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)
“Okay,” Kyrin says, agreeing.
“Yeah, done.”
This time when my eyes meet Keaton’s, they’re softer around the edges. “Bleed all of the answers out of him.”
Keaton’s thumb grazes the edge of my lip and I ignore the quiver that snakes down my spine, shoving away from him. “Done, baby.”
I’ll touch on the pet names later.
Pushing up from the sofa, I look directly at King. “I want the second crew to stay on. Regardless of whatever Kaius was cooking up, I can’t be around any of you right now, and I’d rather be with them than be here with any of you.”
“—Cartier—” I throw my hand up, stopping Kyrin’s next words.
“—I don’t want to fucking hear it.” Kyrin steps backward, but Keaton stays close.
“You can’t just go in the middle of something we don’t know or understand, Cartier. This is bigger than what has happened here, and we need to keep this in-house.”
“Kyrin.” I bring my eyes to his. “I love you, but right now, I don’t trust you.” I look up to Keaton. “Any of you.”
Keaton remains passive. “You do whatever you got to do, but know that if and when I think you should be home, I’m dragging you back here whether you’re protesting or not.” He leans down until we’re at eye level, his nose barely touching mine. “And I think you and I both seem to remember how good I am at that, right?”
I don’t satisfy him with an answer when I turn to leave. The way I see it—this is their problem. I’m not like the others. I don’t make excuses for their behavior, nor do I take blame for their own stupid decisions, because unlike them, I’m better at keeping secrets.
She took it better than I expected. Too good.
I watch her from beneath the tree that hovers over the pool in the backyard. She’s talking on the phone and walking back and forth in front of her window. I go between sipping my whiskey and sucking down the smoke from Kill’s rolled joint, but my eyes never leave her. She’s different. I thought she would have exploded from finding out that we had fucked with her memories as a kid and that she hadn’t known who we were like she thought. I thought she would have thrown a fucking fit. Maybe popped my other eye. Even as her reaction settles deep inside my gut, I know that something is wrong. Her reaction wasn’t real. It was almost a lie. I don’t need to know Cartier all of my life to know who she is. You can’t put time on a bond that burns endlessly.
She stops pacing and my fingers pause, just short of my lips. I push off the trunk of the tree slightly and watch as she slowly turns her head over her shoulder. She can’t see me from down here, but I sure as fuck know that she can feel me.
Flicking the joint to the ground, I step into it and make my way through the back doors and into the lounge room where King, Kill, Kyrin, and Kenan are. Eli is tucked in the corner, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle while resting an ice pack against his swollen eye with Lilith behind him.
“Something is wrong…” I slam the door closed behind me. “That wasn’t what I expected.”
“We don’t have time to figure out her reaction. We need retaliation and answers as to why Bam Bam has taken the one man I want to crush with my bare hands.” Kyrin’s voice is low and unfazed, but his eyes are wild and on mine. Ky has been my best friend all of my life. This is him on the edge of a mental breakdown, because not only did they mess with his little sister, but they fucked with Eli.
“You’re all fucked out of each other now with your reunion?” I tease, and Kyrin flips me off.
“You motherfuckers didn’t have to listen.”
“Um, was kind of hard not to…” Killian adds, winking at me.
“Anyway, that’s what I’m talking about.” I lower myself onto the sofa, kicking my leg out to steady myself from the whirl spinning inside my mind. I fucking hate alcohol, but after the past twelve hours, I need it. I need it to stop me from tearing through Cartier’s room and demanding why the fuck I feel as though she’s keeping something from me.
“Dominic is part of our world, Kill,” Eli murmurs softly from the corner. “I was there because of King business, and did the direct swap. I thought it was enough, I thought I was enough, but I wasn’t. He fucking wants Cartier, and I don’t know why.” Eli tosses the ice pack onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling blankly. “I fucking tried to find out anything about what he wanted from her and got nothing. Zilch.”