Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“Speak for yourself, Reaper. I can handle anything you’ve got. It’s you I’m worried about,” I say, turning on my heel and stalking back to my bedroom. “Hurry along, Reaper. I’m in charge now, and don’t forget that gun. I’ve got the perfect spot for it.”
19
SIREN
Placing the hot bowl of spaghetti bolognese down on my new kitchen counter, I stand back and smile, knowing Shadow would appreciate this. After meeting with her a few nights ago in the luxury hotel restaurant that was too fancy for a standard chicken parmigiana, I’ve been sticking to my word and doing everything I can to make sure the kid eats a healthy meal every day.
Even after my small villa was shot up and turned into a house-sized strainer, I still took the risk and welcomed her into my new place. It only took her a few hours to figure out where I’m staying now, and honestly, it couldn’t have been that hard.
I’m still at the holiday resort but in a whole new villa. Though, this one is more like a fancy suite, and while it’s a little more risky staying here, I couldn’t resist. There’s something about this little holiday resort that’s really started to grow on me. Perhaps it’s the pool and the short walk to the lake that gets me. Either way, I’m content here for a little while.
I place a spoon and a fork down beside the bowl of spaghetti before adding a soda and a to-go bag filled with a fresh sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water, knowing damn well the kid can’t survive on her own. I haven’t yet figured out where she’s sleeping every night, but I hope she’s safe. Either way, I’ve left blankets on the sofa every night, hoping she’ll take me up on my offer, but so far, she hasn’t allowed herself to trust me enough to let her guard that far down. I swear, she’s probably the type to sleep with one eye open. I wonder if she even knows what it’s actually like to be a regular child. Has she ever experienced jumping over the waves at the beach or building sandcastles? Did she ever learn how to ride a bike, or did she even have a baby doll to play with as a little girl?
My heart breaks for her, but knowing there’s nothing more I can do until she’s comfortable trusting me, I go for a walk, leaving her to be at peace in my new little suite.
I make my way down to the lake, strolling along the shore and holding my shoes as I drag my feet through the cool water. It truly is beautiful down here, and if this town wasn’t tainted by the aftermath of War Games, this would probably be somewhere I’d like to settle down one day. You know, way in the future after I’ve retired. Assuming I somehow make it out of here alive. Not that I have high hopes with Shadow as a contender, but if I have to lose, I’m glad it’s for her.
On the other hand, Reaper would carve his own heart out and offer it to her on a silver platter if it meant that she would live.
It’s only been a few days since he showed up in my villa and tried to take my life, and since then, we’ve spent more time together than I could have anticipated. To be fair, most of that time is spent naked with our bodies grinding together, but when we’re not, he happily sits beside me on the couch, both of us with our laptops open, working on tracking the remaining five contenders.
So much for not wanting to work together. He’s doing it without even realizing, but having someone to bounce ideas off has come so naturally to him. To be honest, I don’t even know if he realizes that we’ve been working as a team, but when that moment comes, I’m sure it’ll be the equivalent of being punched right in the vag.
Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I bring up Mila’s number and chat with her for over an hour as I make the full walk around the lake while ignoring the security notifications rolling in, letting me know Shadow arrived at my suite and is happily annihilating her dinner.
As I make my way under the bridge, I tell Mila every little detail of the time I’ve spent with Reaper over the last few days, but I stop and cringe when I see the familiar dark stain on the concrete leading to the bushes. I assume Raven’s body is still hidden deep within the garden because she hasn’t made the headlines yet. And knowing I shouldn’t be anywhere near this crime scene, I decide it’s probably time to head back.