Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“You think you can save her?”
His hand comes to my throat, and even under these current circumstances, knowing that he is most likely going to kill us, I hate that I feel a spark of fire ignite over my skin from the connection. If we could choose who our bodies responded to, there would be less drama.
“You think you have enough of a say to be able to throw orders, Poppet? Haven’t you figured this all out?” His eyes search mine, and for as long as I’ve known all of them, Malyk is the one I find the most comfort in.
I’m not blind. I know he holds darkness, but he never lets it touch me.
“Malyk, get them upstairs before he starts barking orders. Oh, and by the way?” Her heels click again and her perfectly manicured fingers curl around his upper arm. “Leave the Boneyard Killer asleep.”
The Boneyard Killer? What does she mean by that? The Boneyard Killer is a serial killer who has ripped people apart all over the coast. They call him the Boneyard Killer because after killing them, he melts their organs out of their bodies until there’s nothing but bones and then hangs them in public areas like a hangman. He has tormented people for years now.
What the fuck has he got to do with Malyk?
Ice touches my veins, and I feel recognition slide over the hairs on the back of my neck as pieces of the puzzle slowly slip together. Everything flashes behind my eyes in a matter of seconds. How he would come back to the house with blood on him, the little comments Dion and Sparrow would drop like breadcrumbs. There’s no way…my head is shaking side to side as if it can’t possibly be true. It can’t.
“There’s no way.”
“Let me guess.” Another voice comes in, and I turn to look over his shoulder to see Dion standing on the other side, his hands shoved in his pockets. “He told you his little secret, and now you’re all, ‘oh my God! Dion isn’t so bad after all!’”
I blink past the tears that threaten to surface. I feel silly. I should have known these guys weren’t who they said they were. I expected it. But what I wasn’t was one of them being the most dangerous animal known to humankind in this century. He doesn’t have a rhyme or reason. He doesn’t have a preferred demographic. He doesn’t just kill to kill, he kills to scare. To haunt. To torment.
“I can’t. I don’t understand!” I snap at them, unable to tame my rage. “How could you both? Where is Sparrow?”
The girl finally moves out of my cage, stopping in front of Dion and bringing her fingers to his chin. I watch as she slowly lifts the mask from her face, exposing her jaw, then her lips, and her nose—I stop breathing when she finally pushes the entire mask off and flings it across the room, glaring at me from the other side.
“Sorry, darling, but you did know the rules.” My mother’s eyes come to mine as her other hand removes her blonde wig, tossing it on top of her mask.
Pain pierces my heart as my throat closes. Betrayal. I’ve decided that betrayal tastes worse than pain does. She leans up on her tippy toes, bringing her lips to Dion’s. Anger coils itself around the rage that’s already burning beneath my flesh.
“You said that I was to do this, Mother! Was this a game to you too?”
My mom flicks her brown hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes resting on mine as she slowly swipes her lips with her thumb. I don’t bother looking at Dion, who is all too eager to have my mother’s tongue down his throat.
“Shiloh St. Claire.” Her heels click against the floor until she’s face-to-face with me. “Why are you so much like your father? Too sweet, too placid.” She shuffles backward. “I guess they don’t know about that.” She casts a glance over her shoulder, looking down the long corridor. Her mouth moves in a flat line before coming back to me. “You can tell them if you like, but then—hmm—” Her finger comes to her lips. “Then I guess why not stop there? You’d have to tell them everything.”
She turns her back to us all, and I wait until her heels have disappeared and a door slams closed. My throat swells again, and I squeeze Blaire’s fingers with mine.
“Crazy fucking bitch. She needs to be taught a lesson.” Blaire’s fire ignites Malyk’s, and he steps forward again, his eyes on her.
This time my hand flies to his chest, and I shove him backward. “You’re going to let us go.”
“No, the fuck we ain’t.” He flashes me a vicious smirk, one that will haunt me for days on end.
Dion’s body moves to the side, and something drips down the center of my forehead. My stomach rolls as my hand flies to my mouth to stop the vomit from coming out.