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)
I can’t breathe.
His fingers tighten like a noose around my neck.
I can’t breathe.
It doesn’t register with me until it’s too late.
My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head.
Knock. Knock.
Suddenly, he pulls back and looks at me. He unfurls his fingers from my veins, and my lungs suck in the oxygen.
Fuck.
Another knock on the door follows.
“Silas? Ivy? Are you okay in there?”
Max.
Silas and I look at each other. I can still feel his hot lips on mine, my tongue tracing his taste.
Another knock.
“We’re fine,” I reply, my eyes still fixated on his.
“We should go. We’re sitting ducks here,” Heath adds.
I swallow as Silas finally averts his eyes, and I put the box back into the cabinet along with whatever just happened, then open the door.
“I just had to clean up his wound. That’s all. Finished.”
“But … he’s still bleeding,” Max points at Silas who waltzes out too.
“I’m fine,” Silas says.
“You two keep saying that, but I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
“Max,” Silas grits, shutting him up.
I immediately search for Cora to make sure she’s safe. She’s standing on a stool in the kitchen, grabbing three glasses. “Cora? What are you doing?”
I hurry to help her.
“I wanted to give them something to drink. Mrs. Schwartz always asks me.” She pours water into the glasses.
“We don’t have to—”
“I’m thirsty as hell,” Max says, grabbing one of the half-filled glasses out of her little hand, and he chugs it down in one go, making Cora giggle.
I roll my eyes at how easily he’s won her over already.
“You said hell,” she says, giggling even more. “That’s a bad word.”
“Oops.” Max covers his mouth with his hand. “Did I say that?” She giggles again as he pokes at her. “I bet you’ve never said a bad word in your life.”
“Poop!” she screams at the top of her lungs.
“Oh fuck me,” Silas groans.
“You said a bad word too!” Cora points at him.
Mrrrp.
Silas’s eyes dart down between his legs, where Bagel curls his tail around his calf.
Silas’s eyes grow big, and he takes two steps away to get Bagel to leave, but he keeps sticking to him. “No. No. Get away. Someone, do something.”
Max laughs at him.
“What the fuck are you laughing at?” Silas growls.
“You,” he retorts.
Silas’s eyes narrow. “I’ll kill you.”
“C’mon, you two have been laughing at me for ages because I’m a simp. You can take one for the team.” Max winks.
“Silas …” I mutter, staring at him as he keeps the cat at bay by making weird movements I’ve never seen him make before. “Are you afraid of cats?”
“What?” He stops and stares at me with vicious eyes. “Me? Afraid?” He snorts and pokes at Bagel before picking him up. “Do I fucking look afraid?”
He’s holding Bagel really far away from him even though he’s making air biscuits.
“Meow.” Silas glares at Bagel like his meow summoned a malicious god intent on wreaking havoc on earth.
“Have you ever even touched a cat before?” Heath asks Silas, laughing at him too.
“What am I supposed to do with it?” Silas asks.
I cross my arms. “It? Really?”
“You pet it,” Heath answers.
“Fuck no.” He holds Bagel even farther away like the cat’s cuteness might be contagious.
“You’d better not hurt him,” I warn him.
Silas seems even less amused.
“Let’s just fucking go. More of those fuckers are out there, and I don’t intend to sit around and wait until they come swarming in.” Silas drops Bagel on the floor only to grab me instead.
“Wait—no. Where do you even want to go?”
Where did this sudden need to protect me come from?
“The Skull and Serpent Society,” he grits.
“What?” I jerk free a second time. “No way.”
“You are coming with me,” he says. “I can’t protect you out here.”
“I’m not leaving Cora,” I reply.
His eyes narrow, and his nostrils flare, but I’m not changing my stance. I know they’re coming for us. They made that very clear when they decided to attack me out on the street.
But I would rather die than leave Cora.
“Fine,” he says, licking his lips. “Bring her with you.”
My jaw drops. “What?”
“You heard me.” He grabs Cora’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Cora pulls away from him and runs to me. “No, I don’t wanna go. What about Bagel?”
“Wait a minute,” Heath interjects. “The Skull and Serpent Society is no place for a child.”
“He’s right,” Max says.
“You have a better idea?” Silas quips. “Go ahead, I’m waiting.” He checks the clock. “While you’re thinking about it, whoever was after her isn’t calling back up at all.”
The sarcasm is strong.
“But what if your dad finds out there’s a kid on campus?”
“I’ll deal with him.” His eyes home in on me. “You can’t stay here. I won’t allow it.”
Wow.
I’ve never seen him this determined.
I swallow away the lump in my throat. “Fine.” I pick up Bagel and stuff him into Silas’s hands. “But Bagel’s coming too.”