Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
I feel Eli twitch behind me and I freeze. I can’t have them know that he’s coming to. Knowing Dominic, and now I do know him. Very well. He will do anything and everything to keep me locked in his cruxes. Everything was a lie. My mind cripples my will to swallow. To go on.
“Barely,” I whisper. “Let me out of these ties.”
Dominic and Dove share a look before Dom nods, waving his hand forward. When Dove leans down to untie my ties, I flick the knife that’s in my hand through my fingertips and sink it into her thigh.
She screams, falling to the ground in a puddle.
“Little Bee, that’s not nice.” Dominic studies Dove in pain like he would a fly on his shoulder. Before I can take another step, a shadow emerges from behind him, and Bam Bam smirks up at me, an AK pointed right at my chest.
“Bam Bam…” Digging my nails into Dom’s shoulder, I twist him around until his back is to my chest and press the knife to his throat. “My friend, tell me, are you going to explain to The Kings when they see Eli?” Bam Bam’s dark eyes widen in shock, before he lowers the gun to his side.
“Ahhh, she figured it out.” He dances forward, a smile wide. “Riddle me this… when you’re older and everything comes to light, you’re going to realize that my crown doesn’t shine so bright.”
I sink the blade farther into Dom’s throat just as Bam Bam’s arm carrying the AK snaps up to aim at Dove. “Don’t fucking move, sweetheart. I don’t really want to explain to Kohen that I killed his favorite little puppet.” I don’t mind telling him. “You know who I am, baby girl. Don’t do this.”
“I know everything, Bam Bam.”
“Little Bee, how disappointing that even after all you’ve just learned, you still can’t see past your loyalty to a bunch of men who don’t give a fuck about you,” Dominic says through a tight throat.
“Wrong,” I whisper against his neck. His smell hits me like a fist down my throat. All of the lies. The capture of my own sanity.
“Tsk tsk.” Bam Bam shakes the weapon. “No, no. I have to take him with me, Poppet.”
I bare my teeth up at Bam Bam. “Like fucking hell you are!” With the onslaught of memories still fresh on my brain, Bam Bam would need to shoot—a gun fires off and my arm erupts with pain.
“Shoot you?” My hand comes to the wound, and I cry out as I fall to the ground beside Dove. “You want me to kill her? I can…” He points to Dove with the tip of his gun. I know he wouldn’t kill me. I know beneath all of the trauma, he wouldn’t hurt me, but my anger is overflowing. I had Dominic right there beneath my grip!
“Fuck you!”
Stepping forward, he picks Dominic up from below his arms and drags him upstairs.
“Oh! And I think your ride is almost here!” I don’t get to answer him because he’s gone. Dove moves quickly, reaching for the knife, but I kick it away from her hand and grab the plastic end. People who I thought were friends are really enemies. There’s no family. No unit. No nothing. Nothing but lies and fake realities.
“You!” I hold the tip beneath her chin, forcing her head upward. “Fucking traitor.”
The corners of her mouth curl in a grin, her teeth flashing bright red from blood. “And you’re not?”
“No,” I whisper, twisting the blade just enough to see blood trickle down. “I’m not, but you? You’re unredeemable.” I should kill her. I want to kill her. After everything I know she has played a part with, I know it’s the least she deserves, but I don’t want her blood on my hands. When you take a life, it stains you and the only ones who see the stains are those who have taken lives themselves.
A loud thud bangs upstairs, but I still haven’t dragged my eyes away from her.
“What is it, Cartier?” Dove raises a brow. “You want to be the one to tell them?”
I snatch my hand away from her just as loud footsteps tumble downstairs.
“Fuck…” Kyrin is the first that barrels straight for me, wrapping his arm behind my back. More people sift in behind him and I see the exact moment his eyes lock to Eli in the corner. His face changes from worry to relief. I never thought I’d see my brother in love, let alone in love with two people at the same time.
“Oh my God!” Lilith barrels through Bishop who is already helping Eli up from the ground.
She climbs on top of his lap, her hands on his cheeks. “I don’t know if I’m going to fuck or kill you right now.” Everyone silences, a deep chuckle escaping my lips.