Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“When we think ain’t nobody looking, we’re howlin’ at the moon. You gotta make some noise, but this time, not behind closed doors. You need a jury of your peers. That’ll be us, your cousins. And you’ll need someone to vouch for you. Bear witness. Maybe this lady is your witness, little cousin. Maybe she gotta be sworn in, so she can defend what she knows to be right, just, and true.”
A chill ran down Lennox’s spine. Though it was a simple metaphor, the fact that Nadia wanted to be a lawyer and had been going to college for that before she began dancing gave Kage’s words an uncanny quality.
“Our blood makes him believe we are bound to him, Kage. I’m bound to no man. My loyalty does have limits. He knows that he’s the reason for the season. The brainchild behind the mayhem and money. He likes the chase. Just like the dog and the wolf.”
“He sees a bit of himself in all seven of us. You’re nothin’ but a pretty, shiny thing to him.”
“I know that.”
“Then if you know that, use it to catch him in his own snare. What you’ve told me makes it clear in my mind.” Kage pointed to the side of his head, his brows rutted as if slightly annoyed. “I know what you need to do, you just gotta figure out how. That is what I don’t have the answer to.”
“Survivin’ Grandpa Wilde. Coming to Netflix.”
They both had a mirthless chuckle at that.
“Look, Lennox, you’ve been out of drama and bullshit for a while now. It makes you a bit out of practice for these things, but you better get your head back in the game, and you better get it in there fast. Keep focused, and hold on to this frame of thought. Make it so that when Grandpa grabs you, like the pretty shiny thing you are to him, he’ll find out you ain’t no golden toy buried in the soil after all. You’re a gotdamn grenade.”
“Use what he thinks you are to turn it back on him. Like I said, I don’t have that advantage. He knows I’m a fuckin’ bomb. You, on the other hand, look more promising in his eyes, and agreeable. That also makes this all the eviler. He called you a dog? Yeah… He’s making you hunt for your own death. So, turn it around on him and serve him justice on a platter. Make it the worst thing he’s ever consumed in his entire life.” Kage placed his hand on Lennox’s shoulder. “Make your flavor bitter, your texture dry, and for God’s sake, you better be more poisonous than a witch’s kiss because the mission ain’t to make him sick, little cousin. It’s to make him regret the day he ever tried to dig up the top dog’s mama’s buried bones…”
Nadia stood in the book store, lost and confused while ‘L.I.E.’ by N’Dambi played. It had been a long time since she’d purchased a book anywhere other than online, but when her grandmother had stated she wanted a new cookbook for her birthday, it seemed like a great idea. Besides, she did miss the scent of books, new and old, and her Kindle simply couldn’t compare to that nostalgia. She made her way to the cooking section and found plenty of recipe books Grandma might enjoy. She got several of them to cover all bases. Grandma loved trying new recipes. It was the cutest thing. Now that she had what she needed, she still found herself practically rooted in place.
The mission wasn’t over. Over the past couple of days, she’d become obsessed with the whole question of, ‘What if?’ Had she buried her dreams in the ground and covered them up with fake peace of mind? Perhaps her last encounter with Lennox had sparked this feeling. The way he left her heated like an oven on a thousand degrees and didn’t bother to turn her off when the humiliation was cooked to a nice golden brown was downright diabolic. Sure, he’d called the next day like shit didn’t happen, but something had happened. Something major. He’d turned her down, but for all the right reasons. There was something else at play, too. She began to resent some aspects of her business. Her loyal OnlyFans client, Pedro, who’d she’d entertained for over four months, told her after he climaxed from her teasing gyrations that afternoon that she was the oldest broad he’d ever paid for a nut.
The sleepy-eyed son of a bitch had meant it as a compliment, stating she looked good for her age, but instead of taking it as nice words from a wealthy Hispanic man who just didn’t know any better, one who had a belly button fetish and money to burn, it fed into her concerns that the expiration date on this filming for funds ride was soon approaching. I can’t be doing this forever. I don’t WANT to be doing this forever… I can’t believe this, but I miss law school, too. I want to look into going back, and getting my degree.