Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
I smiled at the thought of making the two of them watch Bridget Jones’s Diary, but I wouldn’t do that to them. I was already keeping them from going to the club, which I was assuming was a strip club from the way they’d talked about it.
“I don’t like horror.”
“We can work with that,” he agreed.
“You ready for me to make you a real drink?” Sebastian asked.
I nodded. I was indeed ready for a cocktail. Even the popcorn sounded appealing.
• Twelve •
It wasn’t healthy, this thing we were doing.
Rumor
We were halfway through the second John Wick when I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. I had thought I could make it through another movie, but I had underestimated the effects of the two drinks Sebastian had made me. Each blink got heavier, and I yawned, then forced myself to sit up. Storm was texting on his phone, and Sebastian was focused on the movie.
I didn’t know how much longer it would be before King returned, but I wasn’t sure I could wait up any longer. The later it got, the more I began fixating on what it was he was doing.
Before I could say my good nights and excuse myself, the door opened. My stomach did a little flip at the sight of King in a tuxedo. His gaze scanned the room and locked on mine. Smiling, I stood up, happy he was back. That he was looking for me and that I’d get to go to sleep beside him.
I took a step in his direction when his eyes seemed to harden, then flare, as if some demonic presence had taken over him. His hand moved so quickly that I didn’t realize what was happening until he had a gun pointed at Sebastian.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, moving back and almost falling over the coffee table.
“Take off the goddamn hoodie, Rumor. Now,” King demanded, his eyes never leaving Sebastian.
I swung my gaze over to Sebastian as he stood up slowly, then turned to King. Much like King, the movement of his hand was so fast that I almost missed him pulling the pistol from his side and aiming it at King.
My hand flew up to cover my mouth as my heart slammed against my chest.
“NOW!” King shouted. “GET IT OFF!”
I realized he was talking to me, and I reached for the hem of the hoodie while my hands trembled so violently that I was struggling.
“Jesus Christ,” Storm said, sounding more put off than anything. “You’re scaring the shit out of her.”
“He’s the one who pulled the gun,” Sebastian said, his tone hard. “And over a fucking hoodie. She was cold.”
“And you didn’t think to let her go get one of mine?” King asked as I pulled the one I was wearing over my head and dropped it onto the sofa. My eyes going back to King.
“We—we—were go-ing outside,” I stammered, willing him to look at me and put his gun away. Both of them.
“Were you now?” King asked, his eyes narrowing as he continued to point his gun at Sebastian.
“Fuck this,” Storm snarled, standing up. “I stayed here tonight so this shit wouldn’t happen. And you’re doing it anyway?”
“He put his goddamn hoodie on her,” King growled.
“Technically, she put it on herself,” Sebastian replied.
“King,” I said, willing him to look at me. “Please stop.”
His eyes cut toward me then, and I pleaded with him silently. We stood there like that for several moments before he seemed to calm and lower his gun. I put a hand on my stomach, not sure if I was going to throw up or not. Nausea had suddenly come over me, and I wanted to sit back down, but I didn’t dare do it.
He put his gun back in the holster under his jacket, then held out a hand to me. “Come here.”
My legs felt wobbly as I made my way over to him, checking to be sure Sebastian had also put away his gun. Relieved to see he was no longer pointing it at King, I tried to calm my racing heart as I went to him.
When I was close enough, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, then buried his nose in my hair for a second before tucking me under his arm. “Let’s go.”
I didn’t want any more guns or shouting. I went willingly, although the more I thought about what had happened, the angrier I got. He had pointed his pistol at Sebastian over a hoodie? That wasn’t sane. It was more like the definition for unstable and unhinged.
None of them said anything more to each other as we left and walked to the stairs, then to King’s bedroom. Once inside, he slammed the door with more force than necessary, causing me to jump. I spun around and watched him stalk toward me, which had me backing up away from him until the back of my legs hit the bed. He reminded me of a lion coming after its prey.