Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
God, I feel dumb. I remind myself not to say anything else about the apartment since I am being ungrateful. Who cares if there are boxes? I have been given a free place to live. With a curse, I move through the apartment, pushing boxes to the walls and organizing the mess. I look at the bedrooms, and one is full of more boxes. I decide to move any additional boxes to the already full room. I unpack the groceries I bought, and once I am done, I go to the other, empty bedroom to unpack my things.
The apartment is unique in how it’s set up.
The two bedrooms are connected by a bathroom. The living room is open plan, and the kitchen looks very modern. The view is insane, with glass windows instead of walls. I’m almost tempted to move the boxes to the empty room so I can have the bedroom with the floor-to-ceiling windows, but I’m exhausted. Maybe tomorrow. Once I unpack my things, though, I know I won’t move. It’s fine; I like walking around naked. Don’t need all of Nashville seeing my goodies.
After taking a hot shower, I make sure everything is locked before I shut off all the lights and head back to my room to fall into slumber. I have another big day tomorrow. Shelli and I have a meeting with Elli, and then we’ll be interviewing coaches for the Knoxville Smoky Bears. I set my alarm on my phone and then lower my eye mask before falling into the pillows. The exhaustion is real. I’m almost asleep, but then I hear something. I don’t know if it’s from years of not being able to sleep since I was always on high alert, but I sit up quickly and push my mask off my eyes.
I hear the front door open, and then I hear footsteps.
And within seconds, just like I did when I was in the barn, I fly up, ready to protect myself, my heart in my throat. It’s so natural, I almost can’t believe it, but I’m not surprised. I’m always ready to protect myself, even though I thought those days were over.
six
Dimitri
My aunt Harper holds me close as she rubs my head. She’s been doing this since I got here an hour ago. It’s awkward since I’m having to sit in a chair while she does it, but I don’t move.
“Go with it,” she says, moving my hair out of my face. “I’ve missed you desperately.”
I grin as I lean into her arms. If I’m honest, I like it. Aunt Harper has always been my favorite. Not that I’d ever tell my aunt Reese that. I think I’m supposed to like her more because she’s my mom’s twin, but Harper, man, she has my heart. She has always been my biggest fan. The one I can call when things get tough, and she’ll talk to me like I’m the best thing since sliced bread. I think she was the one to call Elli before I did.
“I’ve missed you too,” I say, hugging her tightly. My mom sits across from us, laughing as she holds my new cousin Alexis in her arms. My cousin Ally sits beside my mom as they gush over the new baby. Seeing Ally as a mom is a trip. I always thought of her as a tomboy, someone who would never settle down. I should have known she’d get with Asher, though. They’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. It’s kind of sweet, but not surprising. As much as I hate how this whole Assassins family dates each other, those two were meant to be together.
My dad and my uncle Jakob look bored, while Ally’s husband, Asher, looks a bit uncomfortable. I understand his discomfort, though. He married and knocked up the golden child without telling anyone. I mean, Ally had a choice to tell everyone, but I think the entire family blames Asher. I don’t; they’re private people. To each their own.
When he meets my gaze unexpectedly, I say, “Had a late lunch with your sisters.”
Asher makes a face. “And you survived?”
“Barely,” I admit, and everyone laughs at that. “Did you know that Emery and Quinn are a tragic tale?”
Everyone makes a face, minus my parents and me. Katarina is playing on her phone, probably not even listening. Asher shakes his head. “Yeah, it’s a thing. They get together, they break up, it’s an endless cycle of what the hell is gonna happen next. Someone could actually make it a movie or Shakespearean play.”
Ally snorts. “Truly. They’re a lot.”
“Oh, I found that out quick. And then Stella was just feeding the fire, teasing Emery mercilessly,” I say, still affected by what happened.
Harper shakes her head. “Those girls are a mess,” she says, and everyone seems to agree.