Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Ten. . .minutes. . .
The hose fell to the ground.
No. Not that long.
I turned to Emily. “How could that be?”
“My head is a little foggy.” Panting, she looked down at herself. Her hair was wet as well as her top. Her stiff nipples poked through the fabric.
I looked around, a dizzying thought crashed over me.
The strawberries. . .
Then, Emily widened her eyes. “Hold up. Was it those strawberries that we ate?”
“Man, you mean to tell me you ate some shit out of this garden?” Max raised his hands in the air. “Why the hell would you do that?”
Yes. It was the fucking berries. How dare she?
A volcanic fury erupted inside my body, shattering my soul with its intensity.
“Where is Delphine?” I swept my gaze across the garden, desperately searching for the conniving witch.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Emily wiped at her wet shirt. “Calm down, Kaz.”
“Calm down?” Every second that passed was a boiling cauldron of spite and wrath that threatened to consume me. “I am going to fucking tear her head off and feed it to those two alligators I saw on the way here!”
I stormed off. “Delphine!!”
Chapter nine
The Eye of the Gator
Emily
Back in Moscow, I would read books about lions to Paolo, hoping to warm him to Kaz.
I had no idea if the kids’ books helped, but I had damn sure learned a lot about lions.
First, lions were apex predators and often sat at the top of the food chain. Therefore, instances of them being scared were relatively rare.
Second, when a lion felt threatened or scared, it often resorted to a show of aggression.
Growling.
Baring its teeth.
Swiping with its huge paws.
And even charging.
Of course, one could never forget the lion’s roar, which could be heard up to five miles away.
And here we go.
I was dripping wet, and not just from the hose.
I was still fucking horny.
Somehow, I pushed through the lust and raced after Kaz.
What was in those damn strawberries?
We searched all parts of the garden.
Or more like, Max and I sprinted after Kaz as he ran around like a madman, eager to kill Delphine. His eyes were wild with rage. He bulldozed his way through shrubs and herbs, trampling over plants and crisscrossing left and right.
“She is not here!” Sweat trickled down Kaz’s face. “Maybe, she is hiding in the house.”
He stalked off.
“Eh! Wait a minute!” Max lowered and swept up dirt with his hands, trying to hide stepped-on plants like that would fix the damage to the garden. “We’re not even here for a full hour and shit is fucked up!”
“She can’t be drugging us though.” I frowned.
“Em, if she is jumping in people’s dreams, then she can do whatever the fuck she wants!”
Kaz raced off toward the house.
“Shit! Give me a gun.” I held out my hand.
Max hit me with a skeptical look. “For what?”
“Hurry.” I snapped my fingers. “Kaz is several feet ahead of us.”
Max pulled out one of his guns. “I’ll give you the gun if you shoot him in the leg.”
“Word.”
“Liar.” Max sucked his teeth and gave it to me.
“Damn right I’m lying!” I rushed off and gripped the gun hard. “I can’t shoot my baby.”
Adrenaline pumped in my veins.
I could not let him get too far from me. “Kaz!! Hold up!”
My heart boomed in my ears.
Max raced on my side. “This motherfucker is full speed when he is mad.”
Somehow we got up to him, before we all rounded the house.
Our people greeted my eyes first. Confused expressions covered their faces as they watched us looking like a frenzied mess—Kaz and I half-wet, Max completely terrified with dirt all over his hands and jacket.
At least, Harlem Crew and the Brotherhood were all out of the SUVs with their guns out.
Will we have to shoot our way out of here? Shit!
I quickly scanned the space. “Where are the kids?!”
“I don’t see Baba and them.” Max grabbed Kaz’s arm. “Yo, you need to calm the fuck down. Okay?”
Kaz shoved him away. “I just want to talk to her.”
“Listen, man.” Max got back in front of him, stumbling a little. “You are about to put everyone in a whole shit load of a mess. Think!”
“He is right, baby.” I took his arm with my free hand.
Kaz growled and slowed down but did not stop his pace. “I do not appreciate being fucked with, mysh.”
“Yes. Yes. I get it, baby.” I tried to tug him back.
It didn’t work. He basically pulled us both forward.
A minute later, we were in the front of the house to only see Delphine, peacefully rocking back and forth in an old wicker chair. She had a yellow pipe in her mouth. Streams of smoke rose from it.
All of her men lounged on the porch. Some played cards. Others held their machetes and/or guns and glared our way.
Max called out to Tisha, “Eh, help me keep him back!”