Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Brett scowls, looking at his watch. “They’re late. Fucking late.”
Alex shuffles his feet in the dirt, looking at the ground. He hasn’t said much this morning. Alex isn’t ever overly talkative, but he usually has a few things to say.
I can’t blame him for his silence. The five of us are about to cross a line—walk a path that we can never take back.
My nerves skitter underneath my skin. This will work. Brett has attended to every little detail, and he’s a damned genius when it comes to planning. From which way to mow the lawn to the most difficult geometry proofs, he finds the best way to get from one point to another successfully.
I breathe out a sigh of relief when Sebastian and Jake finally appear.
“Where the fuck have you two been?” Brett says through gritted teeth. “You know I have this thing timed down to the second.”
“It’s my fault,” Jake says.
Brett raises his eyebrows toward Jake, but Jake offers no further explanation.
To my complete surprise, Brett doesn’t demand one. Instead, he makes eye contact with each one of us in turn.
“You all know what to do,” he says.
He’s determined, for sure. He’s got that little divot between his eyebrows—the one he gets when his brain is fired up, when determination takes over him.
Reminds me of those words he said to me last night while we were drinking beers outside my house. Words so strong and passionate that I recall them by heart.
Keep this secret, and remember when and where you heard it. One day I’m going to be so rich, this thing we’re about to do will be a distant memory. Something like a dream within a dream. One day, I won’t have to think about other people’s money, because I’m going to have so much of my own that I’ll never be able to spend it all in five lifetimes. And Riv, I don’t care what I have to do to get it.
The memory sends a chill through me despite the warmth of the Montana summer air.
“We’ve been through it enough,” Brett continues. “We don’t have any more time to gather our wits. We’ve got to go now.”
He’s right. Sebastian and Jake’s tardiness means we don’t have the few extra minutes to go through everything.
It’s now or never.
So it’s now.
Present Day…
Evangeline lies on the floor of her suite with a few staff members attending to her. One of them taps on her cheek, trying to get her to come to, while another is checking her pulse.
Sebastian enters, followed by Alex.
“What the hell?” Alex asks.
“She’s got a pulse,” Brett says. “Seems like she just fainted.”
Seb looks around the room. “Is help on the way?”
I nod. “They’re coming in from the mainland. Helicopter, just like they did for Rachel.”
The thought of Rachel saddens me a little. I truly thought we had something that first night, which now seems so long ago. With everything happening all at once, Brett still hasn’t told us what—if anything—he found out about her and Ginger.
The thought flees from my mind when Evangeline opens her eyes.
“Ma’am,” a staff member says. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I suppose…” Evangeline tries to rise.
Sebastian kneels beside her. “You stay put, Evie. Help is on the way.”
“What happened?” she asks, rubbing her forehead.
“You passed out,” Seb says. “Are you hurt at all? I don’t see any cuts. You’re probably going to have some bruises. Are you in any pain?”
“I…don’t think I’m hurt. Just embarrassed. Please, just help me up.”
“No,” I say. “You stay where you are. You might have a concussion or internal bleeding or—”
She pushes Seb out of the way. “For God’s sake, I’m perfectly fine.” She stands up but then sways.
I rush to her before Seb gets to his feet. She falls gently against my chest.
“This is why you stay put.” I steady her and lead her to the couch. “You were close to the coffee table. You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head on the way down. See?” I can’t help adding. “This is why we should have a trained physician or medic here on the island.”
“Cut her some slack, Riv,” Seb says, taking a seat next to Evangeline on the couch. “She’s ill.”
Evangeline shakes her head. “I’m not ill. I’m fine.”
“People who are fine don’t usually pass out for no apparent reason,” Brett says. “What’s going on, Evangeline? I’ve been gone all day, and you weren’t at dinner. Have you eaten at all today?”
Evangeline nods. “Yes, of course I’ve eaten.”
Alex turns to a staff member. “She needs a glass of water. Quickly, please.”
The staffer nods and heads toward the mini fridge in her suite.
“How long until help gets here?” I ask the other staffer.
“They didn’t specify a time, sir,” she says. “Just said they’d be here as soon as they could.”
I nod. Nothing new. They came quickly for Rachel, so no reason to assume they won’t come quickly this time.