Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
I haven’t been asked to stay out of sight, but since the meeting Gideon had, I’m more careful about remaining mostly unseen.
Now, hidden from sight, I peek out to see who’s talking. The way their bodies are positioned makes my visibility next to none, but I can hear them, and I swear they’re talking about me.
“What a shit show,” one grunts, and the other makes a sound that I can only imagine is their agreement. “Russians.”
I don’t hear what about the Russians, but I can’t imagine it’s good. Especially since I’m involved.
Words continue to float across the distance like tiny petals of a dandelion. I pick up a sentence here and there.
“Fucked.”
“War.”
It takes everything in me to keep quiet as my jaw rattles and my hands shake at my sides.
I can hear two distinct voices, and they’re both men.
I know the one guy, but I can’t recall the name. The other man, I’m not sure of.
Closing my eyes, I inhale and focus on the pitch and tone of the speaker, and that’s when it hits me.
It’s Sean, the guard.
I don’t want to risk being caught, but I move closer, desperate to hear. In my new location, every word is clear.
“It’s ironic that he cares so much about her, seeing as he’s the one who pulled the trigger and killed her brother.”
For a moment, I stand in total bewilderment, replaying the words over in my head.
He pulled the trigger.
He killed my brother.
My knees buckle as tremors rock my body.
Racing heart. Palms sweating.
I can’t seem to calm down. It’s like a hurricane is whirling around inside me, tearing through my intestines.
I can’t breathe.
I’m a deer in headlights, and I can’t move. I can’t think. I’m paralyzed by shock and anger. It’s like a cold hand gripping my chest, squeezing until I can’t breathe.
My heart has been ripped out and stomped on.
Gideon killed my brother.
He pulled the trigger and killed him.
How can that be true? But as my pulse thumps and my vision becomes blurry from my tears, I know it’s true.
Every time I asked him, he was evasive.
His insistence on keeping a promise to a man who betrayed him.
It all makes sense.
Gideon killed Roman.
Everything I thought was a lie. Our whole relationship is based on a lie.
The worst part is I’m in love with him.
I thought he loved me, but now I’m questioning that too. I was probably someone to occupy his time. I feel like such a fool. Or maybe it’s more than that? What was he hoping to gain?
The money I supposedly have.
Is that what this was?
Am I a means to an end?
But why the lie?
Why make me fall in love with him?
My heart has broken into a million pieces, and he’s to blame.
Bile coats my throat, and before I can stop myself, I keel over and dry heave.
The sound of footsteps gains on me before I can stop the horrible sound that expels from my mouth.
It’s too late.
They heard me.
I need to get out of here.
Nothing is keeping me in this vile place. I trusted him, and he betrayed me. How do I even know he ever intended to keep me safe? That could have been a lie too.
If he’s after the money, I’m in danger here just as much as I am out there.
Maybe more so.
“Go call Gideon.” I hear, but I’m already taking off back to the house.
I won’t allow the bastard to take anything else from me.
46
SASHA
Time is of the essence.
He’s not here, but he will be soon.
This is my chance to get out.
Tremors rock through my body as I storm inside and make a dash to my room. Once there, I slam the door shut, breathing heavily as I lean up against it.
How could he do this to me?
It’s the question I’ve asked myself a million times since the garden, and all I can come up with is money.
Lies rolled off his tongue like honey on sweet tea. They coated his words and stained their meaning. Now, I’m left with the aftermath of the spill. The sticky residue that, no matter how hard you try, will never go away.
Anger builds inside of me like a pressure cooker ready to boil over. The more I try to release it, the more it threatens to bubble up and explode.
There’s no coming back from this rage that has wrapped itself around every part of my soul.
It will explode. I will explode. It’s inevitable. And once I do, it will only take a second for the flames to devour everything in its path.
Staring up at the smoke detector, I seethe. More words flow from my mouth, but my heart pounds so fiercely, and my ears ring loudly, that I enter a trance as I speak.
Once my mouth is purged of all I feel, I look away.
My heart seizes, gaze flicking around the room. That’s when I see it. The root of all my problems.