Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
From the corner of my eye, I watch the car swerve like the driver is trying to follow me and make sure they get the job done. They’re determined to hit me. Only they end up driving up onto the concrete median and sideswiping a light pole before coming to a stop.
Did that just happen? It takes a second or two for me to pull my thoughts together and catch up to the present moment while I crouch on the ground in shock. But as soon as it clears, I take off after the fucker. That was no accident. They aimed for me.
And now they’re going to find out the consequences.
The car is still sitting where it came to a stop and shocked cries ring out behind me by the time I reach the passenger-side window, banging on it with both palms—before I recognize the driver.
And he knows me, too, glaring at me with hatred in his eyes. “George?” I whisper in disbelief. Bradley’s dad. Dennis’s dad. The realization and the implications that come along with it make my heart drop.
“We fucking warned you!” he shouts from inside the car, sweat beading on his bald head, his eyes narrowed in rage. “You’re gonna die for what you’ve done. And your girlfriend, too!”
And then he’s gone. Tires screeching. The smell of burned rubber hangs in the air.
“Colt!” Leni’s voice reaches through the fog of confusion in my head, reminding me what needs to happen here and now. I go to her, wrapping her in my arms and shuttling her to the car, waving off the questions and concern from random witnesses.
“We have to go home,” I whisper to her on the way, careful not to be overheard. “I know who’s been doing this.”
“All this time, it was their dad behind it.” Nix’s head bobs slowly as he processes everything that happened earlier. “Probably encouraging Dennis to go after Leni and you. Yeah. I believe that.”
“What, you think I was lying?”
“Of course not, dickhead.” He gets up from the sofa, punching his palm. I know how he feels. I’ve only been able to keep it together for Leni’s sake. “It makes perfect sense.”
Leni’s been quiet through all of this, choosing to listen carefully, tucked into a corner of the sofa. Her voice is soft when she asks, “What do you mean?”
“Why they would keep it all a secret and try to handle it themselves. Both of them—George and Cecilia—all they ever cared about was their image and how they looked to other people. They wouldn’t want the rest of the world to find out something that could turn into a scandal.”
“What about Deborah’s parents?” she asks.
“Who knows? Maybe they’re in on it, too. Maybe they’re not. But I know George,” I mutter, remembering the rage burning in him. The fucker came close to taking me out today. “I’m not letting him get away with it.”
I look at Nix. Nix looks at me.
“What are you going to do?” Leni asks. She’s right to sound nervous—even if she’s not the one who’s going to suffer tonight.
“How do we do it?” I ask him. There’s something hot pumping through my veins—bitter, satisfying.
“I’m not sure.” He shrugs, a smirk playing over his mouth. “But I’m good at blowing up houses.”
“Wait. What?” Leni scrambles onto her knees, clutching a pillow in front of her like a shield. “No. You’re not serious, right?”
Of course, she would hate this. But I can’t worry about that now. Certain things are more important even than her ideas of right and wrong. Like her safety.
“He said he was going to kill us. Me and you.” I watch as understanding sinks in. “This is the only way to make sure that doesn’t happen. We get rid of him and this is over.”
“This is what we have to do for you,” Nix tells her. I can sense the anticipation he’s feeling—it’s in the air, crackling like a thunderstorm is about to hit.
“We’re not in any danger.” I don’t know if that’s true, exactly, but it’s what I need to believe. I can’t let the little doubts stop me. Nix and I won’t have any trouble getting into the house. I’m sure of that.
I only hope I get a little time alone with George before the place goes up in flames.
Her face falls, eyes darting back and forth between us. “What if this is what they want you to do? They could be waiting for you, you know? What happens then?”
“I guess we’ll just have to deal with it,” I decide. “We can’t go right now. We’ll have to wait until later. After dark.”
She blurts out a laugh, but there’s an edge to it—panic, fear, disbelief. “We’re just going to sit around, knowing what’s going to happen later?”
That’s exactly what we do.
We go through the motions of watching TV, eating dinner. I barely pay attention to anything on the screen and hardly taste a bite. All I can focus on is what’s going to happen tonight. And I can’t stop wondering if George is thinking the same thing. He could be waiting outside for all I know—plotting, planning, waiting until it’s late enough that he can get away with sneaking up here.