Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“What are you saying?” Lucien asked.
“I’m saying there’s a massive flaw in our plan. That flaw is going to cut us short of the finish line.”
“What flaw?” Rafael spoke up.
I met their eyes in turn. “It relies on Owen, Levi, or Wesley doing the right thing.”
Lucien started to say something... and stopped.
“And now you see.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “Giovanni felt bad somewhere deep down. He didn’t know the end goal was to drive Winter over the edge. In his mind, he was just dumping and humiliating a girl he wasn’t into. Pretty boy like him did that plenty for free.
“He was the only one of them that actually got to know her. Spend time with her. He said he never wanted her dead. Looking into his eyes Friday night, I believed it,” I said. “He found out after Winter was gone that he was used. When the others approached him. Giovanni said they needed him to get proof of who the Phantom is, so they could demand more, and I’m betting they didn’t ask nicely.
“He went along with it because he wanted to find out the truth, but that secret and the person behind it scared him too much to do anything about it until he thought they were trying to destroy him.”
I stabbed my egg, letting the yolky goodness soak the bread. “But think about the fact that he came to me at all, asking the person who hates him most to protect him. He didn’t for a second think the others would back him up or do the right thing, so why should we?” I dropped the next sentence without inflection. “I mean, does anyone think someone other than Owen, Wesley, or Levi killed Ashton?”
One after the other they shook their heads—even Cato.
“They thought the Phantom turned Ashton against them, and they killed him. A plan Giovanni was not in on, or he wouldn’t have been so freaked out. I don’t think these guys are as afraid of the Phantom as we want to believe. They weren’t afraid to blackmail them. One, or all three of them, weren’t afraid to kill Ashton when they thought he was working for them. They believe they have the upper hand as long as they know the secret, and they do,” I admitted.
“The Phantom never turned on them. Our attacks and truth lists only made them think the Phantom did. If this mystery person convinces them they’re innocent in these attacks and someone else is after them...” I shook my head. “They’ll look to the only other person who’d want them to suffer for what happened between Winter and the Phantom. They’ll remember that it was Rafael who gave them Ashton’s name in the first place. They won’t ignore that I live with you.”
“Again, what are you saying?” Wilder broke in.
“I thought about this all night.”
Cato ran a finger down my thigh under the table, popping goose bumps on the back of my neck.
“Most of the night,” I corrected. “There’s no way to do this that doesn’t result in them figuring out I’m coming after them. Once they do, they’re not coming to me to tell me shit. They’re going to band together with their phantom friend to get rid of another Sinclair.”
Lucien rose from his seat. “We’d never let that happen.”
“I know you won’t, but the fact remains that this is bigger than three sociopaths who have no reason to crack. Yeah, I could kill Owen, Wesley, and Levi, but there’d still be the Phantom. I could kill the Phantom, but there’d still be the T.O.D. Club—the murder weapon they set loose on my sister. I could expose the T.O.D. Club, but John Wilson shut it down once and it came right back like genital herpes.
“There’s only one plan worth making and executing, and that’s to bring the entire Royal caste system to its knees.” I breathed slowly, then said the rest. “The one who has to do that is me. You guys are better at this than me. You have the resources and the skills, but Winter was my sister. I have the one thing you guys never had.”
Lucien dipped his chin. “What’s that?”
“Nothing to lose.” I shrugged. “I don’t care what happens to me. I don’t even care if I get caught and thrown in jail after it’s all over. Caution will hold you back.” Reaching across, I brushed Rafael’s fingertips. “Caring about me will hold you back. But I don’t have those limits. I’ll go farther, do worse, sacrifice everything to burn Regalia to the ground. Anything less, and it doesn’t happen. Am I wrong?”
“Luna,” Rafael began.
“Am. I. Wrong?”
“No,” Wilder said. Rafael swung to him, glaring. Wilder returned his gaze calmly. “You’re not wrong.”
“Good.” I pulled my breakfast to me, picked up my knife and fork, and started cutting. “I’ll tell you guys what the plan is the minute I come up with it. I’ll need your help to work out the kinks, but once I know what we’re doing, that’s what we’re doing. I won’t settle for anything else than imploding this entire town.”