Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“I...” Rafael pulled a face. “I don’t know, darling.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I cried. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Levi had her beaten black and blue. Wesley fucked with her brakes. Everyone else taunted and made fun of her, but the things those guys did bordered on psychotic. This is why.”
“I’m not saying they didn’t have a hidden ulterior motive for going as far as they did. Even one that affected their families or positions. But if it was so bad they’d resort to driving a girl to suicide, why wasn’t it strong enough blackmail to protect her? Warning them it would all come out if they fucked with her, and then revealing it when they didn’t listen.
“Luna, what could this secret be that she’d suffer in silence and, ultimately... take it with her?”
I sat back on my feet, cold cooling my fervor. Rafael was right. Winter’s bullying went on for months. If it was all to do with some sordid secret, why didn’t she out them? Reveal them for the cruel bastards they clearly were, and end her torment. Not even her letter said anything about some Regalia destroying secret.
Except. It did.
Her words roared in my mind with sudden sharp clarity.
Do not go to Regalia University, Luna.
Beneath the pretty façade is a hideous nest of lies, secrets, and betrayal, and there are people here who’ll do anything to prevent the truth coming out.
Do not share this letter with anyone, do not confront the men named, and do not mess with the Royals.
Any law thrown at them will fall short. Any fight will end with you losing everything, and them walking away without a scratch. They’re untouchable, and more dangerous than you can believe.
“More dangerous than I can believe,” I whispered.
That wasn’t the kind of thing said about garden-variety bullies with mommy complexes. A hideous nest of lies? People who’ll do anything to prevent the truth coming out?
Those are the kinds of descriptions used when speaking about monsters.
“Luna?” Cato’s voice brought me back.
“You’re right, Rafael,” I said, gazing over his shoulder. “Winter could’ve used her ammunition. There has to be a reason she didn’t—before or after her death. The only one I can think of is she was protecting someone. Herself, a friend, or our family. I’ve lost count of all the threats made against Jack since I’ve been here.
“Saylor even said something about ripping the land out from under Bowen Manor and tossing it off like airing out a sheet. Shaking a can of nickels outside the homeless shelter was also mentioned.”
“There’s also how Winter found out,” Wilder spoke up. “I don’t pretend I know everything about the Royals, but I’ve monitored them, hacked their emails, embedded bugs in their computers, and listened in on their conversations for years. I know more than you can believe about those five and their families, but if it was something so bad it’d take down five families and kicked off the war on your sister, I’d have told you already, Sinclair.”
“What are you guys saying? That the five of them aren’t involved? They tortured my sister for shits and giggles?”
“No,” Lucien said. “There’s more behind their cruelty. Maybe they were having fun. Maybe there was money or status involved. Maybe we don’t know as much about the Royals as we think we do. We didn’t know about the Burkhardts and their scroll, so signs point to the latter. But your sister did know something, and those five are the perfect ones to start with in finding out the truth.”
A thought occurred to me. “Not just them. Saylor knows who’s behind it and what they’re keeping hidden. We can either get it from her, or the person who told her. Rafael, Cato, your dad—”
“No,” the brothers sharply cut in.
“Why? Can’t you ask him?”
“We can ask all day long,” Rafael replied, “he won’t answer. Dad doesn’t give us details on his clients or the jobs he does for them—period.”
“But if you tell him it’s for Winter. That he fed the Burkhardts information about someone in town that ultimately got her killed, wouldn’t he tell you then?”
Cato barked a short, harsh laugh. “Appeal to Papa’s better nature? He’d have to have one.”
“And he doesn’t,” Rafael finished. “He won’t tell us the jobs he took or the enemies he made around the time of Mom’s death, Luna, and she was our mother. He won’t break his silence for your sister either. I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t tell if he was sorry. Rafael was curter and his expression harder than I’d ever seen him. Even if he wasn’t sorry, he was serious. His father wouldn’t help me.
“Would he do it for money?”
“You can’t afford him.”
Frustration strangled me. “Well then one of them has to fucking talk!” I burst out. “Because the secret they tortured my sister to hide is coming out, and everything they protect is getting blown up with it!” I shot to my feet, glaring at each of them in turn. “I promise you. I swear it on the last drop of blood and breath in my body, I will burn this fucking town to the ground. Saylor will rule on a pile of ash.”