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)
A rough sigh left me as I scratched at the stubble at my neck.
Guilt was a needy bitch.
Guilt demanded it be acknowledged. I knew this. I felt this. It was harsh and, yeah, at first I blamed Molly for what happened, but the truth was, Molly had nothing on Ling, and pitting the two against each other would have been a futile fight. Ling would always remain victor in that battle, no matter the circumstances.
Her guilt was on me, and I wore it like a noose around my neck, choking me.
“Got something,” the large Maori man at the computer uttered. He peered into the screen, squinting. “Yep. It’s her all right.”
I took the few steps over and looked down at the footage. Ling stepped out of her Mercedes, went to the passenger door, and opened it. It took a while for my son to step out, but when he did, a breath of relief filled me. I surveyed Ling and the way she held her hand out to my son.
It was odd, the way she was acting.
And when A.J. refused to take her hand, my stomach dropped.
Jesus, bud. Don’t give her an excuse to hurt you.
But Ling just got to her knees, spoke to him a second, and then wrapped her arms around my son, holding him tight as if she had the fuckin’ right.
The infuriation was hard to breathe through. My woman was at home a fuckin’ mess, and Ling was taking the affection meant for Lexi.
Fuckin’ bitch.
I was going to rip her apart. Yeah. I was going to kill her with my bare hands.
“It’s a white or silver SUV,” Amoho muttered, watching Ling drive away with my son. “I can’t make it all out, but I think I can get partial plates.”
This guy was a computer wizard.
Feeling a rush of fondness for him, I slapped my hands down onto his shoulders and squeezed hard. “Do it, man.” Standing back, I took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
Tama stood there, imposing like a goddamn tiki statue, his face drawn, his lips pulled down. “Want to help you get your boy back.”
He meant it. Not because he was with Molly, but because he knew if we didn’t get my son back soon, one of my people would soon be sent to identify his body. And even psychopaths like us didn’t condone violence against children.
“Appreciate that.” I looked over at Amoho. “Gonna need a copy of that footage.”
Amoho spun on his chair and threw me a small, white USB. I caught it with ease, as he spoke, “We get anything new, we’ll call.”
Before I stepped out, Tama stopped me. “Look. About Molly—”
I cut the big guy off with, “What she’s doing is not helping me.” The words were harsh but spoken softly. “You tell her that she once told me she’d do anything to protect my son, and I’m holding her to that, because, right now, he needs all the help he can get.”
And with that, I left.
***
Lexi
Never before had I realized how cruel the mind could be.
Take now, for instance.
Against all wishes, I wondered what my son’s last thoughts would be before Ling took his life.
Would he remember the times we stayed up late together and watched movies, laughing as he tried to catch the popcorn I threw into his mouth? Or would his last reflections of me be about the times he begged me to believe him about his father’s return and how his awful mother refused to see reason?
I wasn’t crying, not anymore, but the tears continued to fall, trailing my cheeks and dripping down my neck.
My mind was stuck on the morose.
I only hoped that when the time came, she made it quick for him.
My brow lowered as I heard my own thoughts.
Listen to me.
What the hell was I doing?
Absolutely nothing.
Sitting here, feeling sorry for myself while Ling was doing God knows what with my son. It was appalling.
What kind of mother did that make me?
It made me a mother who was not worthy of her son.
Feeling a newfound energy source derived from grief, I stood and changed clothes. I went to my nightstand and slid out the bottom drawer, revealing the small metal box hidden underneath. Keying in the code, it opened, and I retrieved the .22 caliber Glock Julius had given me for my own protection. It was loaded and ready to go. Before I left my room, I looked at myself in the mirror.
My face looked sunken. A solid blackness sat under my red eyes. My lips were pale and dry, and a constant frown creased my brows.
I was an absolute mess.
But I didn’t have time to dwell. I grabbed my purse, and Luna looked up from her laptop when I stepped out of my room. She must have seen the steely look in my eyes, because she stood slowly. “Where are you going, Lexi?”