Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
I fish in my pocket and take out the hearing aid, placing it on the table in front of her.
Her eyes widen as she realizes what it is.
“Go on. Take it.”
“This is a trap, isn’t it?” she mutters. “You wouldn’t just give this back to me.”
“I have nothing more to gain from keeping it,” I answer. “I’ve already learned everything I need to know.”
Her face slowly turns ghostly, and I can’t help but wonder what kind of thoughts swirl through her head. If she’s wondering whether I know more about her than just where she works.
The answer is yes.
She tries to snatch the hearing aid off the table, but I grab her hand and stop her when she’s covered it with her hand. Even if there is no fear in her eyes, I can feel it oozing off her skin, the terror exciting the darkest parts of my soul.
This is the only part where Silas and I are alike.
“You think you’re safe, hiding out here in a crowd. But there is nowhere you can hide from us. We know it was you.” I lean across the table. “And whether you tell us the truth or not, you will pay for your crime.”
She stares me down for a second, refusing to back off. Then she jerks her hand free, along with the hearing aid, jumps off the seat, and marches straight toward the exit of the establishment without even saying a single word to the man who hired her.
Guess I really frightened her.
A wicked smile forms on my face.
Good.
Ivy
“What are you doing?” the barkeeper yells as I grab my bike out of the stand.
“I can’t do it anymore. I quit.”
“What?!” He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have. “But I need you tonight! It’s packed in there!”
I sigh and take a moment. “I’m sorry.”
The disappointment on his face hurts, but there’s nothing I can do.
I can’t go back there.
I can’t ever go back there because they’ll be waiting for me, and I can’t risk it.
I jump on the bike and race off before I change my mind.
Fuck.
I have to get out of here.
The wheels spin as fast as possible as I make my way across several intersections and weave through traffic, getting as far away as I can from Club RIVERA. My heartbeat is shooting through the roof as I pedal wildly, crisscrossing the streets in the dark, barely avoiding an oncoming car. I stop for nothing, not even a red light, and nearly getting myself killed almost feels like the easier option.
Until that sweet little face pops into my mind again, and I immediately slow down.
Cora … she’s waiting for me to come back, to hug her and tell her everything will be okay. She depends on me.
And I’m failing her, over and over.
I have to go home.
I breathe through the pain and swallow back the tears as I keep biking through the city, but every car and every motorcycle that passes me makes me do a double take.
What if they’re following me?
What if Heath only gave me back the hearing aid and said all those things to gauge my reaction? To see how far he could push me before I snapped?
To watch me leave … and follow me straight to my own damn home?
No.
I shiver in the cold and head right into one of the many city parks, where I stop near a bench and sit down. I pull my phone from my pocket and ring the neighbor until she picks up.
“Hey. It’s me.”
“How long ’til you’re home?”
“I … I can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“Can you watch Cora and my cat for me?”
“What do you mean? Like … at night?”
“Yeah,” I say, still shivering.
“Oh fu—”
“Please.” I’m not opposed to begging. “I can’t come home.”
“Why?” She sounds like she’s suspicious of me.
“It’s not safe.”
She grumbles for a moment, and I can tell it’s hard on her too, but I can’t tell her the truth or she’d never help me out.
“Please, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” I say. “Just for a few days. I promise I’ll be back.”
She sighs out loud. “Fine. But you owe me. Big time.”
A load falls off my shoulders. “Thank you. I’ll pay you.”
“You’d better.”
“Yes, definitely,” I assure her. “I’ll give you double.”
“Good. Because I have other things to do.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Thank you. Thank you for helping me out.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She hangs up the phone before I can say anything else, and tears immediately spring to my eyes.
That’s it. It’s done.
No more Cora.
At least not for a little while.
And even though I should feel relieved for not having to take care of a young kid for a while, the tears still stain my eyes at the thought of disappointing her, too.
I promised her I’d keep her safe. I promised her I’d make a life for us.