Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
The buzz of the juicer hums in my ears, and a moment later, Katie hands me fresh apple juice. I’m not sure I’ve ever had fresh apple juice. It’s always out of a bottle or from frozen concentrate. I take a sip and… Wow. It’s like biting into a crisp apple on a sunny day. I may have to get a juicer for Mama when I get home. If I snag a billionaire, I’ll buy her way more than a juicer.
Once Heather has her smoothie—which is the color of leafy sludge—in hand, we venture back up to the third floor. She takes a drink, and I can’t help myself. I look at her teeth to see if they’re green. They’re not.
“You check Emily’s room, and I’ll check Misty’s,” she says.
“I already checked Emily’s. She’s not here.”
“Maybe she returned while we were in the kitchen.”
“Not likely,” I say. “We would have seen her.”
“Not if she was in someone else’s room.”
“Good point.” I knock on Emily’s door once more. “You in there?”
No response again. I turn to see Heather still standing behind me. “I thought you were going to Misty’s.”
“I decided we’re safer in numbers.” Heather takes another sip of her awful-looking smoothie.
I don’t blame her for hesitating. Misty creeps me out a little too, but I figured it was just because I’m so young. It’s nice to know Heather’s a little wary as well.
We head toward her door, walking more slowly than normal. Just as we reach it, I gasp as it opens.
Emily saunters out. “Ladies,” she says.
“Where have you been?” I demand. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You were supposed to come get me after you—” I stop. Emily may not want me spouting off that she and I were in River’s suite earlier making demands.
“I did,” Emily says. “But you weren’t there.”
Oh. Right. I was fucking Sebastian. No big deal. Still, what was she doing in Misty’s room?
“What were you doing in there?” Heather asks. “You know Sienna left, right?”
“I know. I wanted to go down, but…”
I put my hands on my hips. “But what?”
Emily flashes a grin, but something’s off. I’ve seen Emily’s smile. It’s a bit standoffish, but genuine. This one is… I’m not sure. Laced with concern or something else.
“What?” I ask again.
Emily grabs my arm. “This whole thing just got a lot more interesting.”
EPISODE 91
SOMETHING ROTTEN
Sebastian
“Did you hear me?” Shelley asks. “You have to tell River.”
Right. It falls to me. I’m the one who gets to tell Riv that his parents’ home was broken into and his childhood bedroom was ransacked, all while his invalid father was in the house.
“Fine.” I end the call, ready to hurl the damned phone at the wall, but I don’t.
It’s my only link to civilization while I’m here, but damn, I’ve got to throw something. Break something. Anything to release this pent-up fury. My hands are shaking, itching to grab the first thing I see.
The blue ceramic vase on the coffee table. It’s uglier than fuck anyway. I grasp it and launch it against the door of my suite. It shatters with a sharp, resounding crash, as jagged pieces of clay fly to the floor…just as someone knocks.
“Fuck,” I growl. “What now?” I open the door.
Alex stands there, his brow wrinkled, as he darts his gaze to the mess on my carpet. “Uh…having a bad day?”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“You going to invite me in?”
I wave my hand. “Watch your step.”
His feet are bare, as are mine. He’s wearing board shorts and a plain white tee.
“Going swimming?” I ask.
“I was thinking about it. Thought I’d see if you wanted to come.”
“I’ll pass.” I close the door behind him.
Alex looks down at the chunks of vase scattered over the plush carpeting. “You’ve never struck me as the ‘trash the hotel room and then pay everyone off’ kind of celebrity.”
I shake my head, riffling my fingers through my long hair. “We’ve got trouble.”
Alex rolls his eyes. “Not you too. Between you and River, I don’t know which end is up. What happened now?”
“Sit.” I point to the couch.
“Is it that bad?” Alex plunks his ass down.
I pace around the room once—avoiding the fractured pieces of the vase—before I sit on a chair across from him. “I was about to call Shelley. Get her to look into Rachel and Ginger, just in case Brett comes up empty-handed.”
“I’ve never known Brett to come up empty-handed,” Alex says.
“Whatever. That’s not even the point. I was going to call her when my phone rang, and it was her.”
“And…”
“And…some fuckers broke into River’s parents’ house.”
Alex stands abruptly, his eyes wide. “What?”
“You heard me. Apparently Monica and that healthcare worker went out on errands and didn’t arm the system.”
“They left Duke there?” Now Alex paces the room. “What were they thinking?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like Monica. Something stinks and it ain’t that aftershave you’re wearing.”