Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“It’s been all over Oshane City news. I made sure of it.” I climbed the steps. Dawn’s and Wendy’s high heels stomped on the pavement behind me. I didn’t relish in the idea of those two vile women being behind me, but felt comfort in the fact that Troy remained near, just in case.
“Who shot her?” Lucy tapped my shoulder hard. “Where is she? How is she doing? She must be scared.”
“She’s here. As you know.”
“Stop saying that.” Her face reddened. “I have no idea what is going on. I’ve been in my cottage up in Boulder for like forever. Then Dawn calls me—”
“Lucy.” Warning lathered the word as it left Dawn’s lips. “Let’s keep our mouths closed until we have our official meeting together.”
“We won’t be having an official meeting,” I said.
“Yes, we will,” Dawn argued. “That’s our way. That’s how we settle disagreements. I think this whole break-up thing has gone far enough. It’s time for all of us to see if we can make it work. Is Jasmine here? Feel free to invite her to our meeting, since apparently you can’t let her go.”
“I’ll be meeting with you all, but it’ll be one by one.” I opened the door and stood by it as they all walked in. Troy was the last person and refused to walk through, so I stepped inside myself. “You each have your own room. Until I’ve met with you, you’re not to talk to the others.”
“Pardon me?” Dawn laughed. “What is this, some sort of interrogation about a shooting? And yes, I was well aware that your darling Jasmine had gotten shot, but from what the news stated it was a gang-related shooting. I assumed it was someone from her family starting territory wars or something.”
It was now Troy’s turn to chuckle. “No way, sweetheart. You know as well as I do that gang shootings don’t happen so far North in the city where the rich people play. Cops are quick to stop a regular brother from even walking on the sidewalk up there, but they won’t even bother a pretty little white lady ’who’s touting a gun. But you know that, right?”
Dawn whipped her head my way. The waves on her head wiggled. “Who’s this guy?”
“He’s Jasmine’s brother,” I said.
“And why is he here?”
“Ada and Maria will show you all to your rooms.” I placed my hands into my pockets. “I’ll meet with one of you in a few minutes.”
“Which one of us?” If Dawn’s blue eyes could shoot bullets, my head would’ve been filled with holes.
“I’ll let you know, when I decide.”
Lucy walked off with a scared expression on her face. With each step, she glanced at the walls and held herself as if the house itself was a monster ready to eat her alive. Wendy trailed behind her, swaying those little hips, probably in an effort to capture my attention. She glanced over her shoulder with a yearning pulsing from her gaze.
No, Wendy. It won’t be that easy anymore. You’ll have to look somewhere else.
Ada met Lucy and Wendy at the bottom of the staircase and led them upstairs. My heartbeats increased, pumping blood through my body at an erratic pace. Jasmine and Vivian were up there. It had been my only compromise. Benny sat in the next room, waiting patiently. But I knew that he would act when he believed it was time. He’d agreed to wait for my command, but all knew Benny didn’t obey anyone but his friends above him, and maybe his daughters.
“And what exactly do you think you’re doing?” Dawn put her finger in my face. “You said we could come to talk about our frozen accounts.”
“We can, after I discover who’s been killing these girls.”
“No one has, Chase. They’ve been accidents after accidents.”
“Let’s not play stupid, Dawn.”
“You have some nerve! After all we’ve been through, you just leave us, take my own money, funds that my father trusted you with—
“What did you think would happen when Jasmine was shot? What type of reaction did you think would come?” I closed the distance between us until my face stood a few inches from hers. Anger bubbled inside of me. I could barely keep control of myself. “What did you think would happen?!”
She avoided my eyes. “I didn’t do it.”
“Someone did.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“Ah, but see, the bullets say otherwise.”
“What does that mean? Did the bullets have my name on them or something?” She edged back.
“They might as well have had your name!” I took several steps back, just to not feed the urge to punch her. “You just couldn’t keep the gun hidden, could you? You had to use it.”
“W-what are you going on about?” She ran her fingers through her layered hair.
Maria had been waiting for Dawn near the staircase. As my voice rose, Maria scurried out of there and headed for the kitchen. Only Troy remained, his gaze fixed on Dawn as if he were analyzing every reaction to what I was saying.