Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
“Boohoo. You went to an exclusive international school with all those rich kids, while he couldn’t even afford your fencing equipment. You know he dug into our savings? He sold our stocks, dipped into our 401(k).”
Oh, Dad.
No matter how wrong he was for this, it still didn’t give Vera the right to harm us.
I wanted the earth to swallow me whole. To bury me beneath the house until it decayed. “That doesn’t excuse how you treated me.”
I released Reggie, pushing her away. She collapsed into Vera’s arms, sobbing into her chest.
I watched the two of them embrace, shaking my head. “You never gave me a chance. You never loved me.”
This set Vera off.
She shoved Reggie into Andras’ arms and closed our distance, coming toe to toe with me.
“Love?” She scoffed. “At least you have someone to take care of you. You bagged a billionaire. Don’t pretend you would’ve caught us without his help.”
Maybe.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t fight my own battles.
“I can fight my own wars.” I straightened to my full height, staring down my nose at Vera. “Consider this your front-row seat. Game over, Vera. Eugene, too.”
Andras shoved Reggie into Tabby, elbowing Vera away. “You leave my son out of this.”
He seized my arms, rattling my entire frame. Unlike Vera, he beat me in strength.
I slammed against the wall, yelping. Sharp, all-consuming pain zipped up my spine.
My phone fell from its pocket, tumbling to the carpet. The recording app flashed on the screen. I tried to grab it, panicked that he’d see it.
But Andras had shoved his face into mine, saliva painting my cheek with each word he spoke. “I will not let you ruin Gene’s life. You hear me? I have had it with your crusade.”
His hands hiked up to my shoulders, and he started shaking me. My bones turned into Jell-O.
I tried to fight, making use of my quick feet.
I kicked.
Stepped.
Slid.
Nothing worked.
Andras was rabid. Completely void of pain.
“Gene did nothing wrong.” Andras shook me harder. “Your father was a loser. He didn’t deserve Vera. He didn’t deserve her girls. I had to put up with your shit for two straight years to stop you from making trouble again. Vera is right. You are a rat. Sooner or later, you will eat your way into destruction.”
My head began to swim. I’d stopped registering his words a while ago, drifting in and out of consciousness. With each jerk, my bones knocked against one another.
Suddenly, it stopped.
I collapsed to the carpet, barely registering the commotion.
Focus, Fae.
A sharp noise.
Something smashed.
All I knew was, I no longer flailed like a rag doll.
Then, Zach’s voice filled the room like pure oxygen.
“You fucking touched my girl? Grave mistake.”
I blinked away the haziness, just in time to see Andras fly across the room.
“I hope you’re okay with cremation, because there will be nothing left of you to bury.”
Tabby screeched, huddled against my empty mattress with Vera and Reggie. Andras smashed against the far wall. He collapsed onto the floor, covering his face with his fists.
Zach stalked to him, kicking him in the stomach as he lay in a fetal position. The pointy tips of Zach’s loafers cracked Andras’ bones, one rib at a time. They popped like knuckles, punctuated by Andras’ agonized screams.
“You.”
Zach stomped on his chest.
“Can’t.”
A rib this time.
“Touch.”
The ankle.
“Her.”
His throat.
“If.”
His wrist.
“You’re.”
And finally, his face.
“Dead.”
Blood gushed from Andras’ nose, spurting across the carpet. His bare chest bore matching stains and the early beginnings of nasty bruises.
Oliver stormed into the room, peeling his best friend off my ex-fencing coach. “Zach.”
Rom joined him, clutching on to his opposite shoulder. “Jesus Christ.”
Andras had stopped talking. Possibly even stopped breathing. It was hard to tell. He resembled a red bean bag. A lump that used to be a person.
Thud.
Thud, thud.
Thud.
I flinched before realizing the sound had come from my chest. My heart thrashed against its cage.
Zach shrugged off his friends, swatting them away like flies.
He rushed to me, scooping me into his arms. “Where does it hurt?”
Everywhere.
But I didn’t think Andras could survive another round of Zach’s fists and legs. Not that I cared. He just wasn’t worth the jail time.
Zach held me close to his chest. I wished I could melt into him.
I dug my nose into his skin, inhaling, not caring that my words came out garbled against him. “You came.”
“I don’t listen well.” He stroked my hair, gliding his fingers everywhere Andras had touched, replacing it with him. “Oliver and Romeo tagged along because they were afraid I’d kill someone.”
Oliver clapped Zach on the back. “Multiple someones.”
He raised his loafer, wincing when he realized Andras’ blood had caked the sole.
I leaned against Zach’s chest, nuzzling my cheek into his neck. “Tell me about the octopus.”
“Octopus arms have minds of their own. Most of an octopus’ neurons are in its arms. They can perform tasks without the mind of their owner. They can even move when the arm is chopped off.”