Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
For him to hate her now, I know it bothers her.
“He’s so mean,” she whispers, hanging her head. “I deserve it, too.”
“First of all, you do not,” I say, clicking my fingers in front of her face so she looks up at me. “You’re doing your job. It’s not on you at all. This is something that went horribly wrong for everyone. The club knew they were working with a cop, and they knew how much you were risking to help them out.”
“I’m no better than Bennett, and whoever else is helping Dax and Peter. I’m no better, Waverly. I’m helping a club that does plenty of illegal things. I’m supposed to be on the right side of the law, but here I am, risking everything for them.”
“They’re good people, Zariah. That’s the difference between them and most of the criminals you deal with. They’re good people, and they keep to themselves.”
“They’re still doing illegal things.”
“But are they hurting innocent people?”
She exhales, running her hands down over face. “No.”
“Listen, you’re going to figure this out. You know how I know that?”
She looks to me, her eyes so broken it hurts my heart. “How?”
“Because you’re strong, Zariah. You’re good at your job, and you’re a brilliant human being. You’re going to figure this out, and this will all be okay. You just have to trust yourself and what you know. Trust who you are, because you have worked hard to get here.”
“It’s just such a mess. I don’t know how we’re going to get Kendric off these charges. He admitted to working with Dax. He admitted to being part of this. Even if we find Dax, unless he makes a full confession, Kendric is going down.”
“We’ll find Dax, and he will make a full confession. We will find a way to have him give a full confession. Everyone has a weakness, Zariah. We’ll find his. We’ll get Kendric off. In the end, without evidence, what can they charge him with? He’s protecting the club, they know that, but they’re going to see the club has no link to Dax when they look into it properly. We have to trust that.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She exhales. “I just don’t know how we’re going to get past this. They’re convinced the club is in on it, which means they’re going to be looking into them.”
“And me?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Like we said, if it comes back on you, it’s because they were told you were forced to help. You just need to keep your distance from the club, until it’s sorted out.”
It’s not going to be easy to do that.
“That’s not going to be easy . . .” I tell her.
“You have to do it, Waverly. Trust me, you have to do as I’m asking if you want to be left out of this. They’re going to question you, too. If they ask, you were so drugged you don’t remember anything. You got tangled up with Dax, and he tricked you into believing he cared about you. Say nothing unless you absolutely have to.”
I nod, swallowing. “Okay.”
She sighs. “I should get back to work. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m okay. It’s all going to be okay.”
“Yeah.” She nods. “Yeah, I hope so.”
So do I.
I really, really hope so.
“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR face?” Officer Blart asks, narrowing his eyes as I sit across from him at the station later that day when I was called in to make a statement. It didn’t take long for them to track me down and ask for me to come in.
“Dax tried to take me with him last night, and . . . we fought. I got away, but I don’t remember much after that.”
“Why were you with Dax?”
“He took me to dinner,” I tell them. “We went to a hotel and we were going to spend the night, but he told me his real plan and I freaked out. That’s when he tried to get me out of town.”
It’s a lie, but it works. If they check the restaurant and the hotel, they’re going to see that I was with Dax, and my story will check out. It puts me completely away from the club.
“What happened to your phone?”
I shake my head. “He took it.”
I know they want it so they can get records, but they’re not going to find it because it’s long gone. We made sure of that.
“What do you have to do with the King’s Descendants club? We’re aware that you’re living with a member, Mykel. Why is that?”
I shake my head, staring at them in confusion. “He hired me as a live in housekeeper.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a contract for this?”
“Yes,” I lie. It’s easy enough to make one.
“Have you seen or noticed anything unusual in your time working at the house?”