Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Then shut that shit out and let’s go,” Pit says as he turns on the radio.
“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons starts to play and I close my eyes. The flames recede in my mind, and I ignore the smell of smoke. I step on the gas and let the engine rev.
Shawna means more to me than my fears. I can do this for her. I release a roar and throw the car in drive.
For the first time in fourteen years, I’m behind the wheel and I do one of the things I do best. I tear out of the garage and head for my wife and kids.
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about,” Pit and Skittles say in unison.
I ignore them and focus on getting home. Skittles can build a ride. This car floats like a knife through butter. I’m moving through Vander like a man possessed. My heart is pounding and my blood is pumping.
“Looks like all the assholes are keeping up. Guess you’re not the fastest after all,” Pit taunts.
I glance in the rearview and see the others on my tail. I shift gears and push on the gas. That old feeling comes back, the thrill I used to get from being behind the wheel.
I don’t have time to acknowledge that Pit’s taunting was because I was driving scared. I suck it up and get it done. The others left in my dust, I turn into my neighborhood. Within seconds, I’m pulling into my driveway.
Shawna
“Tell me, Zoe. Have you missed me?”
“Not at all, Atlas. I hoped you were dead. The world would have been a better place.”
Atlas snorts. “I’ve waited for years to get back at all of you. How does it feel? I’m going to take your golden boy from you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That bitch’s son. If it weren’t for Joshua and her…,” Atlas bellows as his chest heaves. He pauses to wipe his mouth. “If it weren’t for that christening, you wouldn’t have reconnected with that piece-of-shit Blake. They would have stayed out of my business.”
“Maria did that shit on purpose. Getting you into the same room as him. Basil, Yannis, and Blake all still sit on their thrones and watch us scramble. Taking whatever they want, when they want, while you and those other bastards do their bidding,” he snarls.
“You’ve been jealous all this time of a child? Joshua was a baby. My godson didn’t deserve for you to take his mother or for you to keep me and Blake at arm’s length,” Zoe almost sobs.
“She had everything and she still took you from me. I returned the favor.”
“You’re petty. You were always dangerous because you were secretly jealous of them all, even before I left you for Blake. You couldn’t handle not being on the inside.
“You had to get involved with the enemy. That’s how you made the list. That’s how access was stripped from your family. You got Sofia killed.”
“Shut up. She wasn’t supposed to be in the car. I wasn’t supposed to lose my sister.”
“Cry me a river. You killed three women. Made widows and broken children.”
“Shut up. You ruined my life,” he yells.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You were beating my head in. You brought this all down on yourself.”
“What happened in our home was our business. You had no right to run to them. You ran to the powers that be and tore my life apart to become a whore,” he sneers.
I dart my gaze over to my bag. I just need to get across the room. Tiny fingers wrap around mine, pulling my attention. I look to Vernice and squeeze her hand.
She looks at me with tears in her eyes. It’s going to be okay, I mouth.
She gives me a small nod. I look over to True and Cat. I have to shake my head at True. He looks like he’s going to make a move.
“What do you think you will accomplish here, Atlas?” Zoe says.
He falls silent and looks as if he’s truly contemplating her words. I glance at my bag again. He has two other guys with him. If I can distract all three.
No, that’s how you get people hurt. Just wait for help.
I start to chew on my lip. That old fear creeping in. If I do nothing, everyone might be safe. Or I could end this now, but at what cost?
All the training my aunt did when we were children comes back to me. I see at least three options for defusing the situation and getting us to safety. However, I also see how each can go wrong and get someone I care about hurt.
“I don’t know anymore,” Atlas says, and the wavering in his voice catches my ear.
“At first, I wanted to be seen. If I had gotten the families to war, I would have risen up from the smoke, but Sofia wasn’t supposed to be in the car. The other families, they double-crossed me.