Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 143453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
The fire has been put out, but the whole western end of the house has been eaten by the flames. All that remains is dark soot, walls, and the occasional firefighter. After witnessing the show, or some of it, the students, who weren’t supposed to be here in the first place, were kicked off the property.
My brother’s friends have carried Creighton into the annexed house that wasn’t touched by the fire. Probably because the guards and all their equipment and security gadgets are here.
Obviously, the main house was the assailants’ target.
A guard stands in front of the door, burly and big, and all but blocks the entire entrance.
“Please go back to the main house, miss,” he says in a Russian accent, not bothering to even look at me.
If it were any other time, I’d tuck my tail between my legs and do as I’m told. It’s all part of my sheltered upbringing and the harsh world that my father and brother tried their hardest to keep me away from.
Avoiding conflict and living in my pretty purple-colored bubble isn’t only good for my sake but also for everyone else’s.
But something changed tonight.
It happened sometime between the time when I could no longer hear Jeremy’s voice and when he passed out and couldn’t save himself.
I realized that neither Jeremy nor Papa will always be there. The time has come for me to regain control over my own life.
Usually, I don’t glare at people. Hell, I don’t even know how, but I manage to as I speak in a nonnegotiable tone. “Move.”
“I have orders to not allow anyone inside, miss.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You’ll have no orders to obey if I tell Papa you failed to protect Jeremy and me. We are your priority, not whatever invalid orders you’re trying to follow. So unless you want to be kicked out of Papa’s close circle, I suggest you move out of my way right this instant.”
This time, the guard stares down at me, brows lifted as if he’s seeing me for the first time. Then he steps aside with the sluggishness of an opening gate.
I storm inside and head to where the voices are coming from.
Yes, Jeremy has made sure to keep me away from his club and whatever nefarious activities he does in the dark, but that doesn’t mean I’m clueless about what’s going on.
Papa has always said that knowledge is power, so I made sure to accumulate as much of it as possible and tucked that information into neat boxes at the back of my head in case I needed it someday.
That day is now.
My ability to gain comes naturally. The guards like it when I treat them to meals the cook has made—not mine, since apparently no one likes my cooking. As a reward for treating them, they tell me things.
Gareth freely divulges some information, too, when I probe a little—the right amount of little that won’t trigger his suspicion.
So I know a lot more than the Heathens would let out.
I arrive at the half-open metal door at the end of the hall. Ordinarily, they’d close it to dispel any unwanted attention, but they must’ve been in a hurry this time.
My steps are inaudible as I push the door open and step inside.
The scene I find freezes me in place.
The room is stark white from the walls to the floor and to the shelves on either side. It’s almost blinding.
And those shelves? They’re full of all types of knives, metal objects, canes, and baseball bats. And those are just the ones I recognize. There are other different tools I can’t begin to name that shine with bad mojo and the promise of torture.
My gaze flits to the reason I defied all rules and reason and came here.
Creighton.
Thick rope straps him to a metal chair as he sits there, unconscious, his head lolled forward at an awkward angle.
Nikolai picks up what looks like a cane and glides his fingers over it. “I vote for caning him and paying tribute to his Middle Age ancestors.”
Killian presses on a Taser, creating a spark that echoes in the silence. “This will be more effective in making him talk.”
At that, Nikolai swings the cane in the air and it makes a whooshing sound before he slaps it on his hand. “This will leave a mark and that’s more important in teaching the motherfucker a lesson.”
“Whatever you’re doing, get to it.” Gareth leans against the wall, arms and ankles crossed, appearing bored with the whole conversation between his brother, Killian, and his cousin.
“We can’t push violence, Gaz.” Nikolai breathes heavily. “There needs to be the right preparation.”
I take a few seconds to lock up the strong emotions roaring inside me. If I let them loose, I’ll only be emotional, and feelings don’t work on these guys.