Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
“Fuck!” I slam my hands onto the steering wheel. “Milo, Ro, I’m coming!”
I fish a gun from the glove compartment along with a magazine while I race down the mountain as fast as I can. But the second I reach the playground, I ram my foot into the brakes so hard the tires screech against the pavement.
I bump into a trash can and knock it over before I come to a halt.
Through the windshield, I see the bloodstains marking the rainbow paint on the floor, a piece of someone’s tattooed skin lying on the grass next to the slide. All the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Grabbing the gun, I shove the magazine inside before I jump out of the car in my sweatpants and robe.
There’s no one around. Not a single soul.
It’s almost as if there was a bloodbath here, and all the bodies magically disappeared.
Until I spot one of them lying in the grass not far beyond the slide, one hand clutching a phone.
And my heart stops beating.
“MILO!”
I run toward him, checking my surroundings with my gun held at the ready, but no one is around except us.
I slide to my knees in front of him and grab his body, turning him over. There are gunshots in his abdomen and legs, and he’s bleeding out fast.
“Fuck!” I yell.
“Nathan …” He gurgles, coughing up blood.
I drag him into my lap. “Who did this to you? Are they still here?” I throw my robe off and rip off a piece to wrap around his leg, which is bleeding profusely.
He shakes his head as tears well up in his eyes. “I just wanted to give you some more time off, so I took her to play here,” he says between breaths. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried. I tried to fight them off, but I couldn’t win. I didn’t know they’d followed me all the way from the Phantom Society house.” Tears roll down his cheeks. “I tried to protect her …”
“Rory?”
He grips my arm, cuts all over his hands. “They took her.”
LANA
The terrible sounds can be heard from across the hall.
Still, I move closer, sliding open the door when I know I shouldn’t be in here.
Mommy told me never to come here at night.
But I want to know why I can hear my brother yelp.
I swallow as I see the two figures in bed, one on the bottom, arms flailing to the side, tears welling up in his eyes. I blink away mine and open my mouth, but when I try to scream, nothing comes out.
My hands shake violently.
And my eyes lower to look at them.
But my fingers have been replaced by bullets and my heart with death.
So I point my finger at the person lying on top.
BANG!
My eyes open wide, sweat drops rolling down my back and neck as I try to adjust to my surroundings. Blinking a couple of times, I focus on the sights and sounds. I’m in my own bed, in my own room, and the sun is shining. But that smell … it’s musky and tropical, and unlike any perfumes I own.
Then I feel the hand creeping around my waist.
With widened eyes, I turn to come face-to-face with Kai, still lying in my bed, still cuddling me. And for a moment, I just simply stop existing.
“Good morning, kitty,” he mumbles.
I can barely breathe when he’s this close, his lips still as hot as I remember them being.
I thought he’d disappear in the middle of the night as he did before, but he’s still here. Still holding me tight. Still invading every inch of my thoughts.
“You were groaning in your sleep,” he murmurs.
“Oh …” I lower my eyes.
He cups my face to make me look at him. “Did you have a bad dream?”
Oh fuck. He noticed.
“Tell me what it was,” he says.
“I-I…” I’m never one to stammer, but I really don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to speak the words out loud.
His brows twitch. “Is this something that happens often?”
I nod and sit up. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He leans up on his elbow, and the blanket that kept us warm slowly drops off both of us, revealing his naked tattooed body, and fuck me, my eyes can’t stop perusing his thick slabs of muscle and that nine-inch dick like I’m shopping for a boy toy.
What is wrong with me?
I shake my head, but the smug grin on his face immediately makes me look down at my own chest. I forgot I was naked too. And he’s definitely ogling my perky breasts, nipples peaking at the thought.
“Oh, I will never get used to the sight of those,” he mumbles.
Grinding my teeth, I get up and march to my cabinet, fishing out some new panties, a fresh pair of jeans, and a short black top.