Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“That’s not all. The ass also has shit on our women.” I sit up a little straighter at those words. “Even Mayve,” he adds.
If I could kill Pops again, I would.
I’m furious Zuko took the opportunity away from me, but in reality it was probably his right to do it. Pops started with him, so it’s only right it ends with him.
“I’ve found the information on the rest of the people he was training,” he says, and we wait for him to say more. “Do I standby for you two or hunt the cretins down myself?” he asks.
He never asks, so we take the opportunity.
“Wait,” Kyson tells him and I agree.
“Where are you?”
“Going back to mine. How long are you going to be?” Kyson asks.
“Not long. I got what I came for. The bodies are gone, so I’ll burn the rest.” He hangs up.
“Do you plan to talk to her?” Kyson asks me.
“Do you think she’ll talk to me?”
“I know a way to get her talking.” He smirks. “We could tell her about that time with Kalilah and us—”
“Don’t you dare,” I warn him.
“What? She’ll start talking then.”
“And what, hate me even fucking more?”
“It really does bother you that she isn’t talking to you,” he muses. “Never thought I’d see the day.” He hums. “You loved the silent treatment, gave it to all of us enough times that I have lost count. Never bothered you when we gave it back, but when she does—”
“She’s my wife. Of course, I care,” I inform him.
“Your wife. How did you manage to get married before me or Zuko?” He laughs. “It’s a joke, really, you being married.” He shakes his head, and I want to punch him.
In the head.
Hard.
“Calm down, I think she’s good. She’s put up with your shit so far and hasn’t run the other way. Grayson said she even saw you in the club.”
I cringe at that.
I never intended for Mayve to find out like that, even if I acted like it didn’t bother me at the time.
“She won’t talk to me,” I tell him.
“I think she might. We’re about to save the day,” he says as he pulls into a fast food place, orders basically everything from the menu, then takes off to his house. When we arrive, I stand next to the car, unsure if I should go in.
She’s in there right now.
She didn’t want to talk to me this morning, so why would she now?
“Here.” Kyson shoves a box of food into my hands. “It’s dessert, they’ll love it.” I look down at the box and see cakes. “Now, hurry up before it gets hot. She may not talk to you then.” He laughs, walking up the stairs. I follow him and hear soft laughter as I enter the house. I spot Lyla first, asleep in her bassinet, before I step farther inside and see Mayve. Her back is to me, and Kalilah and Alaska are in front of her. Two sets of eyes look up at me, then move back to Mayve.
“I’ll be in the kitchen with the food,” Kyson yells.
“Don’t you dare eat it all,” Kalilah yells back, remaining seated in front of Mayve, who pulls at the neckline of her dress.
Alaska stands and taps me on the shoulder on her way to the kitchen. Kalilah caresses Mayve’s head and leans in to whisper something I can’t hear. But Mayve looks over her shoulder at me as Kalilah gets up.
“Be gentle,” Kalilah tells me softly, not loud enough for Mayve to hear. I pass her the box and step into the sitting room, where some movie plays on the television in the background.
Standing in front of Mayve, I see her throat, red and badly bruised. The neckline of her turtleneck dress has been rolled down. Obviously, it’s painful for her. I drop to my knees in front of her and reach out to touch it, but she pulls back. And my hand falls to my side.
“What’s that?” she whispers, gesturing at my hand as she pulls up the neckline of her dress, so it covers her throat.
“Nothing, let’s eat.” I stand and offer her my hand. She can’t see what’s there because it’s taped up, and now is not the time to show her anyway.
Thirty-Three
Mayve
“Kenzo.” He stops, and I feel the earth move. My feelings are so intense that I’m unsure if I’m feeling at all.
Speaking to the girls and being around them has been nice, comforting even. To know I’m not alone in this weird life, and wanting things I shouldn’t want with a man who may not be able to give me it all.
Kalilah and Alaska described it to me in this way…
“Can you live without him? Can you live with knowing that potentially he could be with someone else in the future? That’s what the deciding factor was for us. We knew who they were and chose to accept them, but we can’t decide that for you. It’s not something someone normal would take on. Who chooses this life? Someone crazy, that’s for sure.”