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)
He’s got a lot of blood on his face, a heap of it pouring down from his temple. He’s got a gun pointed at me, and he’s panting with rage, and probably pain.
“Put that fuckin’ phone down, or I’ll blow your brains out.”
My hands shake, but I drop the phone.
“Stand up.”
I do as he asks; I stand up. I can taste blood in my mouth, and my face is probably covered in it.
“Get. In. The. Car.”
I move slowly, walking back to the car, never taking my eyes off him. He gets back in too, and this time, he keeps the gun pointed at me. He manages to reverse the car out of the ditch, and we start driving again. His hand doesn’t waver.
“I should kill you for a stunt like that.”
But he didn’t.
I have to wonder why that is.
I’ve always suspected he felt differently about me. Could I be right? If so, maybe I have it in my power to stop this.
“Why didn’t you then?” I spit.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“You can’t do this,” I say, my voice a little less hostile. “They’re my family. They’re all I have left.”
“Don’t fuckin’ lie to me, Waverly. You’ve done enough of that. They’re getting exactly what they deserve. If they had stayed out of my business, none of this would have happened. They chose to involve themselves, and now they’re going to pay the price.”
He doesn’t know I called Alarick.
I hang onto that little piece of information.
And then, I pray.
17
WAVERLY
We arrive at Dax’s place, and as we do, I can hear the sirens in the distance. They’re probably a few minutes away, but not far. Dax drives me down the driveway, and then, with a grin that I’ll forever remember in my mind, he reaches over and opens the door. “Say hello to the cops for me, will you? I hope they enjoy your DNA all over Bennett. You’re not walking away from this either. Get out.”
I stare at him. If I can distract him just long enough for the cops to arrive, I might very well be able to fix this.
“No,” I say, my voice strong, unwavering. “If I’m going down, you are too.”
He laughs. “I will shoot you, Waverly.”
“Do it then.”
I’m testing everything right now—praying that I’ve been right, praying that he’s actually felt something for me.
He holds the gun to my forehead and presses the cold end against my skin. “Get out.”
My lips tremble, but I hold his eyes. “No.”
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you, Waverly,” he roars.
“Then do it!” I scream. “Shoot me, Dax. I’m not getting out.”
He stares at me, and I see a flash, just a flash, of uncertainty in his eyes. He pants and his hand shakes just a little. If I could guess right now, I’d say everything inside of him is telling him to shoot me, but his heart is stopping him.
“Do it,” I whisper into the darkness. “Kill me.”
With an angry growl, he lowers the gun. He lowers it and he shoves me so hard I fall backwards out of the car. I haven’t worn a seatbelt since we got back in, and I’m starting to regret that decision as I hit the dirt on the ground with a thud that knocks the wind out of me. I lie there, dazed and confused. The car moves. Dax reverses it so hard I have to roll quickly to ensure I’m not run over.
Then, just like that, he’s gone.
He could have killed me then. He could have taken my life and any information I had about him, and been done with it. It wouldn’t have mattered.
But he didn’t.
He didn’t shoot me.
I was right. All along, I was right.
Dax cared about me.
I push to my knees as the sirens get closer, and it’s so dark I can’t see if anyone is still at the house. Dax didn’t drive all the way in—just enough that he knows I won’t be able to get back out before coming up against the cops. I lift to my feet, and the burn of broken flesh on my knees and my hands makes me wince in pain, even my back aches, but I don’t care.
I stand and I run.
I run with all my might towards the house.
I get there just as Alarick, Mykel, Cohen and Bohdi are getting into the truck. They see me and they all stop, their faces scrunching slightly in horror.
“Waverly?” Alarick asks, his voice rough. “Is that you?”
“Waverly?” Mykel whispers, his voice horrified. He steps forward, reaching out for me but I’m too frantic. I’m too desperate for them to get the hell out of here.
“Why are you still here?” I cry. “The cops are coming. You need to leave. Alarick, why are you still here?”
He looks to me, and there is so much fear in his eyes. “We don’t have Kendric and Samson. They’re out there digging up fuckin’ Bennett’s body. They’re goin’ to get caught. We couldn’t fuckin’ leave them. We don’t leave a brother behind.”