Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
“He’s really been killing people to put himself in a position of power?” I asked Sol. It was staggering to think of Arvo as a killer, especially after our tense moments together. He even shared a vulnerable piece of himself with me, a sliver of his painful past, tricking me into believing that he had a soft side. He played me as a fool, and I couldn’t help but be heartbroken over losing who I thought he was.
“If you were in his shoes and there were people around who could expose you and strip away your power, what would you do?” Sol replied evenly.
Get rid of them. Arvo was bold enough to find a permanent solution. He didn’t care about how extreme something was, preferring to come out on top instead of worrying about the consequences for others who he affected.
“What do we do? How is Zephyr involved?” I questioned him. The thought of Zephyr helping him kill all those people made my throat grow tight. I didn’t want to think of Zephyr committing such lowly, power-hungry acts. It made more sense for Arvo, who hardly showed any emotion other than lust and ambition, to do something so drastic without guilt.
“I don’t know. He might not even know what Arvo is up to,” Sol replied as he shook his head. “Arvo hides behind his little grunts a lot, but he gets his hands dirty too. I didn’t piece things together until now.”
“We have to do something,” I insisted. We couldn’t just let Arvo keep steamrolling his way to the top, destroying those in his path. If he had the most power and authority at Stormcloud, I couldn’t imagine how he would change things to his liking. He was selfish, focused on pleasure and flash. He probably wanted to rule for the hell of it so that he could get whatever he wanted.
If he was indeed the killer, he’d taken so many innocent lives, robbing them of their hopes and dreams. They would never have the opportunity to live out the rest of their lives, and he’d taken away that chance because of his greed for power. It was despicable, and I couldn’t help but feel like it was up to me to get justice for them. For Gail. For Simone.
Sol ran a hand through his dark hair, turning away from me.
“We have to outsmart him somehow. Unfortunately, he’s not an idiot,” he muttered.
I was at a loss. It didn’t help that I was exhausted from trying not to let my friend die and then running for my own life. Sol was the mysterious one, but Arvo was a snake. He could do anything if he set his mind to it, and he was a master manipulator and persuader.
“I don’t know.” I sighed as I rubbed my eyes, feeling them ache from tiredness. The thought of coming up with a plan right now hurt my brain.
Sol turned to face me, reaching out to grab my hand.
“Why don’t we get some rest? We can think of a plan tomorrow,” he suggested, looking tired himself.
I nodded, believing that was for the best. I could hardly keep my eyes open. I let him lead me to the queen-sized bed that nearly took up three-quarters of the small room. I didn’t care, though. It was a relief to be away from Stormcloud and to be in a soft bed.
Sol stripped off his shirt and pants before crawling under the covers in his black briefs. He settled on his back next to me, peering up at the ceiling and seeming deep in thought.
I pulled my shirt off, leaving myself in my white bra and panties. The cool sheets felt good against my skin as I turned onto my side to face him, admiring the straight bridge of his nose and the sharpness of his jaw. I wondered how much he looked like his father.
Like a lightning strike, the memory of that bleeding, hazy-faced man struck my mind. Maybe it was a long shot, but I needed some answers from Sol.
“Did your father ever live in Seattle?” I asked him.
Sol turned his head to peer at me curiously.
“Not that I know of, but he disappeared for weeks at a time to drink his anger and guilt away.” Sol sighed lightly. “It wouldn’t be the craziest thing if he ended up there. Why?”
I thought back to that memory, wondering if that man was drunk and angry. It certainly seemed like he was, and he wasn’t all that happy to see my father. Who else could that man be but Sol’s father? He probably stumbled his way to my childhood home to confront my father about something.
I took a deep breath.
“When I was young, I remember a man coming to my house. He walked through the rain and showed up drenched and bleeding for some reason. He certainly wasn’t happy, and he was there to see my dad,” I explained the memory to him.