Total pages in book: 178
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
“I didn’t come here for that,” I told her, even though I had, but things had changed now that I’d spoken to her. And call me cruel, but knowing I wasn’t alone in my sorrow was holding the broken pieces of me together.
If I was going down the road of suffering in silence, I preferred not to do it alone.
She was coming with me.
Asya’s face screwed up, and she spat, “I’m dying.” Her face crumpled. “Do you understand that?” Her desperation was clear. “I am a burden to my family, Ling. Every single day, they come and go, and leave me without my fucking dignity.” Her eyes shone, as she bit out, “I won’t do it to them. I can’t. Not anymore.” Straightening, she sniffled then sat tall, steeling her voice. “So, you’re going to kill me. And you’re going to do it now.” She took a deep breath, speaking through an exhale. “I’m ready.”
Goddamn it.
Sigh of all sighs.
I actually felt for the bitch. But I wouldn’t kill her.
I made the short walk over and looked down at her pitiful self in her pitiful wheelchair with her pitiful illness, and spoke firmly, “I am not going to kill you, Asya Sadik.”
Her face fell once again, but before she had a chance to argue, I put her pistol into her lap, gently took her hand, and covered it with my own, placing it over the rose-gold beauty.
Why I became so emotional, I didn’t know. This woman meant nothing to me. We weren’t friends. We weren’t family. She was nobody. And yet I felt her pain on a personal level.
Our agony was our connection. A solid link between us. Had I been her, I would’ve wanted to die too.
Fuck. I wanted to die regardless.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, and whispered, “Say hi to Az for me.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned and walked out the back door, closing it behind me with gloved hands. I don’t know how far I got before the shot rang out, but the loneliness I felt was heavy on my shoulders.
Once again, alone in my misery.
***
Lexi
It was just before eleven when a knock at the door sounded, and when Molly rushed out of her room, a gun in each of her hands, a solid glare on her face, she turned to me, and said sternly, “Get back.”
So strange to be taking orders from the babysitter, especially one who was half my age. But I did as she asked.
Another knock sounded, and then, “Lexi.”
The second I heard him, I shot out of my room, and Molly looked pissed when she threw open the door, and snapped, “What, you don’t know how to call?”
Julius stood there, his jaw tight, his eyes on me. “Grab your shit.”
Molly’s tone turned rattled. “What’s happening?”
Julius turned to her. “Asya Sadik killed herself.”
“Okay,” Molly drawled. The way she said it told me she didn’t understand.
Neither did I.
“Luka called,” he told me. “Said security footage shows Ling on the premises. Ten seconds after the bitch leaves, Asya offs herself.” Speaking directly to Molly, he uttered, “A few seconds after Luka calls, Amoho tells me he lost sight of her. We don’t know where she is.” His eyes found mine in the darkness. “I’m not sayin’ she is, but I can’t guarantee she’s not on her way here, Lex, so I need you to come with me.”
My hand shot up to my throat, as I uttered weakly, “To where?”
“Somewhere you can’t be touched,” was all he said. “Ana’s overwrought. I can’t watch you both.”
And because I was scared out of my wits, I allowed Julius to pick my sleeping son up out of his bed, and when Julius led, like the obedient pet I was, I blindly followed.
As we pulled up to the mansion on Sydney’s north shore, Warriewood to be precise, my mouth gaped. It wasn’t Darling Point, but it was still freaking huge.
Holding my sleeping son in my lap, my lips moved of their own volition. “Who lives here?”
But Julius didn’t reply. He was too on edge. Too focused. Which, of course, terrified me. And when we pulled up to the tall security gates, Julius wound down his window and pressed the button on the intercom.
From the other end came, “Molim?”
Julius spoke calmly. “Open the gates, Pav. You know it’s me.”
The gates opened and Julius drove down the long cobblestone drive in complete silence.
Pav.
Ah, shit.
We were in the king’s castle, and I wasn’t too sure Twitch would be happy about that. “Does Twitch know about this?”
Julius snapped harshly, “Twitch ain’t here.”
My entire body jerked at the roughness in his tone. It was so unlike him my eyes widened in shock and I blinked in alarm.
Holy hell.
This may not be the precaution I assumed it was. And when Pav stepped out of his house looking grim in his sweats, I waited until Julius opened the door for me before I slid out with my son.