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)
Eli shakes his head. “Don’t. There’s more than that. I’ll explain when we get out of here.” Turning back around, I bump into Kyrin, who’s staring down at me with his brows pulled in and his frown low.
“He’ll forgive you one day.”
Breathing out a long-held breath, I find Keaton near Dove, King, and Kenan. “No, he won’t.”
When I was twelve, I remember my mother telling me about the day I was born. She said there was a commotion. People she didn’t want were in the room—Kaius included—and told me that when I ever had a baby, that she would make sure my privacy was protected. She told me Dhalia took me from her straight after birth, and for a brief second, she thought someone was trying to steal me. They weren’t. She was just wrapping me in my cotton wrap, but I remember her telling me this story, and it stuck. It stuck in my mind so well that I confided in Delila with it. Like I did so many other times because I thought she was a friend. A kind of mother figure.
There’s no simplicity to forgiveness. The pieces of the puzzle won’t always fit. I don’t expect any of them to forgive me for hiding what I found out, but betrayal is an emotion weaved with simplicity. Betrayal is poison, and once you taste it, you can’t get it out.
I haven’t spoken to anyone since boarding the plane. Kyrin said that everyone was sent back to New York, and that that was where we were headed now with Delila caged in the luggage department. We’re an hour and a half in the air, and I can’t sit still, so I open my phone to check my messages.
Dhalia: I hope you know that since Kaius is gone, everything falls on your lap. I don’t envy you at all, Cartier. You are still a child. I think you made the right choice doing what you did, playing with The Brothers until they took his life, but I do also think you made it prematurely. What are you wanting for Midnight Mayhem? You need to sit and think about that before making any irrational decisions.
I leave her a message. I didn’t think of it irrationally. Killing Kaius had to happen, and although she won’t know all of the details yet, she will soon. Kaius was poison ivy growing throughout Midnight Mayhem.
Perse: Is everything ok?
Saskia: I need you all home in one piece…
Maya: Love you, Little C!
Rose: You’ve always been this annoying little turd, but we love you. All of you.
I swipe out of all of their messages, not wanting to read any others. Tears threaten to surface, but I force them back down. I don’t want anyone to see me weak, even though I know the people around me are my family. I would do it all over again to protect them. All. Over. Again.
The lights are all out, except for little LED lights that lead down the pathway to the back of the plane. Up ahead, there are more lights that shimmy a soft lilac, but not enough for it to be annoying.
Unclipping my belt, I move out of my chair and tiptoe down the long aisle. I don’t want to wake anyone, but I also don’t know where Keaton is, and I know that if he finds me before I head downstairs, there’s no way I’m making it. I can see the curtain cracked open slightly with light peeking through when I pick up my footsteps. My hand reaches the material of the curtain just as another clenches around the back of my neck, paralyzing me in place.
“And where…” His mouth is on the curve of my neck where my shoulder meets. “The fuck do you think you’re going?”
“To the bathroom,” I lie.
His chuckle is deep, but it scatters over my flesh like a warning. “You’re getting a little too comfortable lying to me, Tigger.” He shoves me forward. “Walk.” I squint my eyes when the bright light beams, walking around the bar and to the door that leads downstairs. My fingers twitch when I know I’m close. I start walking down the stairs as the sound of the jet engines becomes so loud I can’t hear myself think. I know he’s still there. He’s always there. Oxygen becomes tight as I find myself sucking in deeper breaths, my chest heavy with fatigue. Sweat slides down my temple once I hit the floor and my eyes fly around the place to find Delila. I have questions and anger that I’d love to take out on her, but she’s not there.
The door up above closes and suddenly I’m aware of where I am. Suitcases and equipment are tied on top of crates, and there are ropes hanging from the ceiling to hold cars or other heavy cargo. Blinking to get better sight, I reach aimlessly to the side for another piece of rope. The only lighting is a red light flashing overhead. Spinning around, I go running back up the stairs when I slam into Keaton’s chest.