Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Gonna have a word with Titus,” Tommy said gruffly. “Playin’ with fire is one thing, puttin’ your girl in that kind of danger is somethin’ else.”
“His girl? You think?”
“Titus wouldn’t have went against my dad for anythin’ less,” Otto explained, kissing the side of my head. “He knows better.”
Tommy was watching me like he was trying to decide something, and finally gave an almost undetectable nod. “We found the rest of the shipment,” he announced, sitting down in the recliner. “It’s at the warehouse. Didn’t find it the first time because the boys stopped lookin’ once they got our call.”
“What warehouse?” I shut my mouth at Tommy’s look.
“You’re not here, honey,” he informed me before looking back at Otto. “We can either try and go in and get ’em or wait longer until they try and move ’em and get ’em back then.”
“Let me know when and where,” Otto replied. “I’m there.”
“You got Esther a phone?”
I pulled it out of my pocket. “Fancy one,” I confirmed.
Tommy huffed out a laugh. “Good. You really think your sister will keep her mouth shut?”
“I don’t know how she could say anything without getting herself in trouble,” I confirmed. “And one thing you learn early in my family is to stay out of trouble.”
“You didn’t,” Tommy replied dryly.
“Extenuating circumstances,” I muttered, my cheeks heating.
“Well, we’ll deal with it if she talks,” he said with a sigh, getting to his feet. “I’m gonna head out so I can meet Titus at the house.”
“Smack him once for me,” Otto snapped, getting to his feet and pulling me with him.
“You’re going to hit him?” I blurted, glancing between them.
“I should,” Tommy said, moving toward the door. “Told him I would.” He smiled ruefully at me over his shoulder. “Heather would lose her mind if I did, though, so probably not.”
I let out a breath of relief after he’d left.
“Be better if Dad did it,” Otto said, stomping toward the kitchen. “If I get my hands on him, he’s gonna wish it was our dad.”
“Because he told Noel that I was alive?” I asked dubiously, following him. “Don’t you think she deserved to know? She doesn’t have anything to do with any of this.”
“Because he was told to keep his motherfuckin’ mouth shut,” Otto growled, his back to me as he tossed his keys across the room.
I jumped in surprise and stopped a few feet from him.
“She’s a part of this now,” he said, turning to face me. “You know that, right? Before, she was clueless. Now, she knows you’re here. So, say she doesn’t talk—but somewhere down the line, your parents find out she never said anything. Especially after we get those guns back?”
I inhaled sharply at the implications.
“Right,” he spat, pushing his fingers against his forehead. “She does say somethin’, what’s to stop your psycho ass father from showin’ up here tomorrow while I’m at work. What are you gonna do if that happens?”
“I won’t answer the door.”
“You think that’s gonna stop him?”
“I think Titus loves her,” I said, refusing to go down that hypothetical road with him. “How was he supposed to let her believe that her sister was dead when she isn’t?”
“I love you. He’s my brother, and he fucked you over,” he snapped back, his voice rising with every word. “Lettin’ Noel believe you were dead didn’t put either of you in danger.”
“You love me?” It was the only part of his sentence that fully registered. “When did you decide that?”
“Fuck,” he hissed, digging his fingers into his eye sockets. “Now, I guess.”
“Are you sure?” I asked quietly, watching as he braced one hand on the counter.
“The fact that I could’ve killed my little brother when he showed up tonight was a pretty clear indication,” he muttered. “Jesus, sorry.”
He hurried past me and less than a minute later, I could hear him getting sick in the bathroom under the stairs.
I didn’t have time to contemplate the fact that he’d just told me he loved me and then vomited because as I hurried toward the bathroom, I heard a loud thump. “Otto?” I knocked tentatively on the door. “Otto, are you okay?”
No answer. I knocked louder.
“Are you sick?” I called, raising my voice. “Otto?”
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I found Heather’s number in my contacts.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Heather—”
“Esther,” Heather said in realization. “Hey, honey. This your new number?”
“Otto was throwing up,” I said quickly, still trying to push the bathroom door. “And then he fell or something and I can’t get the door open.”
“Where is he?” Heather asked.
“In the bathroom.”
“Sit tight, I’ll be right there.”
My hands shook as I put the phone back in my pocket.
“Otto?” I called again, resting my head against the door. “Please answer me.”
Chapter 16
Otto
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Hold on.”
“Otto, you don’t answer me, I’m kickin’ in the door,” my brother Micky yelled.