Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Is that what you’re doing?” Apollo asks. He seems to soften right before my eyes. “Begging for my forgiveness?”
“Yes, and not just because I’m in a cage.”
He chuckles. “But I’m sure you hope to not be in there any longer.”
“Do you blame me?”
He remains silent for a bit. He finally lets out a deep breath and asks, “You said you were hurt. Why?”
“You know why.”
“I don’t. Tell me.”
I try to not let the familiar bite of anger take hold every time he acts like my request isn’t, and never has been, important. “My sister. I asked you over and over. I begged you. And yet, you always shut it down.”
“Shut what down?”
Tilting my head, I study his face. Did the accident make him black out this part of our life? The doctor said his memory would have holes because of his head injury, but he’s been doing so well remembering most everything else. I occasionally can see an emptiness in his eyes when I mention something about our past, like there is no recollection of what I’m saying, but then he seems to remember quickly. But not this time. This time, he really appears to have no clue what I’m talking about.
“You don’t remember?”
He runs his fingers through his hair and glances out the window before saying, “I don’t remember. I wish I did.”
His words are like a punch to the gut. He doesn’t remember the reason our marriage shattered to a million pieces. He doesn’t remember why I wanted out of our marriage so badly that I’d go to the authorities with information that would destroy him. He doesn’t remember why we are the way we are.
“I can see that me not remembering this is hurting you. Why?”
“Because it’s the catalyst for our destruction. If only you—”
“If only I did what?” he interrupts.
For some reason, I don’t want to say it again. I don’t want to ask again. I begged constantly. I offered everything, anything, if only he’d do as I ask, and yet right now, I don’t want to repeat what had become a broken record. “Do you remember the kind of relationship my sister and her husband are in?”
He slowly nods, but I’m not sure if he really does or if he’s just nodding for my sake.
“He’s an abusive asshole,” I say, just to clarify for him if by chance he doesn’t remember that fact. “He beats my sister over and over. Punches, makes her bloody. He’s even broken her arm.” My voice cracks. I swallow the bile forming in the back of my throat. “I fear he’s going to kill her someday.”
I see his jaw lock, and his eyes narrow.
I continue on. “She won’t leave him. She told me that if she ever did, he’d hunt her down and kill her and kill me too, as payback.”
Apollo sits up quickly. Rage washed over his face. “The fuck he will. The fact that he even threatened your life is reason enough for me to kill him with my bare hands. How dare he threaten you.”
“He’s threatened me multiple times. But…” I don’t understand why the sudden change of heart. A complete about face. “That’s just it, Apollo. I asked you to kill him. I begged you to. And when you refused, I even asked if I could have your brother do it. You refused that too. I know your brother was the family hitman, and for some reason I didn’t understand, you forbid it. I wanted her husband dead and came to you for help. You turned me down, over and over again.” I stop speaking as I try to process the clear anger I see on Apollo’s face.
“Did I ever give you a reason?”
“You said that the Godwins don’t get in the mud with pigs. You said that you and your brother are busy with genuine problems. You said that my sister made her bed and can easily get out of it. You said—”
“I was a fucking asshole,” Apollo interrupts, clearly pissed. “That fucker deserves to die. The only reason I haven’t gotten out of this bed to hunt him down right now is because for the life of me, I can’t remember this shit.”
“I just want my sister to be safe,” I say, more to myself than to Apollo.
I sit back and pull my legs to my chest, feeling the overwhelming need to cry.
“I’m assuming they live on Heathens Hollow?”
“The Eastside.”
“I’ll take care of it today.”
My heart skips. “Wait… Just like that?” I move closer to the door of the cage.
“Yes. Just like that. Give me the address.”
An odd sense of panic mixed with excitement sizzles through my veins. “No plan, no— you can’t just walk into the house and kill him.”
“Why not?”
“Apollo, you act like it’s no big deal to kill a man.”
“I think we both know this isn’t going to be my first rodeo.” He smirks, but I can see he’s uncomfortable with this discussion. His body is tense, and his face even more so.