Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
She plants her hands on her waist and whooshes out a breath. “Fine. Fine. I get it.” She nods. “But if you really mean what you say and want to help others, then changing me is your only choice. It’s the right thing to do.” She grabs my hand. “You can’t do it alone. No matter how strong or fast, you’re stronger with a partner. And who are you going to trust to be that person? Morris?”
“He’s dead.”
“Exactly. Because he was a crazy, murderous fiend. But you know I’m not, Huff. I believe in you, and I can be trusted.”
Can she? Because this shit changes people. Well, maybe not Morris. He was still the same crazy bastard when he died. But I changed. Some might even argue the drug changed Kyle, too. He saw “precious” and wanted it for himself.
Luna adds, “This is the only way to rescue River. I can put on a nurse’s uniform and zip into the hospital—somewhere they’re not watching. Kyle’s men won’t be looking for me. I can find River and get her out.”
Fuck. I hate that her plan makes so much sense. “But if I inject you, and you die?”
“Then I die doing exactly what I wanted—putting my ass on the line to fight for what’s right. It’s why I became a no-holds-barred journalist.”
I don’t want to do this, but I’m out of options unless I go charging into the hospital alone, hoping I find River and then hoping we don’t get shot.
“You do understand you might end up looking like a bodybuilder, right?” I ask Luna.
Her eyes light up. “As long as I keep my big tits.”
Interesting wish. “Fine. I’ll give you the formula, but please swear you won’t haunt me if you die.”
“I’ll only be your constant shadow if I live.” She holds up her palm. “Swear on my life.”
“Very funny,” I say dryly.
I have to do the unthinkable and lift a few syringes from a local pharmacy. I didn’t want to risk being seen, so I got in and out and back to Luna.
We’re sitting in my beachside cabin on the porch overlooking the ocean. There’s a little rattan love seat and a coffee table made from driftwood. The sun is about to come up, and the wind is warm, blowing across the stretch of white sand, pushing a row of palm trees to one side. It looks like they’re dancing, bending in unison, then springing upright again.
Luna is quiet for once, and though I don’t know her well, I can sense the uneasiness in her.
“You’re sure about this?” I ask, holding the needle in one hand and an alcohol pad in the other.
She stares out at the ocean. “It’s weird, Huff, but I know everything’s going to be fine.”
“How?”
“This isn’t the place I see myself dying.”
I don’t see myself dying ever, even if I know it’s coming someday. “Where do you see it happening?”
She stares at me, and I notice how the hazel color of her eyes is really a mixture of browns and green ribbons swirling around her irises. Really beautiful.
“When I die, I see myself surrounded by my children and grandchildren,” she says. “I see them smiling and hugging me. I see myself at peace.”
There’ll be no peace for her if she takes this drug. “You know they won’t stop coming after you if this works, right?”
“I know.” She nods solemnly. “But maybe that’s why I see myself at peace. I fought back. I fought for them. My kids, their kids, all our kids.”
It’s as good a purpose as any, but what do I know. “Ready?” I ask, uncapping the needle.
“Yep.”
“I’m giving you one drop to start. It’s the smallest dose I can go with.”
“Let ’r rip, Huff.”
My shaking hand hovers over her soft skin, and I pause, looking at Luna’s pretty face. “If this kills you, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you.”
She laughs. “We just met.”
I know she cares, she’s passionate about doing good, and she’s honest. “Yet I somehow know I’m lucky to’ve met you.”
She leans in and plants a kiss on my lips. I’m about to pull back, but she might die in a minute here. Plus, her lips are soft, and I can’t claim I’m not attracted to her. She’s sharp, outspoken, and brave. But…I love River.
Luna pulls away, and she licks her lips. “You taste incredible.”
“Watermelon Trident. I stole some from the pharmacy when I got the syringes.”
She laughs, and I take the moment of her distraction to plunge the needle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Luna
“Ouch!” I cup my hand over my arm. “Motherfucker! That hurt.”
“You okay?” Huff’s vivid blue eyes focus intensely on my face like a child waiting for Jack to spring from his box.
I move my shoulder in circles, massaging the injection site. “It burns, but it’s starting to tingle.”
He pulls out a notebook and writes down: Morris’s Huff Recipe, along with my name, dosage amount, injection site, and time of day. “Okay. Just…keep talking. And whatever you do, don’t leave, all right?”