Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
He didn’t know about Drake, but he wasn’t yet ready to become roast boar if that fence was electrified.
The area was quiet, even though Boar occasionally heard noises made by nocturnal species somewhere within the zoo, and the longer they stayed in this one area, the sharper his senses became. Hair rose at the back of his neck, enforcing the feeling of someone watching, even though there were no indications of immediate danger. They were just three guys stalking a tourist attraction after hours, and while there was security in place, it wasn’t as if the owners anticipated people trying to get in.
Or so he hoped, but every single object his eyes discerned in the dark was still a potential threat, as was every noise, so Boar stiffened when Clover shifted in the grass a bit too fast.
The boy wore a beanie to obscure his white hair, but that was hardly a precaution when they were about to attack the person who was on the lookout for him. Yet another reason to retreat, but regardless of his sweet face and a precious smile, Clover was an adult, and nobody could make his decisions for him. He’d worked hard to become a part of their team, he was twenty, he knew how to make a bigger man squirm by hitting the right spots on his body, and just earlier today, he’d killed a man.
Boar wasn’t the poetic type, but he still thought of Jerry’s death as the final nail to the coffin of Clover’s innocence. There was no going back from that. But was this, someone else’s revenge, a good follow up? Did Drake absolutely have to draw Clover straight into Apollo’s claws? The level of danger would have been unreasonable for anyone with a brain and a bit of experience, but hate was clouding his brain. Boar couldn’t stop Clover. He couldn’t stop Drake, but he would be there to protect them.
“Are you guys sure you want to do this? We can still go back and regroup. We don’t know what we’re even dealing with,” Boar whispered, but flinched when Drake sent him a venomous stare over his shoulder.
“I know more than I’d like.”
“It’s been seven years. Things must have changed since you last saw this guy. And for all we know, he might be here with a small army.”
Drake hummed. “It’s been more than that. This guy trafficked me, but I haven’t seen him since I was thirteen.”
Boar scowled. He didn’t want to confront Drake about this with unnecessary prodding. “Even more so. Let’s just wait in the car and follow them to wherever they’re staying. What’s the point of walking into the woods before checking out the freaking map!”
Drake huffed like an angry dragon about to spout sulphur. “Clover’s got a map. Go home if you don’t want to do this.”
Boar shut up. Maybe he should have woken Pyro up after all. This was why they worked as a team—to have more backup. Then again, Pyro wouldn’t have approved of this stunt. He’d have told Tank, and Drake would have cut out Boar’s Adam’s apple before having it for breakfast. Boar had gone through tough shit in life, but he didn’t even know a quarter of what had happened to Drake, yet could still imagine the need for revenge he harbored.
But what was the point of attempting revenge in a hasty way that could get them all killed? “Clover has a tourist map. You can’t seriously think that’s enough—” His voice broke when he saw Drake produce metal cutters he always had in his van. Blood drained from his face when bits of the mesh parted, slowly but surely creating a hole big enough to crawl through. “Clover, come on. Be reasonable.”
Clover faced him, and none of that fresh-faced wonder was left in his expression. Boar could only hope it was just the sparse light playing tricks on him. “This Apollo fucker deserves to die. The sooner the better.”
Drake didn’t even look back, crawling through the hole with such haste a stray piece of wire made a tear in his long-sleeve despite there being enough space to roll in without damaging clothes.
For fuck’s sake.
Boar was between a rock and a hard place, and when the wind combed back his hair, his mind went straight to the narrow bed he shared with Pyro at Jolene’s. He should have woken him up, even if Drake and Clover would have hated him forever. But it was too late to back out now. He needed to either think of the skin on his back or follow them into the lion’s den to ensure their survival. Between the three of them, there would always be more guns, eyes, and ears. He needed to keep that in mind if he didn’t want to go crazy.