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)
Kai smirks, and I throw him a look.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’m impressed.” Kai holds up the ribbon, inspecting every fiber like he’s trying to find a clue. “And something tells me this won’t be the last time.”
I pull out my phone and take a picture of the ribbon with the dead body in the background.
“What’d you do that for?” Kai asks.
“Keepsake,” I reply, a smile tugging at my lips. “You never know when we might need some proof she was here.”
Lana
I showered and slept well last night, despite the murder that took place, but I can’t get rid of this aching feeling in my underbelly that something bad is going to happen.
All because of three fucking dudes who ruined my fun.
I close my eyes and let out a sigh, then take another sip from my breakfast smoothie.
“What’s wrong?” Irina asks, squinting at me as she’s baking in the midday sun.
“Hmm?” I look her way.
“That sigh was huge,” she says.
“Oh, just some shit with some dudes …” I mutter, taking another sip. “Nothing important.”
“Shit with dudes?” Brooke sticks her head out from behind Irina. “You were out last night?”
“Only for a few minutes,” I respond when they both eagle-eye me. “It was just some casual drinks. No biggie.” I change the subject before things get out of hand. “So what classes do you girls still have left for the day?”
“Ummm…” Irina checks her schedule. “I know there’s economics, but I could’ve sworn I have another one right after.”
I adjust the red ribbon in my hair and look at the people in the grass while I wait. But my eyes land on a particular set of eyes, one pure white, the other as green as an emerald.
He stands near the fountain, just like yesterday, this time alone. He has a cigarette between two fingers, eyes smoldering as fiercely as the cigarette’s bud while they stare me down.
A creeping chill runs up my spine … because no matter how hard I try, I can’t look away.
Kai
That girl …
My eyes home in on her gorgeous oval face, those killer cat-lined eyes, her narrow jawline, and sharp cheekbones as cutthroat as her soul. Her beautiful full, red lips make my tongue dart out to wet mine, her skin so pale not even that black dress she’s wearing could hide the fact that she rarely comes out into the sun.
A protected princess, hidden away by her father until even he could no longer contain her.
And now she’s here to study, pretending to be a part of the masses.
But now we both know that’s only a farce, a mask she puts on to make the people she loves believe she’s capable of more than the violence they’ve all inherited.
Fucking Lana Rivera …
I take the red ribbon out of my pocket and look at it once more.
A smirk slowly spreads on my face as I gaze up at the girl laughing her worries away, the wind softly breezing through the ribbon in her hair.
Looks like apples don’t fall far from the tree after all.
I clutch the ribbon tighter, wondering if I should tell Milo and Nathan.
If I should give them the opportunity to interrogate her … or if I should do it myself.
All alone, just the two of us.
Killer to killer.
Oh, little violent kitty … I found you.
You can run all you want … but I’m gonna find a way to lure you out of your den.
And when I do, I’m going to have so much fucking fun with you.
NATHAN
Weeks ago
“Wait, wait, wait, don’t take our car!” I yell at the people filtering through my parents’ mansion.
“Sorry, dude, I’m just doing my job,” the guy says as he hops inside and starts the engine like he owns it.
I dial our family lawyer. “What are you doing? My family paid you to fix this, and they’re still coming for more!”
“You know I can’t fix what your parents destroyed,” our lawyer says. “They should’ve taken better care of their finances.”
Finances.
Like there were any.
It was always fraud and bribery, and now that it’s come out to the public, my family is done for. My parents are in jail, possibly forever, and my name is tarnished for eternity.
Panic rises in my body, filling my throat with screams. “But you were supposed to get them out of this mess! You have to do something! Anything!”
“My hands are tied, Nathan. The higher-ups want your parents to go down.”
“What?” My eyes widen.
They’re … using them as an example?
Fuck this. First, the police take our bribes, and now, all of a sudden, they’ve grown a conscience just because it’s gone public?
“This is wrong and you know it,” I growl into the phone. “We need money to survive.”
“Look, I’d love to help you, but you know as well as I do your parents’ money problems weren’t just in their official business,” our lawyer says. “This goes way beyond what I was paid to do, and I’m not going to take the fall with them. Risking my job is one thing, but this? This is way over my head.”