Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
The dean seems pissed, but I’m far too busy figuring out what I need to do now to be worried about some cops flooding the Skull and Serpent Society. Dean Rivera will no doubt handle it well.
I walk out the front door, where Elliot Fletcher is being lifted into a van so they can cart him off to the hospital.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m okay,” Elliot says. “Besides, Mom’s going to be there.”
Max nods as he follows the cart out. “Are you sure?”
“Take care of the others,” he says. “And find her.”
Max nods.
Find her.
His words reverberate in my ears until I get so sick of it, I punch my own fucking head to get rid of it.
“What’s wrong?” Max asks me.
“What are we gonna do?” I mutter.
“I know what the fuck I’m gonna do,” Silas growls as he waltzes past us.
But his own dad stops him and grabs the bag. The long-drawn-out sound of metal cling-clanging against each other as he shakes the contents makes everyone pause.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going with that?”
“To get Ivy. Don’t even fucking try to stop me.”
His father furrows his brows, the pause before he speaks as deadly as the look in his eyes. “Those fuckers you left for dead on the street came to get payback. This is on you.”
Silas grinds his teeth. “Get out of my way.”
“Or what? You’re gonna kill me too?”
“Jesus,” one of the other students mutters.
“Family feuds,” I say, shrugging at the guy to defuse the tension.
“Who is Ivy?” his father asks.
Silas lowers his gaze intently. “That girl.”
His father’s eyes twitch, and his nostrils flare. Then he closes his eyes and says, “Do you need my help?”
“I can handle it,” Silas says, walking right past him.
I’m amazed at his brazen courage against the only man who could quite literally make him stop with just one finger. Or maybe he just needs her so much it negates any and all reason.
My eyes widen.
That’s it.
I bolt past his father too and follow Silas outside to steal the bag.
He snarls, “You’d better have a good reason to—”
“I’m coming with you,” I interject.
He stops and looks me up and down. “Why? I thought you didn’t trust her anymore?”
I shrug, smirking. “I changed my mind.”
An arrogant smile spreads on his face. “And here I was thinking you got too butt hurt by her betrayal to your sappy little heart.” He opens the car door. “Fine then, let’s fucking go.”
“Wait for me!”
We both turn around to look as Max runs out of the Skull and Serpent Society, breathing wildly.
“I’m coming too,” he says.
“Thought you were busy in there taking care of the wounded,” Silas says.
“The medics are here now. There’s not much I can do anymore, and I wanna help.”
“You wanna help?” Silas pulls something out of the bag before he throws it at him. “Carry this for me while I figure out how we’re gonna get inside.”
“Inside? You know where they’ve taken her?” Max asks as we all hop into the car, me behind the wheel, Silas in the front, and Max in the back between all the weapons, which he cuddles like they’re his kids.
“Not yet.” Silas grins as he puts on the red purge mask, and then hands me and Max one too. “But we know a fucker who does. And Heath knows just where to find him.”
Ivy
Her body is a mangled mess, full of scars and bruises, as she lies in the bed like a porcelain doll, surrounded by bleeping machines. She’s dancing the balance between life and death, but nothing about her feels alive.
He left me alone with her so I could bear witness to the power he holds and feel small. Unimportant. Insignificant.
Just like anyone else who gets in his way.
The last laugh he gave me before he waltzed out and sealed me in here with her sealed my fate.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
And something in me snaps.
I walk to the machines and rip out the wires one by one until nothing is left, and the beeping fades into a never-ending one.
Just like the hatred in my soul.
Tick. Tock.
The clock moves on.
And so will she.
Tears run down my face for minutes before it’s finally over.
The door is slammed open.
“What have you done?!” Stefano barges inside and shoves me away from the machines.
“Too late,” I mutter.
He grabs the wires and tries to reattach them, but it’s no use. She’ll never return to him.
A smile forms on my face.
THWACK!
The first punch lands the hardest, and I’m knocked back onto the floor.
“How fucking dare you?!”
His voice booms through the room.
THWACK! THWACK!
Still, I can’t stop laughing.
He grabs me by the throat. “You kill her, and you’re laughing?”
“She’s free.” I smile. “And I will be too soon.”
“I will fucking kill you,” he spits.
“Go ahead,” I murmur.
“You think I won’t do it?” he growls.
“Do it. Before they’re here,” I whisper.