Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“You were my best friend, Avi. We told each other everything. I loved you like a sister. Now ... it’s like I don’t even know you. You’re ... cruel. Empty.”
“And?” I prompt.
“What happened to you?”
“This club happened to me. Monsters happened to me. I’m not the same person you used to know, Briella. Accept that. I’m here to do what I have to do, then you’ll never see me again.”
She looks sad, her eyes narrowing. “That’s not what I want. We can help you, Avi. I know things were bad, I know ...”
“You know nothing,” I cut her off. “God, you couldn’t even begin to imagine how my life went after Cohen killed my family. You have no idea the kind of person he sent me to live with so I wouldn’t show my face around here again. If you want to point fingers, Briella, point them in your own backyard.”
Her cheeks grow flushed. “Firstly, I’m not sure why you didn’t just come to Alarick. When your family died, when things went south, you know he would have helped you. Instead, you blame them.”
I step closer, face tight. “I didn’t get a fucking chance. I was shipped away before I even got to make a fucking choice. Don’t you tell me I had options, Briella. I had none. Those options were taken away from me by the people you call family. So back the fuck off unless you actually know what you’re talking about.”
“If you hurt my family, Aviana, I will come for you,” she growls, showing the fire I always knew she had buried deep. “I swear to god, I will make you suffer. I know you’re not here to do good, so I’m warning you ... Back off.”
I grin at her. “Message received. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.”
I spin on my heel and disappear toward the clubhouse. I hear Briella curse behind me and, somewhere, deep down in my broken black heart, I feel a tug. It’s a tug I quickly stuff back down into the depths. I don’t have time to feel anything, not for her, not for anyone. I’m here to do what needs to be done, and then I’ll be gone.
Starting my life anew.
“Mornin’.”
I reach the top step and look to my left to see Cohen and Samson sitting on a few old stools, clearly deep in conversation before I stomped up and interrupted them. I give them a sharp nod, avoiding eye contact with Cohen.
“How’s the head?” Samson asks.
I look to him. “It’s fine, why wouldn’t it be?”
“You had a big night.”
“Was that before or after you fucked me?”
Cohen visibly flinches, a reaction I certainly didn’t expect from him. He can’t stand me; he’s made that very clear. Why the hell should he care who I’m sleeping with? He likely doesn’t, it was probably just a shock. I shake it off and give Samson a smile, a small one that’s mostly sexy, mostly empty. “I’m up for round two any time. You just say the word.”
Then, I walk inside.
Not before I hear Cohen growl, “What the fuck do you think you’re doin’?”
I’ll let them sort that one out.
I walk down to Alarick’s office and step inside, not pausing. He looks up from a phone call he’s on and very quickly tells the person he has to go and hangs up. Then, he stares at me, his expression cold and mostly empty. “You here with the information we need?”
“Yeah, I’ve got what you need.”
“Spill it, then.”
“The man you’re looking for, his name is Benedict. Don’t know if that’s his first name, hell I don’t even know if that’s a nickname, but I do know that he is the person running all of this. I know exactly where you can find him, but I’m not telling you how I know that so don’t bother asking. My business is mine, as is yours. Once you have him, you have the upper hand. Without him, the whole show crashes. You take him down, you take the rest of them down, and you no longer have a problem on your hands. I will tell you this, though, don’t go in there without a good plan. You fail this, I promise you he’ll take down your entire club.”
Alarick stares at me. “Anything else?”
“That’s all. I will give you the location I know he frequents and, as for my uncle, Blanche and Dax, they’re in a location that is quite a distance from here. I’ve been there once before, but I recall how to get there again. It’s well secured and hidden, it’s where I met Benedict a few years ago. I, ah, spent some time with him. Because of that, I can lead you to both locations.”
“You fuckin’ him?”
I glare at him, my rage expanding in my chest. “Don’t you fucking insult me, Alarick.”