Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 182641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 913(@200wpm)___ 731(@250wpm)___ 609(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 913(@200wpm)___ 731(@250wpm)___ 609(@300wpm)
Another forty-five minutes go by before they begin to come up for air, and Saylor delivers my third cappuccino.
“There’s nothing here. Nothing at all that raises any red flags,” Bronx says, looking to the boys, who nod in agreement.
“The only thing I paused at was the arguments between him and your dad, but he was arguing against being placed away from you,” Kylo adds. “But maybe that’s how he kept Rayo off his tracks?”
Their words should be comforting, but they’re not in the slightest. I can’t shake the unease knotting within me. “What about—”
Bronx’s laptop dings and her head snaps my way as all of ours point toward her. As one, we scramble, rushing for her computer, all of us hovering over her, seeing nothing but crazy coding across the screen that we have to wait for her to explain.
“He got a message, but the number isn’t saved,” she rushes. “Holy shit, it says he’s all yours.” Her eyes dart my way, corners creased. “What could that mean? Who is all his?”
I open my mouth to speak, but Damiano beats me to it.
“Wait! Look!” He’s drawing closer.
“There’s an attachment coming through,” Bronx realizes, her fingers flying across the keyboard in rapid succession, small boxes popping up where she types in numbers before they disappear and another appears, followed by a loading screen.
“He’s opening it.”
And then a photo reveals itself.
Warm liquid splashes up my legs, a cup having slipped from my sister’s hands as an image of my father chained to a concrete wall comes across.
Another ping.
Bronx works her magic, and then her words leave her in a low, cautious whisper. “You know where he is …”
My heart beats erratically, my fingers wrapping around Boston’s as hers find their way into mine and we look to each other, glancing all around the room, and I’m unsure of what to say, how to say it, or what to do next.
And then I release her and suddenly, I’m booking it out my door, around the corridor, and down the spiral staircase, everyone else hot on my heels as we dash into the foyer.
Jasper’s eyes widen as he sees us grow closer and he stands to attention, waiting for instruction should we give any.
“Calvin?”
“On the back patio, Ms. Revenaw.” We’re already on our way there before he’s finished speaking, so we missed the bow I know he gives on our exit.
Damiano makes his way in front of me, shoving the double doors open and holding them for the rest of us to shuffle through. We run through the row of roses, curving around the fountains until we get to the main seating area, where we come to an abrupt stop.
Calvin and a few other guards’ eyes jerk our way, and slowly, they push to their feet, but my attention is glued on the man standing ten feet to the side, alone and shadowed in the darkness.
Sai stands there, eyes and frown glued to his phone as he types away and I’m half tempted to run back upstairs just to see what he said.
As one, we mask our expressions, going completely blank and using every bit of our training to make sure we stay that way when finally, his head snaps our way.
I can’t control the harsh inhale I take as his eyes meet mine, and it’s as if acid is poured down my throat. The sting of betrayal is almost too harsh to stomach as worry fills his dreadful eyes and he rushes his way toward me.
His hands wrap around my biceps in the way they’ve done a hundred times before, but this time feels suffocating. “I have to handle something, but I’ll be back. I’ll make it quick and return swiftly.”
He’ll make it quick.
He’ll kill my father quickly and rush back to my side to pretend as if he has no idea what’s going on.
Before I know what I’m doing, before I can even pause long enough to breathe, the switchblade is pulled out, flipped open and dug deep into his gut.
A mumbled groan bubbles past his lips and his grip on me tightens for a split second before he stumbles back a step.
Tears fall, pouring down my cheeks in steady streams as I look down to where the blade sticks in his belly, a block of red slowly spanning out into a deep-crimson circle that only spreads wider.
Calvin and the others realize what I’ve done, screaming and shouting, darting over to where we are, but rather than rush to his aid, they shield us, unsure of what’s going on as they stare at me and Sai in disbelief.
I cry, my feet starting toward him as if to take it back, to comfort him, as little sense as it makes. I watch as his hand wraps around the handle, a frown taking over his features as he pulls it out, only to fall to his knees a moment later.