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)
“Well, of course I’m real. But you… how did you get here?”
He smiles at me. “I followed you, of course.”
“They know,” I say, pointing at the window. “Some lady just told Collin about you. They know about us, Brose.”
“Yep.” He nods, seemingly unconcerned. “They know. But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“You did it, Olive.” He stands up, walks over to me, places both hands on my shoulders, and beams a smile down at me. “You did it. We’re here.”
“They know!” I say.
“Who cares?” And then his hands slide up to my face, holding me as his lips connect with mine. His kiss is soft, and long, and perfect. “You’re in,” he whispers. “It’s going well. We’re all proud of you.”
“Proud of me? But in the dream—”
He pulls back, angry now. “This isn’t a dream. It’s real.”
“But I was dreaming. I was sleeping. And you told me that I was bad.” I pout a little here, making my lips all puffy.
“Well, of course I did, darling. You like punishment and I wanted to make you feel good. You LIKE it, remember?”
He yells this last part and I panic, looking out the window, because surely Collin heard that. But the three of them are still having their phone conversation.
“Look at me,” Brose says, jerking my head to the side. “This is very important, Olive. We are the first successful entanglement. You’re in. Congratulations. But now is when the job really starts and I need you to focus.”
“But…” I shake my head. “None of this makes sense. How are you here? How—”
He grabs me by the hair with both hands, fisting it as he shakes me. “Listen to me. We have two more objectives, OK? There isn’t time to explain. Remember our promise? Hmm?” He softens again, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Do you remember?”
“My mission is you and your mission is me.”
“That’s right,” he coos into my ear. “That’s right. We are the mission. And what’s the other rule? Hmm? Can you say it so I know you’re here, and present, and willing to work?”
He takes his kiss to my neck and my shoulders relax. “You think for me, I act for you.”
“Yes. You’re so perfect,” he says. And these words slide right into my ear, making a chilling tingle shoot through my whole body. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard when I see you again.”
For a moment, I’m confused. When he sees me again? I’m standing right here. He’s kissing my neck. His hands are wandering over my body. One gripping my breast, the other sliding right between my legs.
I’m about to come undone standing a few feet from my brother, with only a wall between us. So what does that mean, when he sees me again?
But before I can articulate this question out loud, the front door opens and I turn, startled, looking straight into Collin’s unnerving eyes.
He blinks. Smiles. “Olive. You’re awake.”
I look at Brose, panicked. “I… he… he’s my friend.”
Brose is shaking his head at me. “Shut up, Olive, don’t say anything.”
“What?” Collin asks, looking around the room. “Who’s your friend? Shep?”
This is when I see Shep and Amon behind him. I turn back to Brose as he says, “Kill him, Olive. Right now. You just gave away our secret and now you need to kill him.”
I hesitate.
But then Brose is kissing me again, squeezing my breast and pumping my pussy. And all the while he’s kissing me, he’s whispering, “I think for you, you act for me. And I want you to kill him. Kill him, Olive. Kill him right now!”
Then Brose turns me around and pushes me towards the door, forcing Collin to open his arms to catch me. His eyes are filled with confusion. “Olive? Are you OK?”
I reach for his gun, snap it out of the holster with practiced accuracy, point it at his face, and pull the trigger.
22 - Shep
Isee it happening—Olive, so confused. Collin, reaching for her to see if she’s OK. And then a blur of motion as she grabs his sidearm, points it at his face, and pulls the trigger.
There is a click.
A misfire.
Then silence.
Then chaos.
Collin reacts the way I’d expect him to. One moment the gun is aimed between his eyes, the next Olive is face down on the ground and he’s handing the weapon to Amon. Collin’s knee is pressed into Olive’s back and he’s yelling, “Get her hands! Get her fuckin’ hands!”
Amon is stuffing the gun into his pants, so I grab her hands while Collin takes his knee off her back and hauls her to her feet.
She’s not yelling or being crazy, she’s just whispering something, over and over again. “You think for me, I act for you. You think for me, I act for you.”
Collin points to a small chest of drawers near the front door. “Get me a zip, Amon. Quick.”