Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Not another second goes by before I race off and head out the gates of Spine Ridge U. The road down is long and winding, and with every curve, my heart picks up a beat. I’m anxious, beads of sweat rolling down my back as I make my way toward the city's outskirts.
At the end of the long road, there’s a left turn, and instead of heading for the Crescent Vale City, I drive to the small parking lot in the back of the forest, where there’s a backpacking trail for adventurers seeking thrills near Spine Ridge.
A seedy-looking car waits for me there, headlights turned toward me as I park my car and turn it off.
“Want me to do it?” Kai asks.
I shake my head. “They want to see it’s me.”
He clutches the gun in his hand tightly and shows it to me from underneath the dashboard. “I’ll be here. If they so much as try anything, I’ll back you up.”
My heart’s racing in my throat, but I ignore it and step out of the vehicle, adjusting my suit before I grab my bag of cash.
Someone steps out too and walks to the front of their car. “Glad to see you showed up. Wouldn’t want to barge in unannounced.”
Must be that fucker who sent me all those texts.
“Romeo?” I ask.
“Talking to him. You got the cash?”
I hold out the bag like a severed head. “It’s all in here.”
“Hand it over.”
“No.” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Not until you guarantee our safety.”
The pause feels eternal.
“That money belongs to us. Your mom and dad owe us.”
“I don’t give a shit about them. It’s not my fault,” I retort.
“That may be so, but family is family, and you will pay the price,” he barks, his voice low and intimidating. “Now give us the money.”
A gun clicking off its safety is all I need to hear to know my life is on the line right this very second.
“You will leave my family alone after this payment,” I grit. “Or the next delivery will be a bullet.”
The guy in front of me snorts but doesn’t say another word, so I throw the bag onto the ground in front of him. “This debt is out of my hands now. Pick it up yourself.”
And I march back to my car and slam the door shut before I race off into the night with a steadfast heart.
“Fuck, I can’t believe it’s done,” I mutter.
“You did good.” Kai slaps me on the shoulder.
I drive all the way back to the Phantom Society, despite wanting nothing more than to drive to my aunt’s house. It wouldn’t be safe. I don’t want to be the reason that …
My hands clench around the steering wheel.
Don’t. Don’t ever fucking think about it.
Suddenly, I hear something in the back of the car and immediately hit the brakes. “What was that?”
Kai’s eyes follow mine to the back. “Did you hear that too?”
I park the car on the side of the road and get out, slamming the door shut before I march straight for the trunk and open it up.
Inside is none other than fucking Lana Rivera, throwing me a vicious smile. “Surprise, bitches.”
KAI
I hear an oompf sound and immediately shut the door and run to help Nathan. But my eyes widen the minute they settle on Lana, crawling out of the trunk.
She kicks him in the stomach, but he swiftly grabs her leg and twists her around. “Let go of me!”
I jump up behind him and grab her other leg, and we both drag her out of the car and shove her to the ground.
“I’ve got her,” Nathan says, and I grasp her by the throat. “What the fuck were you doing in there? Spying on us? Tell me why!”
“I wanted to know what the fuck you two were up to after you tried to extort me for money.”
“Extort you?” I growl, and I turn my head to Nathan.
The guilty look on his face tells me everything I need to know.
“Oh, you didn’t tell him?” she muses at Nathan.
I tighten my grip around her neck to make her look at me instead. “Tell me what?”
“Nathan tried to shake me for money so he wouldn’t send those lewd pictures around.”
“You did what?” I growl at him, releasing her from my grip.
As I stand, he lets go of her leg to face me. “I had them already, and I needed the fucking money.”
“You’ve been taking pictures of her all this time just so you could send them to her family?” My hand suddenly wraps around his throat instead, enraged he’d even attempt it.
I pull my gun from my pocket and point it right at his face, angry he’d threaten the girl who belongs to me.
“I needed the money,” he mutters through coughs.
Lana crawls away underneath me, catching her breath while I focus on Nathan.