Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Chase: I love setting things on fire.
Tex: People. You love setting people on fire, oh wait that’s Andrei.
I rolled my eyes.
Me: It was necessary at the time.
Sergio: Setting a human on fire when you could just shoot them? Mmmm, okay. Sure.
Phoenix: We’re getting off track. He wants to send her away.
Chase: Hell no. I’m enjoying this. Let’s lock him in his apartment and spike everything with Viagra.
Nixon: We don’t want to kill him, can you imagine the erection?
Dante: Erection, erection, erection. I love our texts, they make me feel so mature.
Chase: Small fry, the adults are talking, shhhh.
Tex: Rock a bye baby on the tree top…
Me: The day Tex sings me a lullaby is the day I give up on life, or maybe it’s the day life has given up on us?
Sergio: Deep, Drei, so deep.
Chase: Word.
Nixon: Look, we took blood oaths to protect you. That means from yourself when necessary, I mean look at Chase! He was miserable!
Chase: Thanks man, really.
Tex: Nixon’s right. Don’t send her away because you’re scared of a bit of nakedness.
Me: I’m not scared of her.
Phoenix: Take it from someone who refused to eat certain colors because I didn’t think I deserved them… you’re not good enough for her. You’ll never be good enough for her, but you try, every day, that’s the difference maker.
Tex: He’s right. He’s not who I would have picked for my baby sister. Anyone, I would have literally chosen anyone but him.
Phoenix: Thanks man.
Tex: It’s true.
Phoenix: She screams when she—
Me: STOP
Dante: Voice of reason here, arch enemy, person who almost shot you in the face and took great joy in sitting on your throne at Eagle Elite.
Me: You’re not missed.
Dante: Don’t do it. You’ll regret it.
Me: I already regret this entire conversation.
Phoenix: My answer, as you’ve already guessed, is hell no. If she reaches out to me and wants it, that’s on her, but I’m not doing this favor for you, because it’s not in your best interest.
Tex: Dad put his foot down, nice.
Me: You swore fealty to me and my family.
Phoenix: I’m protecting you from losing your soul. You’re welcome.
Nixon: Sex does solve a lot.
Tex: He’s not wrong.
Dante: Besides… you’re a whore, shouldn’t be hard.
They didn’t know.
In their eyes I was double dipping.
Running the club and screwing anything with legs and a healthy appetite for life.
Fantastic.
Phoenix: Guys…
Me: Phoenix say one word…
Phoenix: I hate to be the one to do this.
Me: Phoenix I will MURDER YOU.
Phoenix: Andrei’s…
Nixon: Dying?
Tex: Secretly Italian?
Dante: Been married for a year?
Sergio: Russian, he’s Russian. I win.
Chase: He’s a virgin.
Phoenix: You knew?
Nixon: I’m sorry, what?
Tex: WTF?
Dante: You justify setting people on fire and sex is what? Too adventurous for you?
Nixon: What?
Tex: I’m confused.
Phoenix: How did you know?
Chase: Last night, so much sexual tension, not the kind where you know they’re boning, but the kind where you know they’re not, put two and two together, noticed he acted a lot like he flinched when women did touch him, it was always brief… Oh, and I overheard Phoenix talking to Bee about it.
I exhaled in relief. At least I was a better actor than that.
Me: I’m running myself over with my car now. See you in Hell.
Tex: Wear a condom!
Nixon: Don’t go too fast.
Chase: It will be over in five seconds. Maybe two.
Dante: I can come over and—
Me: Finish that sentence and I strangle you.
Tex: That’s what she said.
Phoenix: You aren’t your father.
I stared at the screen.
The guys stopped texting.
Maybe they knew I needed a minute.
Maybe they didn’t know what to say.
Me: I have work to do. I’m going to break Elena. I’m not going to have sex. It’s all I have, all I have.
I hated being vulnerable.
I hated admitting that.
And then Nixon replied.
Nixon: I respect that.
Tex: Same.
Dante: She wouldn’t be taking it, Drei, you’d be giving it.
Sergio: We’re here if you need us.
Phoenix: I get that more than you will ever know.
Me: Then try to understand why I want her to leave.
Phoenix: No, I think I like the idea of you being tortured and finally facing your demons, they’ll come knocking a different way, and there are worse ways to conquer your fears.
Nixon: He’s right.
Me: I’m leaving this chat group now.
I tossed my phone on the bed and ran my shaky hands through my hair, then stood, grabbed my phone, and stomped out of my room.
Alice was waiting in the kitchen. She’d made bacon.
I stared at it.
Then at her. “You packed?
“No.” She swallowed a piece and reached for another. “I’m not.”
“Why?” I leaned against the granite; it cut into my hip as I waited for her response.
She eyed me up and down. “You need me.”
“No.” Rage filled me, how dare she! “I really don’t.”
“We’ll see.”
“Yup, guess we will.”
Was everyone going to drive me insane today?
I slammed my hands on the countertop and tried to breathe in and out, in and out. “I’m off to torture my stepmother. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”