Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Well, someone did. What would have happened if he’d given her too much of the drug?”
“I only gave her half the dosage,” she chokes out. “I was super careful.”
Holy fuck. This girl is seriously out of her damn mind.
I scowl. “And that makes it better?”
When she attempts to shake her head, I squeeze tighter until all the color leaches from her face and her fingers curl, the nails biting into my flesh as she claws at me in panic.
“Do you realize that I could report both of you to the police?”
Wetness clings to her dark lashes before splashing onto her face. “I’m really sorry. Please don’t. My parents will kill me if they find out about this.”
Aubrey will be lucky if I don’t strangle her first and save her parents the trouble.
“That’s too fucking bad.” It takes a concerted effort to loosen my hold from around her windpipe so that she doesn’t pass out. “Want to know what you’re going to do when we get back to Hawthorne?”
A potent concoction of suspicion and fear swirls through her wide eyes.
Good.
She should be afraid.
Terrified, actually. I know all of her secrets. And I plan to use every single one of them against her.
“You’re going to tell Pembroke exactly what you’ve done.”
Her eyes bulge for a second time as she tries to shake her head, but the grip I have on her throat makes movement impossible. “They’ll expel me.”
“I don’t give a shit. Jasper’s not the only one who can make someone’s life hell, and trust me, I will.” I drag her closer. “I’ll make the rest of senior year a fucking living hell for you.”
“Okay,” she finally squeaks, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’ll tell him everything.”
Unwilling to touch her any longer than necessary, I release my grip and step away, needing to put distance between us. More tears leak from the corners of her eyes as she sucks in a harsh breath, filling her deprived lungs with fresh air.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers on a rising sob.
“Save it. Your apology means jack shit. The only thing you regret is that you got caught. You could have easily put an end to all this at any time, and you chose not to. You could have told Jasper to piss off and then given Delilah a heads up so she was aware of what he was up to. You did neither of those things. Don’t ever doubt for a moment that you’re a garbage human being.”
Her mouth falls open as hot color scalds her cheeks. “It—”
I shake my head and take a menacing step forward before stabbing a finger at her. “Don’t even say it or I swear to god, I’ll happily choke the fucking life out of you.”
She slams her lips together, refusing to utter another peep.
It’s the smartest move she could make.
With that, I swing around and stalk from the study before taking the stairs two at a time. I need to find Delilah. When I woke up this morning, she’d been gone. I’d rolled out of bed before gravitating to the window, instinctively knowing that she would be on the beach. She might not know how to swim, but she’s drawn to the water. I figured we could spend the day together.
Walking.
Talking.
Getting anything else that needed to be said out in the open.
I’d thrown on a T-shirt and jeans. Just as I’d stepped out of the bedroom, Aubrey had been there. Almost as if she’d been lying in wait. She’d dogged my heels down the staircase. Once we made it to the foyer, she’d wrapped her hand around mine and dragged me to the study. Instead of shaking her off, I’d decided to ferret out whatever info I could.
Fuck.
My mind continues to cartwheel. Even though I’d suspected that Aubrey had been behind some of the shady BS, I’m blown away by the extent of it.
I need to find Delilah and tell her about everything I’ve uncovered. Then I need to drop to my knees and beg her forgiveness. I’ve treated her like shit. Just like I threatened Aubrey, I made Delilah’s life hell. Not only did she tell me the truth, but she’s been dealing with Jasper’s psycho crap as well.
As I make it to the second floor, my sister walks out of the bedroom she’s sharing with Kingsley.
“Hey, do you have a sec?” she asks. “I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened with Delilah.”
My step never falters. I’m a man on a mission and won’t be able to banish the unease sitting at the bottom of my gut until I speak with her.
“Can it wait? There’s something I need to take care of first.”
Her brows pinch together as her gaze sharpens. “What’s wrong?”
I can almost see her antenna go up as she braces herself for more shit to get dumped on us. That’s exactly what the past couple of months in Hawthorne have been like.