Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Right,” I say slowly, not wanting to let on just how suspicious I am.
“So, you’re sure? It really was Zade?”
“Positive,” I tell her. “I was just coming home, had the door unlocked and everything when he came out of his apartment. I looked him dead in the eye and screamed while he knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was locked up in some kind of cement prison.”
She gapes at me. “Holy shit. That’s fucked up. We need to call the police.”
I shake my head. “No. No way,” I rush out. “These guys aren’t screwing around. Calling the cops and trying to make a report isn’t going to get me justice. The only proof I have of this happening is my torn-up wrists, and who’s to say I didn’t do it myself? I can’t tell them where they were keeping me or why they did it. It’s not enough. They’ll get questioned and then it’ll get dropped, and I’ll be the one to face the consequences.”
“Are you serious?” she questions, almost looking disgusted with my decision. “So, you’re just going to let them get away with it and do nothing?”
“I’m not going to do nothing,” I argue. “And they sure as hell aren’t going to get away with it. I just need to figure out what they want with me. As soon as I’ve got that, the ball will be right back in my court, and the second it is, those assholes better watch out.”
Cara shakes her head. “This sounds like a dangerous game, Oakley. Maybe you should just let it go. Keep your head down, go to class, and try to forget it. Move on. If they’re willing to take you like that, what else are they capable of? Maybe you shouldn’t be trying to screw with them.”
She’s right. This is a dangerous game, and I know without a doubt, what they did to me isn’t even scratching the surface. There’s something wicked there, something evil and cruel. I see it every time I look into Zade’s eyes. And sure, call me stupid, but it’s not in my nature to let this go. I need to see this through. I need to know what they want with me.
“I—”
A knock sounds at the door, cutting me off, and my back stiffens as a chill sails down my spine. I stare at it, my eyes wide as my pulse beats erratically in my ears. My hands shake, and I back up until my ass hits the kitchen cabinets.
“Ugh,” Cara mutters, sliding off her chair. “Hold that thought.”
Panic tears at my chest, realizing she’s about to answer the door, but before I can even attempt to object, she’s already there with her hand curling around the handle. She pulls the door open to find Dalton standing out in the hallway, his gaze already locked on mine. “Oh, thank fuck,” he breathes, gripping the doorframe and making a show of barely being able to hold himself up, still looking beaten and bruised. “You’re okay. They knocked me out, and when I woke up in my apartment, you weren’t there . . . I thought—”
“You thought what?” I growl, rage blasting through my body. I storm around the kitchen counter and through the small apartment, his sharp stare tracking my every movement. “You thought this bitch is so fucking daft that she wouldn’t realize what the fuck was going on?”
Cara glances between us, confusion marring her pretty face. “Umm . . . maybe I should go.”
“Good idea,” Dalton snaps, his stare unwavering, a nasty tone in his voice for someone pretending to be on my side.
Without sparing me one more glance, Cara ducks and runs, taking off toward her room and leaving me with the traitor. I hear her bedroom door slam, but I don’t doubt the little weasel is listening through the walls.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Dalton says, his tone now soft and pleading, the realization of being alone with him now setting off alarms inside my head. He goes to step over the threshold, but I hold up a hand, stopping him from coming any closer. Instead, I move toward him, listening as he tries to plead his case. “Did they . . . did they do something to you? Because I swear to God, Firefly, if they touched you, I’ll fucking end them.”
A scoff tears from the back of my throat, and I step right into his arms, my hands clutching his shoulders. Then, just as those strong arms go to close around me in a warm hug, I bring my knee up as hard as possible, nailing him right in the balls. The fucker drops to the ground so damn fast, I don’t even have time to pat myself on the back. “Ahh, fuck,” he spits, clutching onto his junk as he curls into a ball on the ground. “What the hell was that for?”