Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Back down, brother. This is not your fuckin’ call.”
“Isn’t it?” Mykel barks. “I think we all get a fuckin’ say in this, and I say it’s fuckin’ dangerous.”
“I agree,” Briella says. “I don’t think she should go. She’s under the influence of drugs, and we can’t be close enough to protect her if anything goes down. It’d be different if she was in a clear headspace, but she’s not.”
“Gotta agree,” Cohen pipes up. “Tonight it ain’t safe.”
Fuck me.
They’re all making sure this doesn’t happen.
“Last time I checked,” I say, grabbing a coat, “it’s not up to any of you. I’m going. You can try and stop me or you can have my back. I’ll keep you all updated, and I’m not that high that I can’t think straight. I’m doing this.”
“Fuck,” Mykel growls and looks to Alarick, knowing that if Alarick tells me not to go, I won’t.
But he’s the only one who I’ll stop for.
The only one.
“You feel like you’re okay?” Alarick asks me. “You feel like you can think clearly?”
“I feel okay. High, but not to the point of not being able to make the right decision. I’ll keep my phone on me, and just see what it is Dax needs. Then I’ll report back and come home.”
“He didn’t sound right, Flick,” Briella pleads. “He sounded like he was off, in a really bad way. He said he was hurt. Anything could be going down there; it could be dangerous. If it is, there isn’t much we can do right away to help her once she’s at his house.”
Alarick runs a hand down his face, and exhales loudly. “Fuck, Waverly, I can’t let you go.”
What?
He can’t be serious.
“Alarick . . .” I try, but he puts up a hand.
“Briella is right. I can’t help you once you’re in there, and you’re not of clear mind. Not to mention we literally have no fuckin’ idea what you’re walkin’ into.”
“Dax won’t hurt me . . .” I try to say, even though I’m not entirely sure that’s true.
“We can’t be certain of that.”
“I’m only here to get information for you. Whatever happened tonight could be crucial. He doesn’t just call for no reason . . .”
“I’ve said no.” Alarick growls, his voice firm. “Respect it.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
I can’t.
I just can’t.
What if one of those girls has been hurt? What if something really important has happened that can bring this to a close once and for all? If I don’t go now, Dax may very well lose all respect for me, and then what? I’m going to be no different to the other girls and he’ll try sell me off as soon as he can, and any information I could have gained will be gone.
No.
I’m going.
I turn and walk towards the door.
“Waverly!” Alarick calls.
“I’m going,” I say.
“Fuckin’ stop,” Mykel barks.
I run out the front and towards my car. I know I’m making a huge mistake doing this, but I also know I’d be making a huge mistake if I didn’t do this. Either way, someone is going to lose here, and tonight, and I don’t want it to be another innocent girl.
I get into my car and hit the lock button before starting it up. Mykel is coming towards me at a pace that has my heart racing and my hands trembling. I throw the car into drive and lunge forward, before speeding out of the driveway.
I’m going to be punished heavily for this. I know that.
But I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.
Something has gone down at Dax’s place tonight, and I’m going to find out what that is no matter the cost.
10
WAVERLY
“Dax, what have you done?” I whisper, staring at the bloodied man lying on the ground, completely lifeless.
Constable Bennett.
I know who it is—Alarick once told me all about him and the role he plays in everything Dax is doing. Not to mention that my sister is a cop and has had issues with Bennett since she first started working in the department. He’s as crooked as they get, and he’s a very bad man. He’s the reason Dax, Peter and this little group have been able to do what they do for so long, the reason they’ve been able to fly under the radar.
I try to look away from the bloodied form on the ground, but I’m finding it incredibly hard to tear my eyes off the scene before me. Bennett’s entire head has been beaten so badly he’s unrecognizable. The only reason I know it’s him is because of the very clear uniform he’s wearing, and the fact that I’ve seen him before so it didn’t take me long to figure it out.
Whatever Dax did to this man was brutal.
There are wounds on his torso—wounds that have bled out all over the floor.
I’ve never seen a dead body before. I’ve seen plenty of them on television. I’ve looked at pictures. Hell, I figured it wouldn’t actually bother me but this is making me incredibly unwell. I can barely keep the contents in my stomach down. My hands start to tremble, so I cross my arms and turn to Dax so I don’t have to face it anymore.