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)
Cairo just nodded, accepting this. “How exactly are they going to use us to make our mothers vulnerable? Are they going to get a black letter on their doorstep like my father did?”
“How else? Everett was supposed to be at the party tonight. We planned for him to follow you and get evidence of whatever you were going to do to Steven, Jeremy, and Micah. With that, we’d have all of you in a vise. You’d do what we say to keep out of prison for murder. Your moms would do what we say to protect their violent little boys. And best of all, the Ellises would be dead. Win-win-win.”
“Not a bad plan,” Arsenio mused. “I mean, we guessed it, but it’s still elegant. The only faction left with any power in this town would be the Men of Honor.”
“Exactly,” I croaked. “That’s all I know. I promise. If you didn’t get to the Ellises tonight, Dante just would’ve killed Jack Sharpe, grabbed someone else you care about, and started this all over again. There was no plan B.”
He hummed. “Once again, Quinn, I believe you. I’m glad we’ve finally gotten to this point in our relationship where we can trust each other.”
I gasped deep lungfuls of air—each one shredding my chest in agony. “So... I can go? I talked,” I cried. “I told you everything. You promised to spare me.”
“That I did.” Cairo nodded at Jacques. He dropped my rope. “While you’re crawling through the woods back to town, memorize this message for your friends: We’re going to keep a promise to you too. You six will live up to the Men of Honor’s legacy, and die in pain and fire.”
Getting to his feet, Cairo turned his back on me. The men who once considered me their toy, paid me the same amount of humanity as they walked off without a second look.
“Hey, guys, wait,” Ivy called. “There’s just one more thing I want to say to her.”
Ivy jogged back, planting in front of me. Meeting my eyes, she whispered five words that unhinged my jaw.
“No! Please! Noooo!”
She viciously kicked my thigh, sending me flying off the edge. Wind cradled me—rushing to hold me on my long, dark descent, carrying her final words in my soul.
“This is for my sister.”
IVY
I picked through the cabin’s selection of mini soaps and shampoos.
Apple harvest and jasmine? Or maybe lavender and chamomile? I picked the last two out of the wicker basket. That would be soothing.
Making my choice, I carried the bottles past five pairs of watchful eyes, and closed the bathroom door on them.
The guys had been watching me closely since I announced the Sisters’ free ride profiting from my family’s land, pain, and suffering was over. I said I wasn’t going to kill them and I meant it. What more did they want from me?
My toes sank into the memory foam rug as I shed my dirty, blood-stained clothes. Impossible to believe that just that morning, we were standing in front of our home discussing golf tournaments. Less than twenty-four hours later, two of the Black Letter Crew were dead. Sheriff Jack was hopefully under the tender care of Doc Nash. We had all the names of the people coming after us.
I finally knew the truth of my history.
Around and around it went in my head, and as much as it shocked me, that’s how much it made sense. Gran left a will. Jack was just too afraid of what would happen to me and Rainey if we inherited. Nora Keller dumped her husband and child to live the high life with my money. A woman like that didn’t seem the type to sit back while I took it all away from her, and put her ass in jail for good measure.
Then there was the lurking, sneaking psychopath who did want me to inherit, so he could snatch it away, then put me and my sister in the ground next to our grandmother.
My whole life, people have been pulling my strings. Lying to me. Manipulating me. Using me. And they’ve all but won.
I’m the very last de Souza. Once I’m gone, the Sisters, the Black Letter Crew, and the Ellises will have no one to challenge them.
Those bitches will be sorry that now I know that. They thought they could avoid the fight and keep the little farm girl stupid. Not—
The door creaked open, spinning me around. Legend stepped inside.
Roan mentioned the cabin rentals on the outskirts of Hunter’s Crest, and we decided that would be good right about now. We simply skipped the part about checking in, broke one of the locks, and let ourselves inside the three-bedroom luxury space filled with a big screen, full kitchen, plush living room carpet, queen-size beds in every room, and a rain shower that I turned to the highest temperature.