Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 178688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 893(@200wpm)___ 715(@250wpm)___ 596(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 893(@200wpm)___ 715(@250wpm)___ 596(@300wpm)
“I made a few phone calls.” Eric looks at the clock.
I glare at him as he pulls into a neighborhood with million-dollar mansions. Somehow, he was able to get a gun and put the clip in the bottom, then loads a bullet in the chamber. I notice the silencer on the end and that he’s wearing gloves and tactical gear.
“Eric,” I warn.
“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna do anything stupid. This is for our protection. Come on.” He opens the car door, and I hesitate.
“What about the not getting me involved thing that you said on Wednesday?” I ask, following him as we nonchalantly walk down the sidewalk. We look suspicious as hell.
“Considering you’re her current target, I think it’s best we make sure the situation is properly handled.” He checks the time on his phone. “Any minute now.”
He studies a large house with gigantic windows and a circle driveway. The lights flicker in the distance, and he pulls me behind some tall bushes, and we walk the property line. Eventually, he squats, and I follow his lead.
“What are we waiting for?” Curiosity is getting the best of me as my heart races.
“You’ll see,” he whispers.
A few minutes later, Victoria leaves the house with the boy toy following her.
“Fuck!” Eric hisses and begins texting someone. She climbs into the passenger side as her bodyguard drives. Eric and I jog back to his car and try to find her. Victoria may look like a princess, but she’s actually the fucking devil, and I can only imagine what she’s doing.
Eventually, we catch up to her, and my heart hammers in my chest when she drives into my neighborhood and sits outside of Everleigh’s. By the flicker inside, I know the television inside is on, and my sister is inside playing dog mom before going to Ruby’s. If Victoria gets out of that damn car, I swear I’ll take her down myself.
“What’s your exact address?” Eric asks, typing it into a text as I tell him.
Ten minutes pass, and I can smell the sweat on my skin from the gym. Eric pulls out a pair of binoculars. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he hisses.
“What?” I ask.
“She’s going down on him right now. This is gonna be messy.”
I keep my focus on the street and notice a black van driving at a snail’s pace. Eric ducks down slightly and so do I. The seconds feel like minutes when I see Mickey DeFranco, looking hopped up on drugs, exiting the vehicle. He’s holding something in his hand. I can’t make out what it is as he stalks toward the Mercedes with fogged windows.
There’s commotion in the car, then Mickey slams the metal into the passenger side, shattering glass on the street. He reaches inside and pulls Victoria out by her hair.
“Holy fuck,” I whisper as Eric watches with a satisfied grin on his face.
I hear screaming and notice Everleigh’s porch light flicker on. “No, Ev. Stay inside.”
“Shit.” Eric panics, as Victoria’s guttural cries echo through the neighborhood. “They’re being too loud, and they’ll wake everyone up at this rate.”
The bodyguard gets out of the car and tries to run away, but Mickey pulls a gun from his waistband and caps him. The guy falls to the ground, but I can’t see him any longer. Everleigh opens the front door, and I want to scream for her to go inside and pretend she didn’t see anything. But I can’t because she can’t know Eric and I are here. The less she knows, the better.
“Help me! Help!” Victoria screams as Mickey drags her toward the van. She trips in her high heels as she tries to fight him.
Shock washes over Everleigh’s face as she pulls her cell phone out and slams the door shut.
Mickey’s booming voice calls Victoria every curse word under the sun. “You thought you could fucking cheat on me? After everything we’ve been through?”
“Let me go,” she demands with a shriek.
“You stupid whore. You’re going to pay for this.” She slips again, but he continues to jerk her around like a caveman who’s come to claim his woman. Victoria gains her footing and reaches for Mickey’s gun. Somehow, she gets a hold of it, and when he tries to take it back, it’s too late. Shots ring out, and Mickey tumbles to the ground. As if she’s making sure he’s dead, she puts another bullet in his temple. My heart nearly stops at what I just witnessed, but there’s no time to react because Eric exits the car with his gun drawn and moves toward her.
I’m still as I watch him move closer, pointing the barrel at her. “This is for Amara,” he roars. She doesn’t notice him until he speaks, but she’s not fast enough to recognize what’s happening. A shot pierces her arm that’s holding the weapon. Metal crashes to the ground as Eric takes another shot, then another. She falls and doesn’t move. I see blood pooling next to Mickey’s body and am frozen in shock.