Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 112567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 563(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 563(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
“Well. . .that does make sense.”
He held a stern expression. “What’s the other job?”
“Oh.” I shrugged again. “It involves chickens.”
He quirked his brows. “Chickens?”
“Glory has a huge chicken processing plant on the edge of town. I work there in the afternoons. Actually, if this were a regular day, I would be heading to the plant now.”
“And what do you do with chickens?”
“It is a glamourous job of standing on the assembly line and breaking bones.”
Lei smirked. “It sounds glamourous. Tell me more.”
“Really?”
“Your world is very different from mine. It’s fascinating.”
I snorted. “Shall we trade places?”
“We should.” He stopped my hand from tracing his and held it firmly instead. . .as if he had been wanting to do it the whole time and finally got up the nerve. His warmth seeped into my skin. “Why are you breaking chicken bones?”
I gathered my composure. “The plant has a high birds per minute rate. It’s called BPM. Picture this, standing on the assembly line with a temperature of 40 degrees. Damp, wet, and slimy. Chicken fluids, guts, and fat slipping all over your fingers and splashing onto your plant overalls.”
“Very glamorous.” He slipped his finger along my knuckles.
“Employees are arm-to-arm working with sharp tools, knives, and hooks. And we are given one particular task to do and must repeat it over and over again.”
“And you break bones?”
“And slice tendons. Very fast. Our line is in charge of separating legs and arms.”
“Then, you’re good with a small knife?”
“Well. . .” I considered his question. “One could say that.”
“What about a gun? Uncle Song gave you his. My uncle wouldn’t take that lightly. Plus, it was actually loaded. Surely, he knew you could use it.”
“Song must have overheard me telling your father about how I hunt in Serenity Forest with my sister for food.”
“My father used to do the same to keep my sister and me fed.”
“He told me.”
Lei sighed and looked away, but still he held my hand.
A twinge of sorrow hit me.
I gazed down at our hands merged together. “Are you nervous about killing your father?”
“I’m terrified.”
Suddenly, the car stopped.
I looked up.
What?
Royal Palm Hotel stood tall. Its silhouette was a permanent fixture against the town’s small skyline and served as Glory’s crown jewel.
Before her battle with cancer, my mother had been a maid at this hotel for years—cleaning toilets and dealing with annoying guests. Her working there was the only reason I had seen some of the rooms.
I couldn’t afford to stay there. An oasis of luxury, the Royal Palm priced their regular rooms at a steep $450 a night. For suites, it started at a $1000 a night.
I widened my eyes. “We are staying here?”
With a bored expression, Lei gazed at the place as if it didn’t drip with gold and opulence. “Yes. I believe this is the place. Why? Is it unsuitable?”
“The Royal Palm?” I gave him a nervous laugh. “No. It’s. . .extravagant for Glory. Only the rich stay here.”
“Hmmm.” He checked it out again and appeared completely unimpressed. “Good. Have you ever stayed here?”
“Oh yeah. All the time. After breaking chicken bones on the assembly line, I take a stroll to my presidential suite, kick my bloodied boots up, and relax.”
He snapped his view to me and grinned. “You are funny.”
“Thank you, and no, I’ve never stayed here. My mom worked at this hotel though. And once my sister, Jo and I were extras in a movie that was filmed here.”
“What movie?”
“You’ve probably never heard of it. This was a super low budget slasher.”
“But what was the name?”
“The Caretaker?”
“You’re right. I have never heard of it.”
“The film revolves around a group of old high school friends who decide to host an impromptu reunion at a luxury hotel. Unbeknownst to them, a disgruntled former janitor of the motel, known only as the Caretaker, arrives wielding a rusty, old hacksaw. He begins killing off people one by one.”
“And what was your role as extra?”
I beamed with pride. “I was dead body #23. Covered in blood. A knife jutted out of my forehead. I must have laid on that floor next to my sister for hours, as they kept redoing takes.”
He smirked. “Did you enjoy playing dead?”
“I had the time of my life.”
He chuckled.
The door opened next to him.
Chen appeared. “Alright. We have arrived.”
Lei’s expression changed abruptly and he seemed to put on an impenetrable mask. The amusement that once radiated from his face was replaced with a steely front, conveying the message that he meant business. His previous warm, open demeanor had vanished without a trace–swapped with something cold and threatening.
I tensed.
Back to being a scary stranger, Lei let go of my hand and turned to Chen.
Alright. That’s the end of that.
Chen pulled out small keys and handed them to Lei. “Here you go. These will uncuff you from Monique and allow the both of you to move freely.”