Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“We could come to an arrangement, though. I’m a charitable sort of bloke, after all,” he continued, and suddenly, Vasilios had laid down his scraper and moved in front of me. He silently stared down Hobbs, whose face scrunched in annoyance.
“Get back to work, inmate,” he ordered, but there was a small quaver in his voice. He was intimidated by Vasilios. Interesting. It must’ve been because he was from Oreylia. He was an unknown entity.
“She doesn’t need anything from you,” Vasilios said in a low, flat voice.
“McClellan informed me that—”
“I said,” Vasilios cut him off, enunciating his words slowly, “she doesn’t need anything from you.”
Hobbs began to scowl, his hand going to the baton in the holster affixed to his belt. For a second, I thought he might use it, but then McClellan called, “Everything okay over there?” snapping him out of the instinct.
There was a moment of hesitation before he tore his gaze away from Vasilios and stepped back. “Yes, everything’s fine,” Hobbs grunted before returning to supervise the other prisoners.
Vasilios went back to his spot, and I couldn’t help being grateful. “Thanks,” I whispered.
“Not only do I have to scare away prisoners like Serg, but the scumbag guard has his eye on you, too,” he muttered, his voice full of gravel, and a faint shiver swept over me.
“You don’t have to scare away anyone,” I argued, even though I was still glad he had. “I’m not your responsibility.”
“If Red Armand put you in here, then that’s my fault, and that makes you my responsibility.” His blue eyes flashed at me in a bossy manner that didn’t exactly bother me as it should have. I didn’t let people boss me. I was too strong-willed, yet something in me was ill-inclined to fight Vasilios on this one. Surprising and odd.
I wanted to talk more about the whole Red Armand thing, but I didn’t want to garner Hobbs’s attention again, so I kept quiet. After my shift ended, I headed back to my cell for a lie-down. To my surprise, Belinda was waiting for me.
“Well,” she said by way of greeting, “you look a million times better than last I saw you. Have you solved my murder yet?”
“Not yet,” I said, distracted, as I sat on the narrow bed. Everything was so much more complicated than I’d expected. If Vasilios and Sven were telling the truth and it wasn’t just some ruse to put me off the scent, then Belinda’s death wasn’t their doing, not in the slightest. I just didn’t have the heart to tell her yet.
“That’s too bad,” Belinda sighed as she came and sat next to me. Well, more like hovered. “Then again, I’m kind of getting the hang of this whole being a ghost thing. I’ve always been naturally nosy, and this way, I get to spy on people all the time. I can literally be a fly on the wall, and they have no idea I’m there. Well, except for you and that murderous prick, Sven.”
What she said gave me an idea, though I wasn’t sure how amenable Belinda would be about doing me a favour. “Can you visit anyone you want or only people you have a connection with?”
She pondered for a moment. “I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t tried visiting anyone outside my circle yet. Why?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Never mind.”
“Darya, just say it. You obviously want to ask me something.”
“Well, I was just wondering if you could check on my family, make sure they aren’t freaking out too much about me being gone. And Peter, too. I want to make sure he’s okay.”
Belinda glanced at her nails and sighed. “You’ve barely been gone a week, but fine, I’ll try to check in on them if I have time. So, you really don’t have any other news? I can’t believe you haven’t made any headway in your investigation.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” I replied. It was a lie. I’d made major headway, but I was too anxious to tell Belinda. She would be so furious with me when she heard the truth. That was if what Vasilios and Sven had told me was actually true.
“No, but you’ve had several days, and you’re not building an empire. You’re trying to solve a murder, so freaking get a move on already and solve it, will you?”
“I’m doing my best,” I told her quietly.
“Do better,” she said before vanishing. I blew out a long breath and lay back on my bed, the metal wires of the thin mattress digging into me as I endeavoured to get comfortable. I sensed someone watching me and found Vasilios standing in the doorway to my cell.
“What are you doing?” he asked, vaguely amused.
“Trying not to get stabbed to death by this mattress,” I replied. “What do you want?”
“I came to talk,” he said, stepping inside my cell. An awkward moment of silence passed, and he glanced around the small room before asking, “How are you? You seemed a little tired after your shift. Has the blood not—”