Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“I know, but I don’t want to let you go, especially if you’re feeling angry with me.”
She laughed. “I’m not angry. Not anymore. I get it, to a point. I do get it, but it doesn’t mean I actually agree with it.”
“Good. Sometimes you’ve got to learn not to even take what I say seriously.”
“I don’t.” She put her hands on his chest. “I better go and check on Lucy.”
The sound of a large crash filled the air.
Eyes going wide, they rushed out. Sasha grabbed her weapon and aimed it at the door. Seconds later Tree Man came running. In one hand he held a spear, and in the other a gun.
“Did you hear anything outside?” Malachi asked.
“No. Nothing.” Tree Man stood tall, puffing out his chest. He looked ready to kill. To protect.
“Someone must have followed us.”
“Or they don’t know we’re here,” Sasha said, whispering.
They weren’t wearing any shoes, and with the noise coming from down in the street, their new occupants clearly didn’t know there were people in the dentist office.
“We can’t risk them getting in. Sasha go there, cover me. Tree Man, my other side.”
The candle they’d lit was too bright, and so Sasha blew it out quickly.
They needed to keep her safe but Sasha made sure she could see her sister just so she would be able to protect her.
How had her life gotten this fucking complicated?
Malachi gritted his teeth. He couldn’t make out how many people were down in the street. So far, he could only hear men, and that didn’t sit well with him. All it would take was for them to look through the window of the dentist office to know they were in here, or see their shit laying on the ground. Hell, if they came in here there’d be no hiding.
He shouldn’t have let them stay here, or he should have at least done something to secure the door.
This wasn’t how he imagined his and Sasha’s night together. He’d expected more time with her, and he didn’t want to get into that long, drawn-out conversation with her either. Everything had become so fucked.
His hands didn’t shake though.
Not even for a second.
He held them steady.
One.
Two.
Someone was close.
He had to protect them.
Did he shoot first or try to reason with them?
The moment he saw a head, he fired his weapon.
He couldn’t risk Sasha or Lucy. He had no choice but to take care of them.
They needed him and he wouldn’t do anything to fuck it up.
And then he saw them coming closer. He had his gun, and although he should save bullets, picking them off from a distance was far easier and safer.
He slowly, quietly opened the door, aimed the gun at the first man, and pulled the trigger. He watched as the bullet tore through him. Malachi had to be quick, especially when he saw the other two men freeze, about to retaliate.
He pulled the trigger a second time, and once more, his aim impeccable, the sound of it ricocheting and echoing around them.
And then there was silence.
“What happened?” Lucy asked behind them, fear in her voice.
“It’s okay, sweetie. You don’t need to worry,” Sasha said.
“Keep her here. Tree Man, help me.” He needed to get rid of the bodies.
“All the death mounting up,” Tree Man said.
“I don’t need you to give me a running commentary.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it. It sounds like a lot of fun. We’re always doing stuff like this together. You know, hanging out. Having lots of fun. Partying. Doing all of this. One day we won’t, you see, because life is not going to let us and then you’re going to wish for these moments, and pray they turn up.” He laughed. “I can’t wait. It’s all going to be so exciting.”
“Can we just go and fix this, please?” he asked.
“Sure. Sure.”
Once they were outside, Malachi was hesitant as he made his way toward the bodies, making sure they were alone.
Once at the corpses, he ignored the blood and dragged the men down by their ankles, off to the side and toward a building. He didn’t want to draw Sasha’s attention. She’d already seen enough blood and death and he intended to make it his mission to protect her, to love her. To do whatever needed to be done to help her.
“You’re in love,” Tree Man said as they dumped the last man around the back of the building into a trash can.
“You need to learn to keep quiet.”
“I know but I can’t help it. Once I start talking, I can’t seem to stop. It’s like a curse really. The curse of talking.”
“Will you keep your voice down? We can’t stay here anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you get it? There could be others looking for a way in. Looking for something. I can’t risk them. Not now. Not ever. I’ve got to protect them.”