Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“Lucy?” I ask, which makes him sit up straighter.
“She didn’t say her name. I asked miss if she was the woman in question, and she told me she wasn’t.”
“Did she have long, dark hair?”
He visibly flinches. “Yes.”
“Go to her house… right now,” I instruct as we get into the car, and he takes off quickly.
I turn to look at Sydney. “You’re fired!”
“She’s fine. She messages Tina every day saying so.”
I don’t believe a word that leaves her mouth.
“You can’t be angry at me about it. I’m the one here for you. I care about you. She only came to see you once.”
“Because I told her to leave,” I say in a voice that screams pure unadulterated anger. But I am trying to not work myself up until I know what’s happening and that she’s okay.
“Your father won’t be after her, he tried and failed.”
“And he will try and try again until he gets what he wants. It’s how I was raised, so I know it’s how he works.” My eyebrows pinch together. “If you were anyone else right now, Sydney, I would roll you out of this car with a bullet between your eyes.”
“Why do you care so much about her. She isn’t worth it,” she says with a shake of her head. “Nothing but trouble follows that woman.”
“No, Sydney, it follows me.”
We stop out the front of her house, and I get out as quickly as I can. I try not to wince with the pull of my stitches as I stand, the pain almost unbearable. Pulling my jacket together, I walk to Theadora’s door, knocking on it a few times. She doesn’t answer. I look back over my shoulder to Sydney. “Call her.”
Sydney gives me an eye roll but does as I say. When she doesn’t get an answer, she tries again. “I’ll call Tina, see if she’s heard from her.”
I wait, knocking again just in case. I can hear Sydney talking to Tina, but then she turns to me. “Tina said she hasn’t spoken to her, only texts for the last week. She said Theadora’s been busy.” Worry stretches over me in waves. “I’ll call Marissa. She will have seen her.” Sydney does as she says, and I motion for Ronnie to come to me.
He gets out of the car fast.
“Break the door.”
Ronnie raises an eyebrow but doesn’t balk again when I nod. I would have done it myself if it didn’t hurt to fucking walk.
Ronnie kicks the door, and it flies off its hinges. He steps back as I walk in, and when I do, I see no sign of her. Her things are on the floor which is very unlike Theadora. Her home is always clean, small but clean.
Sydney runs up the stairs, her cell in hand.
“She hasn’t been in all week, and I even rang the hospital. I know a nurse there, and she said Thea hasn’t been in to see the baby either.”
My eyes grow wide at her words, and I take a deep, steadying breath.
“Track Lucy, now.”
Sydney starts typing on her cell, then looks up to me. “You need to call her. Lucy, I mean.” She hands me my cell, and I do just that.
Lucy answers on the first ring. “Oh, Atlas, I knew you would call,” she gushes into the cell. “I’m so happy to hear you survived. I couldn’t help myself, I’m so sorry—”
“Lucy,” I say, interrupting her.
“I had to do something drastic, you know—”
“Lucy,” I snarl.
“It has to make you see now that I’m the one for you.”
“Where is Theadora?”
She pauses. “Why do you call her that? Only you do that,” she says through gritted teeth. “I had to get rid of her… for good. It was easy, really,” she says.
“Where is she, Lucy?”
“I guess you will never find out how much fun this will be.” Lucy hangs up on me.
“It’s always Lucy. She was your biggest mistake bringing that woman into our lives. I warned you she’d be trouble at the time,” Sydney says, walking back to the car. “Luckily for you, I never trusted the bitch and put a tracker on her cell. You’re welcome by the way.” She presses a few buttons and brings up a location. “It’s time to put the crazy away for good.”
Lucy isn’t good, there’s not a good bone in her body. I often wondered how she got through life. When I first met her, she came as a recommendation and worked at my parties, then the regulars kept asking for her, so I brought her back again and again. Each time, she would talk to me, and I knew she wanted more, and that there was a reason she kept coming back. And it wasn’t just for the money.
Then Lucy stole from me, and I couldn’t have her around any longer. Benji pleaded for her life because he was in love with her. Then there was Theadora. If it weren’t for her, I would have killed Lucy immediately, but at the time I thought Theadora could pay back Lucy’s debts.