Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Every step closer fills me with a sense of fear, the kind that settles deep in your bones and refuses to let go. This place feels like a graveyard of memories, ones that have been long forgotten but still linger like old souls. It’s a terrifying presence, and I’m not certain I want to be taken inside. I feel like whatever is in there is going to haunt me forever.
As I'm dragged inside, the air grows colder, and the house smells of rot. The interior of the house is even more haunting than its exterior. The walls are lined with faded, peeling wallpaper, and the floorboards creak beneath our feet, with each step, I’m scared I’ll fall right through. Dust hangs in the air, coating every surface.
My heart pounds as I take in the surroundings, and I’m stuck with the thought that this might be the place Wolfe told me about, where he caught my father committing senseless murder. He said an old, abandoned house. The thought sends a shiver down my spine but at the same time, gives me a glimmer of hope.
If it is the place, then he might be able to find me.
The men lead me through a narrow hallway, past rooms filled with broken furniture and shattered glass. I try to steady my breathing, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and to keep my cool. I need to be witty, strong and resilient right now. If I’m not, then I might not ever see the light outside again and I don’t plan on allowing that to happen.
We stop in a large room at the back of the house. The walls are covered in graffiti, and the remnants of fire damage in the back corner. In the center stands a man, his face partially hidden in the shadows. My heart skips a beat as I take a wild guess as to who that man is. There is only one person who would bring me here, and only one person who wants revenge.
Caleb.
His presence is commanding, and his eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. I can see the years of anger and betrayal burned into his stone-cold features. This is the man who was wronged by my father, the one seeking revenge, and in his mind, I am the perfect way to enact that revenge.
“Welcome, Mera,” he says, his voice low and filled with a chilling calmness. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
I swallow hard, trying to muster the courage to speak. “Caleb, I’m guessing?”
He steps closer, and up close, I can see he’s actually a striking man. His blond hair is more sand than straw and sits messily atop his head. His eyes are a deep brown, and his lips are full and turn slightly upward when he smiles. He’s striking, but there is an emptiness in his eyes that scares me. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you. The daughter of an infamous killer.”
It sounds like a kind statement, but the way he delivers it is anything but kind.
I glance around the room, my mind racing. Is this where my father brought his victims? The thought is suffocating, and I struggle to keep my composure. I need to find a way out, but first, I need to understand exactly what Caleb plans on doing with me here. It’s apparent he has a plan, and I’m scared to hear what that plan is.
“I’m not anything when it comes to him,” I say, my voice firm. “What do you want?”
Caleb’s expression softens for a moment, but the hardness quickly returns. “I want justice. I want revenge. I want him to feel exactly what he made me feel. Tell me, Mera, did you like the clues I left? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were enjoying my little game.”
“Believe me, I wasn’t,” I mutter.
He flashes me a smile, showing a row of perfectly white teeth.
“Do you know what your father did to me?”
Stay calm, Mera. “Yes. And for what it’s worth, I don’t agree with it. I never would have wanted something like that to happen to you.”
He moves quickly, slapping me so hard my head swings to the side and a gasp escapes my lips. My cheek burns as I swing my eyes back to him. “Do not fucking speak to me like I’m an imbecile.”
Okay, so Caleb is a little more unhinged than I first thought.
“Touch me again and I’ll cut your fucking finger off,” I snap. “I don’t think you’re an imbecile, I’m only speaking the truth.”
He steps up close to me, his presence overbearing and strong. I don’t back down, I face him, a desperate attempt to show him I’m not scared. “Your father will pay for what he did to me, and I’m going to make him pay with the one and only thing he loved. You.”