from behind me.
I jumped, turning to look at him guiltily.
“Nothing,” I lied. “What do you want?”
He ignored me and tugged on my hand, leading me around the kitchen, through the laundry room, inside the pantry, before coming to a stop at the door.
We both stopped and listened, each of us reluctant to announce our presence as we stopped in startled disbelief as we listened to the man tell us that he purposefully left Ridley’s brother out to dry. Encouraged him to do stuff that he wouldn’t have normally done all because he wanted vengeance for his wife.
“He deserved it,” Kelly said tightly.
Nothing.
Not a curse. Not a sound.
“I…” Kelly hissed in a breath. “Your brother raped my wife.”
Pin drops.
You could hear the sound of silence as we all digested that news.
“Your brother and Coller,” Kelly continued. “She’s…she’s not doing good. She tried to kill herself last night…and I just…snapped.”
It was then that Ridley’s voice finally sounded in the silence of that announcement.
“I won’t say anything to anybody but my president. He needs to know, but I won’t pursue this, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ridley responded gruffly.
“No,” Kelly cleared his throat. “No. That’s not why I came over here. I just felt like you needed to know. So that you could have closure,” he hesitated. “I’m not even asking that you keep this to yourself. I just…couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t fix it.”
Ridley stayed quiet for so long I thought they’d left, so I peeked out from around the doorway, and then immediately jumped back when I saw Ridley staring directly at the small room where I was standing.
My eyes got wide as I looked at Core.
“He saw me!” I whispered frantically.
He started to chuckle under his breath, then pushed me out of the way so he could come into the kitchen, dropping the bottle he still had clutched in his hand in the sink.
“Kelly,” I heard him say.
I peeked around the corner again, this time waving at Ridley.
“Can I come in?” I mouthed.
He shook his head once, his brown eyes clearly saying leave before I spank your ass.
I scrunched my nose up at him, but did what I was told.
Instead of staying where I was to witness a man’s defeat, I walked into the living room.
My eyes caught on the lacy curtains that were in a box on the floor next to the backdoor, and I sat on top of the brick that extended from the fireplace to have a better look at the contents.
That’s when I saw all the knick knacks.
Heart in my throat, I started to pull everything out, my eyes catching on all the clothes. The pillows. The jewelry box. Everything that was in the box spoke of a man finally letting go, and my heart hurt as I got my first good look at Aerie.
Although he never spoke much of her, I still felt like I kind of knew her because of my connection with Ridley.
My mind continued to spin as I looked through the contents, stopping when I found all of the jewelry at the bottom of the box that’d spilled from the jewelry box Ridley must’ve carelessly tossed inside.
I replaced each item, this time being sure to place it all in there nicely. After each piece of jewelry was back inside the velvet folds of the jewelry box where it belonged, I shut the lid.
Lastly, I placed the jewelry box directly in the cardboard box with the rest of the contents and stood.
Then I dragged the box down the hall to the room where Ridley had joined me that night, shoving it into the closet and quietly closing the door.
I promised myself, though, that that wouldn’t be the last time I saw Aerie.
I swore that I would find a way to make Ridley talk about Aerie.
I would bring her out of the closet once Ridley broke through the final barriers that he put Aerie behind once she died.
I also made a silent promise to Aerie, knowing that wherever she was, she heard me.
I’ll take care of him. I’ll love him forever. I promise.
Once I finished, I sat back down on my bed and studied my hands, wondering just what I could do to help Ridley.
Then I heard Emily stir.
She was in the room in between the one Ridley put me in and the one Kitt and Core shared.
Almost without a thought, I got up to check on her, and came face to face with someone’s body.
“Shit,” I hissed, taking an involuntary step back.
The grip on my arm had me staying where I was, though.