Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“For that deadbeat pig, you killed my father. You had my sister tortured and raped—”
“I didn’t know he’d rape her!”
“You didn’t want to know,” I screamed, hauling Everleigh to her feet and shaking her. “You threw money and status at them, then sat back to watch the show. You didn’t care what they did as long as they got the job done.
“It was you, Everleigh. You destroying innocent lives. You betraying your best friends. You bringing misery to everyone who has the misfortune of knowing you. And for what? For nothing!”
Racking sobs heaved her chest, rattling her in my grip. “I’m sorry. Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I swear, I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known.”
“You think I give a fuck about your sorry?” Pain laced my words. “Sorry doesn’t bring Winter and Alistair back. Your sorry is worthless, but your confession isn’t. Admit what you’ve done— Shut up,” I snapped, finally silencing her wailing. “Admit what you’ve done. Admit you burned down the Gallery and get that poor guy out of jail. Tell the captain all the evidence against my guys is fabricated. Confess your part in making the T.O.D. Club what it is.”
“But I can’t.”
“Yes, you can, Everleigh. You’ve done so much wrong for so long. Now is your chance to do the right thing. To give the people you’ve hurt a chance to heal. In the end, your father’s true nature as a self-serving bastard won out, but you don’t have to be like him. Please,” I said, the first trace of gentleness entering my tone. “If you’re truly sorry, then this is your chance to make it right. You don’t have to be the person you’ve been anymore.”
“Okay,” she gasped. “Okay. Get your phone. I’ll... record everything. Everything I’ve done. It’s time I make it right.”
I released her and went to get my phone from where it had dropped beside the bed.
A blast of cold air hit my neck, turning my head around. “What—?”
Everleigh stepped out onto the balcony.
“Everleigh? Everleigh, no!”
Climbing onto the rail, she jumped off.
Chapter Eleven
“There was nothing I could do.”
Adonis and I swayed on the porch swing under a mountain of blankets. My love kept piling them on with every tear.
“It happened so fast. One second she was talking to me, and the next, she jumped over the railing. She said she was going to make it right, Adonis.” I smacked the chair arm. “I pushed her too far! I never should’ve let that heartless bastard talk to her.”
“This isn’t your fault, Luna.” He found my hand under the blankets. “You can convince yourself you’re justified in almost anything when you believe you’re fighting the worthy cause for someone you love. When all that was ripped away from her, and she saw what a monster she’d become for, in the end, was no reason at all... Well, she couldn’t face that truth.”
“What do we do now? Rafael, Cato, Lucien, and Wilder are still locked up. Victor is in Wolfgang’s clutches. I know what he’s going to do next.” I sniffed. “He’s going to demand I give him everything my father was supposed to give him in exchange for Victor.”
“Will you?” he asked softly.
“Of course I will. He can have the fucking laptop. He can have the Rogues. He can have all the money he needs to pay for therapy he desperately needs! I’d give him anything if he’d just tell me what he wants.”
“You already gave him what he wants, but it’s sweet to know you’d give him everything else for me.”
I jerked up and tipped over.
“Luna!”
Shrieking, I crashed to the porch in a pile of limbs and blankets. Victor raced up the steps to me.
“Luna, are you okay?”
“Am I okay?” I stroked his cheek. It was real. He was real. “I don’t understand. How are you here?”
“Wolfgang let me go,” he said, helping me up. “It’s over now. Everleigh’s gone, so there was no reason for him to keep playing pretend kidnapper.”
“Pretend? He drowned you, Victor, then stole you away. We’ve been going out of our minds wondering if you’re safe. There was nothing pretend about that.”
Helping me to my feet, Victor gazed past his shoulder. “I’ll let him explain it to you.”
Wolf rounded the corner, stepping onto the porch.
“Get out.”
He raised his hand in surrender. “Luna, please. I didn’t have a choice.”
“Don’t you dare say that to me, and don’t you dare whip out some sob story! You framed your own brother and nearly killed my fiancé. I don’t care what you have to say. Turn around and leave.”
“It’s not a sob story and it’s not an excuse. Everleigh discovered something about me that my enemies can never know. She gave me a choice between following her every order or finding out the true meaning of something staying on the internet forever.”