Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“First, have you looked in the mirror? My cousins are one thing, but I’m not introducing my fine-ass husband to another female outside my family, I don’t care if she is my best friend. I love Jenny like a sister, but nope. That’s not happening.”
He purses his lips at me and rolls his eyes. I lift onto my knees and crawl closer to him. I don’t want to fight.
“Ant, please. It’s not like you’ll tell me who your cousin is. I figured out Pit’s your brother on my own. Then you decided to trust me with that story. Who’s your cousin?”
“Lex, I told you that’s something I can’t tell you. Knowing that is more dangerous than knowing about my siblings. I won’t put you in that danger.”
“Okay, I get that. Can you understand meeting my dad could prove to be just as dangerous?”
A dark cloud comes over his features. This is the side of Ant most people don’t see. The dark side of him, the side I fear has done and seen dark things.
“You know who I am. Who my family is. I’m not afraid of your father. I wouldn’t have married you if I were,” he snarls.
“Babe, you took that wrong. Calm down. My father is messy. The rest of my family stays away from him because of it.”
“I need some air,” he says tightly and snatches up his jeans and boots.
“Ant,” I nearly sob.
“We’ll talk when I get back.”
With that, he storms from the room and out of the tiny apartment. I run a hand under my nose and move to grab my phone. It rings with an unknown number as soon as I pick it up.
It’s pretty late for someone to be calling. I had planned to call Jenny to clear my head, but this isn’t her. My stomach twists before I answer.
“Hello,” I say as I pick up.
“Don’t say a word. Don’t hang up. Listen and shut up.”
* * *
Anthony
As soon as I enter the apartment, I know something is off. It’s too still. As I look around, Alexis’s things are missing. My chest tightens as I rush through the apartment to look for her.
She’s gone. I flop down on the bed and drop my head in my hands. I didn’t mean to lose it.
I just needed to go for a ride and get my thoughts together. I know I overreacted. She was right.
It’s not like I haven’t asked about her father and heard a bunch of bullshit. I probably shouldn’t be in a room with him. Not given my role and status in my family.
“Fuck,” I breathe.
I planned to come back and make it up to her. I growl and ball my fists against my face. She can’t be doing this shit to me. She knows all about my past. If she loved me, she wouldn’t do this.
“Alexis,” I bellow into the empty apartment.
I pull my phone out as the neighbor starts banging on the damn wall. I bare my teeth. Dude makes all the noise in the world when he’s ready to.
“Shut the fuck up. Eat a dick, bro.”
I dial Alexis. It rings twice before going to voice mail. My heart sinks.
How could she?
Chapter 5
What To Do
Alexis
Sending Ant’s call to voice mail, I stand nervously outside Jenny’s apartment. I almost didn’t come here. I don’t want to involve her in this mess, but I need someone to talk to.
“Hey, Lex. Come in,” she says as she opens the door. “You all right? You sounded strange when you called.”
“Kid, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t stay here. I won’t do this to Ant or his family, but I don’t want to hurt him either. It’s complicated.”
“Hold on. I still don’t understand what’s going on. Sit down, talk to me. We’ll figure it out.”
I sag my shoulders and follow my best friend into her living room. Jenny and I met in elementary school. She was a year younger than me and really small. Everyone picked on her because she was a tomboy. I hate bullies, so I stepped in to get them to leave her alone. We’ve been besties since.
I’m the one who started calling her Kid because she hates the name Jenny. I think that endeared her to me more than sticking up for her. Now, if there’s a fight, Kid is by my side and always has my back. I love her like a sister.
She’s the only one I’ve mentioned Anthony to, despite what he thinks. I guess I’m so used to keeping anything good in my life away from my dad. I couldn’t bring myself to expose the most important person to me to the rest of my world for fear somehow my father would collide with him.
“What’s going on?”
“I got this weird call. I was given two options. Leave, never come back to Vander, and never speak to my dad again or stay and Anthony and his family would go to jail for all my dad’s shit. He said he could make it stick.”