Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Papa always told me the world would be cruel, but this man has shown me kindness, and nothing but grace and decency is in his eyes. Something I thought was severely lacking in my life before.
One thing that wasn’t lacking—cruelty.
The kind my father and Lex candidly dished out.
And even though I left that hotel room in tears, I’m no longer crying them over my father. I refuse to. He doesn’t deserve these tears.
So I smile until all of them have disappeared, listening to the rain pitter-patter onto the carton while the man in front of me slowly crawls onto the floor and closes his eyes.
And I watch him fall asleep with a kind of peace I’ve rarely ever seen.
A peace I wish I could feel deep down in my heart.
But I don’t know if I could ever reach that point.
That point when I know life will be okay.
Not without Beast.
CHAPTER 5
Aurora
When a bright light enters my eyes, I jolt up and down, my head bumping into the carton box. Blinking rapidly, I gaze at my surroundings. The sun is out and bursting with radiance.
Did I … sleep?
A yawn immediately leaves my mouth.
It wasn’t an amazing sleep, but apparently, I felt safe enough to doze off.
“Well, good morning,” Dirk says with a happy smile. “Sleep well?”
I stretch out a little. “Okay-ish.”
“Ah, you’ll get used to it.” He waves it off as he gets off the floor and starts rummaging in his stuff again. “I don’t have cash, but I definitely have some leftover food from yesterday if you want some.”
Even though my stomach is growling, I’m not looking to get a stomach bug right now. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
He holds up a stale half-eaten sandwich. “You sure?”
I nod, smiling. “Of course. Take it.”
He sits down and happily munches on the food. “Tastes better the next day.” He laughs in such a funny way that it makes me giggle. “Everything is better the next day.”
“You really think so?” I ask.
“Yeah. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” he muses, gazing around. “That I become homeless?”
I smile. “That’s a positive outlook.”
“Exactly,” he says, winking.
“I wish I could see it the same way,” I say.
“Do you have family?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, but I quickly add, “Well, I did.”
“What happened?” he asks. “It’s fine if you don’t want to answer. I won’t pry.”
“It’s okay. I just needed to run away.”
“I understand. I ran away lots of times back when I was your age,” he replies.
I look up into his eyes. “You have family you left behind too?”
He nods and takes another bite of his sandwich. “Oh yeah, I actually just visited my daughter this morning while you were still sleeping. She works at a small local clinic.”
I sit up straight.
He was gone while I was asleep all by myself?
What if someone had mugged me?
I have nothing of value to steal, but still, the thought of being alone out in the streets frightens me.
“I don’t know what was going on at that clinic, but it sure wasn’t the usual kind of business.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
He takes a big bite and chews while speaking. “Lots of big guys in suits and blacked-out cars in the parking lot, and when I went inside, they were all sitting in the waiting room, staring at a single door.” He shivers. “Creepy if you ask me.”
My eyes widen.
Could it be …?
I immediately crawl out of the carton box and get up.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where is that clinic?”
“Uh … five streets farther up ahead, then the last to the left. Not far from here.”
“Did you see anyone come in with huge scars?” I ask, panicked.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t see much other than those men. They were already sitting there by the time I came in.”
“I have to go,” I mutter. “Thank you so much for letting me stay.”
“Wait, what? Where?” he replies, but I’ve already run out of the alley and down onto the street.
I know I didn’t say a proper goodbye, but there’s no more time.
If I don’t go now, I might not be there on time to find out if my hunch is true.
If the people at that clinic are who I think they are … Lex’s guards … then the person in that room they’re watching might be Beast.
I run across the pavement, bumping into people and apologizing profusely before I run off again. Some seem upset I don’t pay attention, but my focus is on one thing and one thing only: I have to know if he’s still alive.
Could Lex have brought him there?
Beast was important to him, after all. Lex only saw him as a weapon, but he went to such lengths to keep him imprisoned, so he must still be of use.
Right?
He wouldn’t let him die, right?
My heart is racing as I cross street after street, paying little attention to the lights even though I know it’s wrong. Passersby look at me like I’ve lost my mind, but I don’t care.