Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Will I tell him everything?
I don’t know. I don’t understand what is happening to me. Did Brose abandon me? Did he really move all his shit out and leave? I mean, obviously he did because I woke up alone inside an empty estate with a bricked-up staircase that didn’t lead to the basement train tunnel.
But why? I get that I told Shep more than I should’ve that day on the stairs, but he’s CORE. It’s not like most of that was a secret. That small mistake doesn’t justify Brose turning his back on me after two years of My mission is you and your mission is me.
It just doesn’t.
“Olive,” Collin yells again, this time much sharper.
“I’m coming,” I mutter. Shep and Amon reach the church first and disappear inside. Then Collin. He opens the door and waits for me, letting me go in first.
It’s dark inside because all the windows in here have been bricked up. While it’s still a church from the outside, the inside appears to be some kind of meeting room. There are several whiteboards pushed against the walls and lots of tables and chairs.
Amon and Shep aren’t sitting down, so Collin and I just walk over and join them.
Collin gets the party started. “What the hell is going on between you two?”
Shep looks at me, but he’s talking to Collin. “I have no idea. I met her in a bar. We saw each other two times—”
“Three,” I say.
“Three times and that’s it. I didn’t even know who she was until last Sunday. And even when she told me, I didn’t believe her. But I did walk away and make it very clear that I was not interested.”
“That’s funny,” Amon scoffs. “Because I just caught the two of you feeling each other up in the kennel.”
“So what?” I say. “So what if we were?” I look at Collin. Right at him. Straight into those beautifully weird eyes of his. “We’re grown-ups, Collin. You don’t get a say in my personal life.”
Collin shrugs. “That’s fair, I guess. I don’t even know you, Olive. Which is kinda bothering me right now. Not because I missed out on your childhood, but because I let you inside my compound even though you showed up here in rather mysterious circumstances. It sounds bad when I say it out loud, but what’s worse than that is the fact that the very first thing you do when you get here is start something up with one of my men. Did you follow him into the kennel after Lowyn and I left the house?”
“So what?”
“That’s a yes, I guess? Fine. You did. What is your purpose here? And don’t say it’s me, because it’s not, Olive. What does Ean Shephard have that you need?”
“I just… like him.”
“You don’t even know me, Olive.” When Shep says this, my heart cracks a little. Because I was truly trying to take all the blame here even though it’s not entirely my fault. He was the one who got excited in the kennel. He was practically daring me to grope him. So I feel like he should fall on his knife just a teeny, tiny bit the way I fell on mine to show some appreciation.
But what does he do? Blame me.
Still, it’s a losing fight. So I’m just gonna give in. “Fine. I’m a terrible person or whatever. I’ll grab my pack and get out of your hair.” Then I turn to leave.
“And go where?” Collin calls out after me.
“Like you care.” I don’t look at him when I answer, just walk out the door.
It’s a childish thing to say, really. But ya know what? The last time I saw Collin I was a child and I just feel like… I dunno. Angry, I guess. That he missed it. So… he deserves a childish answer to make up for it.
Which makes me roll my eyes at myself as I walk down the long driveway towards Collin’s house.
There’s a black dog sitting on Collin’s porch that wasn’t there earlier. It stares at me as I approach, so I hesitate at the bottom step, wondering if it might attack me.
Possible, but not probable. There are lots of dogs here and they all seem to be up-and-coming tactical K9s. Collin would not leave a loose dog on his porch if it was prone to attack without orders, so I go up the steps without looking at it again and go inside.
It’s quiet and the light is dim because all the windows have those fancy wooden shutters on them and they’re closed, but I don’t mind the darkness.
I go to the guest room and sit on the bed. It was stupid to throw a tantrum the way I did. To threaten Collin with leaving. I mean, why would he care? We haven’t talked in ages. If I had bumped into him on the street, I’m a hundred percent sure he wouldn’t even have recognized me.