Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
I wanted her to take it out and crush it into a million pieces, but she didn’t.
Fine. I’d do it for her because this night would never happen again. I was going to make damn sure of it.
Chapter 16
Storee
Well? was the text I got from Fiora the next morning.
I was uncertain what to say, and it took me a minute to text back.
Me: It was… wow.
My body ached in all the right places, and my soul felt alive. I hadn’t felt so revived and exhilarated in maybe forever.
Fiora: I told you!
Me: I can’t believe I went through with it.
Fiora: Worth it, right? And not just because of the basket.
Oh, yeah, the basket. I had completely forgotten about the basket that was supposed to be left for me on the porch as my reward. I had been so preoccupied with the memories of what was by far the most thrilling and savage sex of my life that I had forgotten all about the next stage of the game.
Me: I have to go see what’s inside my basket. Hold on…
I went to the front porch, and sure enough a huge basket was waiting for me. It was the adult version of Easter. I carefully lifted the basket and carried it inside, placing it on the kitchen table. As I opened the lid, I gasped at the extravagance of the contents.
The first thing that caught my eye was a Tiffany box. My heart raced as I lifted the little blue box from the basket and opened it slowly. Inside was a stunning diamond necklace, more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. It sparkled in the morning light, casting little rainbow colors around the room. I couldn’t believe it was actually for me.
But that wasn’t all. There were also several bottles of expensive champagne and wine and a box of gourmet chocolates. There was also a voucher for a spa day at Sea Foam—a medical spa that only the richest of Heathens Hollow visited. But beneath all of that, there were also expensive paintbrushes, something I had been wanting to get for myself for ages but could never justify the cost. There were also tubes of expensive paint in the richest of blues and greens, and my favorite kind of sketchbook.
My heart swelled with gratitude. The basket was perfect. I couldn’t stop grinning like a fool.
As I was admiring my new treasures, my phone beeped again. It was a message from Fiora.
Fiora: So, what do you think?
Me: It’s amazing, I typed back enthusiastically.
Fiora: Did you get an envelope?
I reached into the very bottom and saw a small envelope meant for a thank you card. I opened it and counted twenty hundred-dollar bills.
Me: Holy hell!
Fiora: I told you! So are you going to do it again tonight?
How could I not? Making the money I had in my hand would have taken me two months of gutting fish and that’s only if I’d busted my ass.
Me: For sure.
My phone rang and I saw it was Locke. I quickly sent Fiora one last text telling her I needed to get in the shower and I’d talk later before answering.
“Let’s meet for breakfast,” Locke said. Even though he was on the other end of the phone, I could almost see his expression that told me he wasn’t asking. He was telling. It wasn’t an option.
“Breakfast?”
We never met for breakfast. Only lunch. And only twice a month. This was not our norm.
“Meet me at Gale’s in an hour,” he added.
“Okay…”
Before I could say another word or change my mind, Locke hung up.
I stared at my phone for a few seconds and then let out a deep sigh. I knew this breakfast was not going to be a casual affair. Locke never did anything without a reason. Something was definitely up.
I spent the next hour frantically running around my place, trying to get myself together. I wanted to look my best for Locke; I always did. I threw on a simple floral dress, a pair of brown boots, and let my hair do what it wanted unrestrained before grabbing my purse and heading out the door. Gale’s was only a few blocks away from my cottage, so it wouldn’t take me long to walk there.
When I arrived, Locke was already there, sitting at a table in the corner. He looked up as I approached, his expression inscrutable. I walked toward him, my heart beating a little faster than usual. He stood up as I reached the table and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down across from him, waiting for him to speak.
“Good morning,” I said, trying to break the tension.
Locke nodded. “Good morning.” I couldn’t detect any emotion in his voice, but his eyes were burning with intensity.
Oh, god… did he know? Did he know I participated in The Hunt last night, and he brought me here to scold me?