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 looks at us in surprise as we walk to her, she was easy to track, she has shopping bags in her hands as Ronnie reaches for her, trapping her in his arms before she can even move. She screams, but his hand covers her mouth as he drags her to my car in the parking lot. He sits down with her on his lap, strapped to him like she’s a rag doll. Except she kicks and tries to bite him, and Ronnie doesn’t even move, just stays stock-still.
Lucy’s eyes find mine, and she freezes.
The car starts moving, and I nod to Ronnie to move his hand, so he does wrapping it around her waist.
“You,” she spits. “I guess I should have aimed higher?”
“You could never kill me, Lucy,” I say as the car keeps moving.
“You want to save her, just like she tries to save everybody? Miss goody-goody Theadora,” she says with an eye roll.
“What screw is loose in your fucking head, Lucy? Tell me because I want to know.”
“None, I’m perfectly fine.” Her smile is dangerous, she actually believes she’s sane.
“So, normal people leave their babies and don’t care?” I ask. “No. No, they don’t, Lucy. Now, where the fuck is your sister?”
“I’m never telling,” she says, the smirk so wide I want to wipe it clean off her face. “Never, ever, ever… hopefully she’s dead,” she says with a cackle.
We come to a stop outside a private hospital for the mentally ill.
Lucy looks at the sign, then to me. “You can’t make me go in there.”
The door opens, and a doctor stands there with a needle in hand.
“You tried to shoot me, Lucy. I can do whatever I want. Consider yourself lucky it’s not a bullet in your stupid little fucked-up head.” I nod to the doctor who injects Lucy with the shot. She instantly goes drowsy, and I take her cell off her handing it to Sydney.
Ronnie lifts her out and places her in a wheelchair, and they cart her away.
Luckily, I own this place, so it’s easy to have her committed.
“Found her,” Sydney says.
When I look over, Sydney cringes. “But you aren’t going to like where.” She turns the cell and shows me.
Fucking hell.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Theadora
I’m hungry, so very hungry. She’s had me trapped in this room with nothing but a toilet for what feels like days. My body is sore, and I’m losing weight rapidly. She feeds me once a day, and even when she does that, she doesn’t speak to me, just opens the door and slides the tray in before she slams it shut again. My insides scream when I eat, wanting more, needing more, but she only provides a small ration and a bottle of water. I need to get out of here, but there’s no way out, and now I don’t have the energy to fight her.
I think today has been a week since Lucy left me here. It has to be. I have counted six sunsets and slept more than my fair share of nights and days, but the trouble is it makes them all blend together, so I can’t be absolutely sure how long I have been here.
The door opens again, and I manage to sit as she walks in. I screamed so much the first day, it made my throat so dry I considered drinking the toilet water. Now, I know it will do no good because there is no one out there who can hear me. I cross my arms around my body as she stands at the door, shutting it behind her.
Looking up at who I think is Lucy, she looks the same. No. Maybe she’s a little different, but mostly she’s the same.
“Thea.”
I shiver.
She looks me over and shakes her head. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” I’m taken aback by her words, but I don’t respond. “You were on top of the world, you even managed to get my company,” Chloe says then she steps forward and slaps me across the face hard, making my cheek throb. “And you got my husband killed by that maniac of a boyfriend you have.”
“He isn’t my boyfriend,” I mutter.
“Sure. That’s why you were with him when Lucy shot him.” She rubs her hands together. “That sister of yours is a real treat. It was easy to convince her to get you. All it took was for me to say I wanted you, and she couldn’t have been happier to do my bidding. She is batshit crazy that one.”
Yes, she is.
Wrapping my arms around my legs, I stay on the floor as she towers over me.
“Then I heard about Atlas’s father wanting to kill you, and I couldn’t let that happen. No, I had to be the one to end your miserable existence. I had to make sure Atlas knew how it felt to lose someone precious to him. Because he doesn’t care for anyone…” she pauses, her eyes narrowing, “… except for you. He even put a security detail on you and everything.” She smiles. “Atlas Hyde has one weakness, it seems.”