Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“I do!”
“Then why are you giving up on them? You know they wouldn’t give up on you.”
My lips trembled. I squeezed my eyes shut. “Of course they wouldn’t. They’d never stop fighting to get me back, and they’d win. My guys are smart, Saylor. They’re twisted, resourceful, clever, and always a step ahead. The reason they’ve failed... is because of me.
“I hung the stupid flag, lured Everleigh out, and got myself trapped in a burning building. I’m the reason they found the weapons stash. It was my blundering around on the T.O.D. site that turned Wolfgang’s attention on us.
“I didn’t burn that bitch alive the first chance I got, and she was able to strike back hard—getting Victor taken and my father killed. Me, me, me!” There was a clang behind me. I guessed my scream made her drop the fork. “I’m no badass. I played at being one, and the result got everyone I love hurt.
“If I go after Everleigh again and fail, it’ll be my guys that she kills next. I can’t go through that again. I won’t.”
“I, I, I. Me, me, me.” Her mocking tone grated on my ears. “You talk a lot of selfish, pitying bullshit, Sinclair. Okay, fine. Everleigh’s smart. She fooled you. But the only way she’ll truly win is if you and I give up.
“The Rogues and Victor didn’t become twisted and cunning overnight. They learned to start thinking like their enemies,” she said. “They mastered the art of turning the tables. You have too, Luna.”
I turned my bleary gaze on her. “I did?”
“Yes. That whole thing with selling my texts. I hate to say it, but it was genius. Dozens upon dozens of people have tried to take me down, humiliate me, or dent the Burkhardt name. And you did it so simply and easily. I’ll always hate you deep down inside for it.
“If you can do that to me, you can do it to Everleigh. She’s half the target I am.” Saylor handed me my plate. The last pancake—for me. “You’re smart enough to win, Luna.
“Better than that, you’re strong.”
Gently, I took the plate, looking back at the smiley face Mom made out of chocolate chips.
It was true. Every plan I made against Everleigh failed. She was off celebrating her nine-year-long victory while I mourned the loss of almost everyone I loved in a stale room.
I flicked to the laptop that lay on the carpet. Giving it to me didn’t make my life easier. I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure that there was now a huge target on my back. Plus, knowing where the Rogues lived didn’t give me crap.
It wasn’t like I was about to show up on an assassin’s doorstep and say, you work for me now. Why in the hell would experienced, dangerous criminals fall in line behind a teenage girl? Even one who could expose them and what they do.
Alistair trusted me with this, but I didn’t have a clue what to do next, with the laptop or with the information Astoria gave me. I could hop out of bed right then, plaster on some determination, then set off to provoke Everleigh into killing me for good. A lot of help I’d be to my guys then.
“You really think I can do this?” I whispered.
“I think you don’t have a choice. So go do it.”
I was quiet for a long time. So long, Saylor had time to snoop through my room, use the bathroom, go downstairs for more pancakes, then eat them in front of me while my single one went cold.
“About this party Everleigh’s throwing...”
Saylor jumped at my sudden speech. “Yeah, it’s at her folks’ place. They’re out of town and she never misses a chance to trash it when they’re not around.”
I nodded slowly, grasping the finer details of my plan and piecing it together. It could work— No, it has to work. This is our last chance.
“You said everyone is going?” I asked.
“Everyone, Dreg and Royal. The only people not invited are you and me. And yes, the guards will use force to keep us out.”
“That’s okay. I’ve got another idea.”
WE SAT ON THE BEACH together, holding hands in the sand.
“Still nothing from Wolfgang?” The crashing almost took the soft words away.
“No.”
I couldn’t look at Adonis’s face, despite needing to be near him. It was my fault his brother was taken by a psychopath. My fault he’d been questioned three times on why he allowed the terrorist Rogues to live at his place.
The Wilson brothers would’ve been better off if they never met me, and seeing that truth in his eyes would crush me.
“Mom and Dad are going out of their minds,” he said. “They’ve gone to the press twice, swearing that they’ll pay whatever the kidnapper wants to bring him home. The fact that he still hasn’t sent a ransom demand has them thinking— They don’t know if Victor is—” Adonis cut off, squeezing my hand.