Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Let’s go.” I wrapped an arm around Serena as Ash did the same to Claire and Breaker followed, and out we walked as students parted like the freaking Red Sea.
Kings among mortals and into our waiting Escalade.
The drive was quiet.
But Serena couldn’t stop bouncing her knee, so I knew something was up, and when we pulled to the house and saw the bosses standing outside, I knew exactly what was about to happen.
“Don’t let them make you scream,” I said under my breath. “And if you need to pass out, give me the signal, and I’ll do the honors.”
She paled. “What’s the signal?”
I smiled and flipped her off. “What do you think?”
“Of course.” She shoved at me and then. “I’m the first girl to get made.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Maybe they’ll go easy on you.”
I helped her out of the car and came face to face with my dad, who was currently holding a machete.
Yeah, or maybe not.
Chapter Seven
Serena
My teeth started to chatter as I eyed the giant knife in Phoenix’s hand. The sort of knife meant to cut through hard bamboo. What would it do to a person’s skin? What would it do to me?
And why the hell was he still holding it while we all walked out of the car and toward the front door?
It was just Nixon, Phoenix, and Chase.
So, my father, the insane one, and the angry one.
Perfect.
Breaker took one look at them standing there, held up his hands, and then hopped back in the car., “I’m just gonna head back to my place.”
“Traitor,” Ash mumbled under his breath.
Breaker just rolled down the window and grinned. “I’m the impressionable young one, like the Skywalker to your Kenobi.”
“For the last time, it’s Obi-Wan Kenobi!” Junior shouted back at him.
Breaker paused and then grinned. “These things, I forget, Master Yoda.”
“Son of a bitch.” Ash wiped his hands down his face while I just stood there staring at the guys, wondering if Claire was going to bail on us too.
I didn’t have to wait long to get my answer.
All Uncle Chase had to do was jerk his chin toward the house, and Claire was sprinting past them at breakneck speed with Izzy hot on her heels.
“The three musketeers.” Phoenix shook his head. “The mentors.”
I gulped. Probably not the time to say that my cousin Violet was just as much a mentor as we were.
“And now,” Chase stepped forward. “A dead body.”
My dad’s intense blue eyes narrowed in on me. Why did he have to be so terrifying in that moment? I wanted to run into his arms and tell him to take away the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, the feeling that told me that life would never be the same.
That I had taken a soul from this world, and I’d done it on the assumption that the soul, the body who kept it—was evil.
Junior stepped forward. “It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.”
Phoenix’s eyebrows shot up, and then his gaze went from his son’s to mine. Well, it was nice knowing them.
“Did you kill her?” Phoenix asked.
“She was as good as dead the minute she posed a threat,” Ash casually said, both of them at least had my back.
I tried to even my breathing as Phoenix’s cruel smile landed on me. “Serena…”
The way he said my name was cold, calculated, it was the voice of a killer, the voice of someone that had so much blood on his hands the stains would never wash off.
“Yes,” I rasped, locking eyes with him.
“What’s done is done… it doesn’t matter how or why; you were the one responsible, and you put the entire Family at risk because you acted out of emotion rather than information.”
Junior opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Chase, who held up his hand and slowly walked toward the three of us. My dad followed. Oh man, this was bad, so very bad.
We were their kids.
But that didn’t mean we were above the law of the Family.
I was only too painfully aware of the blood oaths we’d made.
Of the promises never to date each other.
Promises to protect the Family at all costs.
And promises to only kill when absolutely necessary—when there was no other option.
At the time, I didn’t think there was.
I could have waited.
Hesitated.
But my hesitation could have gotten Junior killed.
And admitting that would do one thing.
It would tell them that I had feelings.
It would tell them that Junior made me weak.
And it worked both ways; it would tell them that I made Junior weak.
So I said nothing.
And knew I would have to take whatever punishment they gave with my head high and with my screams on the inside.
Chase sighed. “Everyone inside.”
I started to walk past him, but he grabbed me by the arm and held me in front of him.
My dad looked like he wanted to say something, but Uncle Chase was his second in command, powerful beyond belief. Hell, he had most politicians eating out of the palm of his hand and asking for more. He could give out free poison, and there would be a line a mile long.