Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
“Our family was built on trust,” he says.
“Lies.”
“And I will not have you disobey me.”
“They’re drug-dealing murderers.”
“So are we!” Kai interrupts. “Don’t you understand? This is why he picked me and not you. Killing is part of the deal. That’s the price we pay for the life we live.”
“For you,” I say, folding my arms. “And if that’s the price you want to pay, you can keep all of it. I don’t fucking want it.”
My father sucks in a breath.
“Kai. Leave. I want to talk to Ares alone.”
Two years ago
“Slit his throat.”
I stare at the man between my feet, cowering in fear and murmuring the words of God.
My father’s powerful gaze bares my soul.
“Mi niño, we don’t have all night. He needs to die. Now.”
I push the knife into his neck.
“Please. Don’t do this,” the man begs. “I have a wife. A child. Please.”
A few roses from the bushel he was carrying on his way out of the building scatter across the pavement, one releasing a petal which flies off in the wind.
“Ares …” My father’s voice echoes through the streets. “Time is running out.”
“Why him?” I ask.
“He ruined a great evening with poor customer service for one of my associates,” my father replies. “They were not happy, and neither am I because now I’m the one who disappointed my associate … and he will pay the price.”
Right.
One bad review from the wrong person will be the death of the man beneath me.
“Please, don’t kill me,” the man begs, tugging at the conscience I didn’t think I’d still have. “I haven’t done anything.”
He’s right.
He’s an innocent man who chose the wrong day to cross our path.
Is this the fate he deserves?
“Do it,” my father rasps.
“Told you he couldn’t do it,” Kai says.
“Shut up,” I quip.
“You know what’s at stake here, Ares,” my father says. “My legacy could be yours … all you have to do is take it by taking his life.”
A life in exchange for power.
But all I hear are the whimpers of the man beneath me. “Please …”
His begging is as sharp as the knife in my hand.
“Ares! Do you want the position or not?” my father growls. “¡Hazlo ya!”
I lift the knife and hold it above my head, watching the man’s last piteous gaze fall upon me.
And I break.
Present
Kai glances at me. “Stop going against him,” he whispers to me.
“You have your Phantoms. You have your future. Go get it, then,” I tell him.
“Kai,” my father says sternly.
Kai sighs out loud and gets up, glancing once more at me before he leaves the room.
CLICK.
My father locks the door to his office.
“I’m going to give you one more chance,” he says. “Apologize to Mr. Ferry.”
And I look him dead in the eye, knowing full well what the consequences will be, as I say, “No.”
I’ve killed men for this. I have killed for the privilege to look my father in the eyes and deny him the one thing he wants.
Obedience.
To be a trafficker, a drug dealer, a killer without a conscience.
But I will never, ever give him what he wants.
Even if it costs me my goddamn sanity.
CRYSTAL
I’ve been checking all the windows in my room, but there’s no way to break out of them. The door is locked, and the bathroom leads nowhere. I’ve been trying to find a way to escape all day without any luck. Not even my knife helped to crack open the windows or the door.
Being cooped up in here all by myself has driven me insane to the point where I push my ear against the door every time someone walks by, hoping to catch something important.
I already dressed myself in a simple pair of leggings and a gray tee on the off chance that someone might enter my room, and to my surprise, all the clothes fit. It’s almost as if Ares prepared for my arrival.
I’ve seen the sun rise and the sun set through the same window, which means I’ve already been here a whole day, missing out on class. I have no clue what time it is, as my room doesn’t have a clock, but it’s definitely dark outside.
The strawberries only eased my hunger a little bit, but I’m too stubborn to ask for more even though my stomach is growling. I’ve been drinking water from the tap to make sure I feel full enough not to start begging because that sure as hell is lowest on my to-do list.
I’m so angry, I could scream.
Fuck Ares.
How dare he do this to me?
I pick up the leftover bowl and throw it at the wall out of frustration, shattering it into a million pieces.
But my screams and ragged breath stop as my eyes fall on something lying underneath the bowl.
A key card?
I grab it and swipe the door, and it opens.
Holy shit.
I tuck the key card and my knife into my pocket and swiftly open the door to look around and see if anyone waits to pummel me down, but luckily, I’m all alone. I peer downstairs over the banister and see no trace of the party I was dragged out of after they fucked me in front of a whole damn crowd.