Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know,” he replied. “The fact is nothing goes on in this town without our mothers knowing about it. That was a hint right there that the event isn’t in our town. If this is already planned, then it’s got RSVPs. There are a few families in Bedlam, besides ours, that have the influence to sway things to Ellis’s side. I called up one, said I misplaced my invitation, and she forwarded this.”
More than once I defended my friends’ intelligence to Mother. The fact remained they were clever in ways I’d never consider.
“Friday,” Legend read over Cairo’s shoulder. “We have until Friday night to kill Steven Ellis, or Sheriff Jack is the first of us Dante takes out.”
“We can’t do it.” Arsenio shoved away from the counter. “Getting close to this guy was short of impossible when we thought we had weeks. Now we have days.”
“No, this doesn’t change anything,” Cairo said. “We find my old man before the party. Take away his leverage. Jacques, you said you were close to finding them.”
I shook my head. “I have a list of people who could be a part of the Black Letter Crew. Five men and four women.”
“Perfect. We’ll pick them all up.” Cairo headed for the door. “Question them.”
I knew exactly what question meant. “I’m not opposed, but we saw what happened with Zoey Mariner, and then with Scott Cavendish. One dies and there’s another to take their place and continue the plan. Our next strike has to take them all out.”
“He’s right,” Legend said.
“Then what do you all fucking suggest!”
His bellow didn’t so much as blow my brows up. “Let me handle the Black Letter Crew. If my list of nine has secrets, I’ll devise a way to make each of them crack by Friday. You have my word on that, which is good because the four of you will be too busy.”
“Busy doing what?” Arsenio said.
“I can get to all nine, but doesn’t mean I’ll get to the entire crew.” I met their gaze in turn. “If I don’t, you all need a way to get to Steven Ellis before the party.
“You need a plan to kill him.”
If I expected an argument, I didn’t wait around for it. We had very little options while a masked group of psychopaths held our balls in a vise. Abductions, murders, and attempted murders. There was no bluff to call. They proved they were serious multiple times.
We would prepare for the best, but plan for the worst.
I pushed on my door, mind turning to those names. Ivy said six people attacked them that night. That meant at least four people on my list were innocent, and there was nothing to admit to.
But I have to be sure—
I stopped dead, landing on my bed. I flicked around, checking for a second if I walked into the right room.
No, I was in the right place. And the woman handcuffed to the bedframe wasn’t.
“Ivy,” I said slowly. “Seems you’ve gotten lost. Roan’s room is three doors down.”
She peered at me over a bare shoulder. Ivy wore nothing on top. Stretching belly-flat on my sheets, I followed the curve of her spine down to a pink, lace thong that she needn’t have bothered with. It covered nothing.
My pants tightened.
The reemergence of Ivy put an end to the “home clothes.” She bought herself a new wardrobe, and Cairo was too busy barely speaking with her to do anything about it.
I should’ve handled it my-fucking-self.
Ivy kicked her curled toes, beckoning me forward. “I’m not lost. I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
“Out.”
She laughed. “Even if I wanted to”—Ivy shook her cuffed hands—“looks like I can’t.”
“Where’s the key?”
The devil lived in her smirk. “Somewhere interesting.”
“What did you hope to accomplish with this?” I asked with my traitorous dick hardening by the second. It had been a very long time.
Ivy shrugged. “I hoped to break a few rules.”
“This will not happen.” I took a step, hands traveling to my belt buckle. “You think you can seduce me? I’m not some lovesick fool who loses his mind at a bare back—”
A sharp hiss escaped my throat as Ivy rose on her knees, shaking that bare backside at me. It was shameless how loud it begged to be spanked raw.
“If you’re so unaffected, find the key, uncuff me, and carry me out of here. I’ll get the hint loud and clear. But if not...”
My grip tightened on the buckle. “You don’t make the rules here, de Souza. You don’t test me to see if I’ll break. Much has changed, but that never will.”
She pinned me through. “Then do something about it.”
That challenge was the sounding bell to charge. To whip off my belt and give her what I denied myself while she positively begged for it. But I didn’t move. It was possible I wasn’t breathing.