Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Sam stared back at her, but she had masked the earlier love I saw in her gaze as she watched her sister. An expressionless mask was in its place. She deadpanned, “Not in the least.”
Sabrina didn’t care. She began talking.
49
MADDY
Ifound them!
They were in the study, and who knew when Nova’s snake went missing it ended up being a blessing because I knew about a vent that I could overhear everything. It’d been where Nova’s snake was hiding. Natessia’s the one who got it out. Max’s little sister.
I didn’t think I was scared of anything, but that’s not true. I’m terrified of something happening to my family…and snakes. Nat, though. She really isn’t scared of anything. Nolan used her gifts, like a honing beacon, led us to the study, and from there, Nat stuck her hand down, grabbed the snake and hauled that sucker out of there.
It was wrapped all around her arm, but it was awesome.
I didn’t want to miss anything, but I made a detour through the kitchen to grab a snack. Uncle Logan instilled that in me from an early age. If there’s drama, you grab popcorn. It’s proper etiquette now. If someone else is watching, or in this case listening, with you, you share.
Also good etiquette.
I didn’t have time to pop anything, but there was a bag ready to go so I grabbed it, along with a soda and here I was, snuggled up on the other side of the vent. I had snacks. A drink. And a blanket I snatched on the way.
Getting comfortable, I was ready.
Okay. So the way I figure is that this entire showdown had three parts. The first part I missed because Max.
The second part, I could not believe what I was hearing.
Brinna was my mom’s sister? Half sister?
I was a little fuzzy on some of the details, but holy shit, Brinna was a bitch. She was the definition of a HBOTC. Also, I wasn’t liking how she was talking to my mom. Like she was taunting her or something.
Then, wham bam, I almost fell over ma’am when I heard about what Traine’s dad was doing to them. I went all growly and had to stuff the blanket over my mouth to keep from alerting them to my spot. I was making a list of people that I could hurt and Traine’s dad was on it. They had not shared that part with me when Max and I made our dramatic entrance or when we were at the hospital. I asked, but everyone was tense and Max kept telling me he’d tell me later.
Sometimes I liked playing that game with him. If he said he’d tell me something later, and if he didn’t, then I’d get inventive in how I’d make him tell me. Because of the idea of that game, I didn’t push on finding out the details.
I regret that now.
I kept listening.
Oooh. Some understanding was happening. She’d been brainwashed by this other guy, someone that Mom and Pop hurt. That made sense. I mean, that sucked, but it made a bit more sense how someone who was my mom’s sister was such a cunty bitch.
Part three of the showdown was when Brinna explained the evilness of her evil plans.
Turns out, there used to be a secret society. Mom and Dad blew it up. Go ‘rents.
They set up the Godfather Brainwashee Guy to take the fall, who was sent to prison because he was a serial rapist. The HBOTC was in denial of that fact, but it seemed legit to me. If someone’s going to brainwash someone all their life, I mean, hello, that’s just another form of grooming.
The big twist was that another secret society was erected.
Pause for laughter. I just said erected.
The new secret society was better, more elite, more powerful, and they changed some rules. They were all about blackmailing first and not holding information to blackmail later. That part didn’t make sense, but I’m sure if someone was in that old secret society, that’d make sense to them. The bottom line was that a lot of blackmailing was happening. The new secret society was worse than the first.
If I was hearing that right? Most things are worse the second time around.
Oh. Whoa. They were behind why Grandpa Garrett couldn’t see my mom. That made sense. He knew about them and when they wanted to hurt my mom and dad, Grandpa Garrett put his foot down. He said no, sirree. They countered with, ‘Oh, so we can’t hurt your daughter? Fine. Then you can’t see her either.’
So not cool.
The new secret society sounded like assholes. Then again, anyone who was in a secret society would be an asshole. I’m sure it was a requirement.
That sucked for Mom. It bothered her that her bio dad never reached out. His heart seemed to be in the right place. If we took this new one down, Grandpa Garrett could come around again. Mom would be happy to see him.