Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
“Why?”
“Van Der Haus knows about me and Freja. He also knows about me and Ava. Which means he’s currently piecing together a timeline to confirm his suspicions while stirring up a pretty lethal pot of shit.”
“Oh shit.”
“Yes. And on top of that, I just found out Ava’s ex has been hanging around outside The Manor. Call me suspicious, but I get the feeling he’s digging for shit on me to feed to Ava.” Just another someone trying to stop me remaining in heaven, although heaven feels like fucking hell right now.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Grow some fucking balls and tell Ava about Freja before someone else does.”
“Good plan.”
“Right after I ask her to marry me.” I slam the door and whack my car into gear, but just as I’m about to pull off, Sam throws himself in front of my Aston, slamming his palms down on the bonnet. I flinch, staring at him incredulously, as he stares back with wide, worried eyes. “The fuck?” I yell, getting out.
“Yes, the fuck,” he shouts back, marching round to the door. “Are you fucking insane?”
I cock a brow, insulted. “Do you have a death wish? What’s so insane about wanting to marry her?”
He stares at me, just stares, and eventually shakes his head. In despair, I think. “You are.” He throws his hands up and goes to his Porsche. “You’re fucking insane.”
“Who’s insane?” Sarah asks, strutting across the gravel in her skyscraper heels. I throw Sam a warning look that he can’t appreciate because he’s not looking at me.
“Him,” he yells, firing his fob at his car. “Someone needs to have a word with him.”
Sarah looks me up and down. “Why have you been sitting out here in your car for over an hour?”
“I was on a call.” I slide back into my car.
“I thought you’d be with Ava, actually.”
“Well, clearly I’m not, am I?” And she’s probably not talking to me either. I stall, my door half closed, and look up at Sarah. “Why would you think I’d be with Ava?”
She frowns, stepping back, like she could be removing herself from the firing range of something. I’m worried that something is me.
“Sarah,” I say slowly, quietly. “Why would you think I’d be with Ava now?”
She looks across to Sam, who’s by his car, door open too, but he’s not got in. He looks as curious as I feel. And worried. “Well . . .” she says, fading off.
“Sarah, fucking spit it out.”
“I overheard her saying she was picking up her things from her ex’s. I just assumed you’d go with her.”
“Oh fuck,” Sam breathes.
My phone ringing screams from every speaker in my car, John’s name flashing up on the dashboard. I punch the green button on my steering wheel. “She’s been picked up by Kate,” John says.
“I know.” I cannot fucking believe she’s done this. I slam my door and spin away, the back end of my Aston zigzagging across the gravel uncontrollably. “Follow them and tell me where they go,” I order.
“Seriously, Jesse?”
“Yes, seriously, John. She’s going to her ex’s to pick up some stuff, and I’ve just this moment found out that it’s his white BMW that I’ve seen outside the gates twice.”
“A white BMW?”
“Yes.”
“Motherfucker,” he breathes.
“You’ve seen it too?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it.” I hear the engine of his Range Rover start. “Can you make me a promise?”
“No.” I don’t indicate at the gates, hardly stop to check the traffic either, earning myself a few angry horn honks. I look up to my rearview mirror, seeing Sam’s Porsche kissing the arse of my Aston. He’s waving his arms like a mad man, angry, and a call comes through over John’s. “I’ll call you when I’m back in the city.”
“Wait,” John says. “You promise me there will be no physical.”
“Promise,” I lie, hanging up and taking Sam’s call.
“Slow the fuck down,” he orders, raging. “You’ll get yourself fucking killed, then you’ll be marrying no one.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna get a yes from her after what’s about to go down.” The red in my vision won’t shift. It’s the final straw. Mikael, Freja, and now Matt? I am so over trying to hold it together.
“Jesse, calm the fuck down.”
I hang up, tired of hearing it. Calm down. Calm down. They’re like broken fucking records. I come up fast behind a Mercedes, a bend in the road up ahead stopping me from overtaking.
It should stop me.
It doesn’t.
I put my foot down and zip out, dropping a gear and slamming my foot down, the sound of the Mercedes horn following me as I glide past. I look up at my mirror, seeing Sam close behind, not willing to lose me. And as expected, my phone rings again. “If I make it to the city alive, I’m going to fucking kill you. After everything, Jesse. Jake, Carmichael, Rosie, Rebecca, you drive like this?”