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)
“And when I see your face! Oh, when I see your face!” Benny clapped in time with each lyric. “There’s no other gal that could take your place!”
Benny’s whistling of whatever song’s chorus he belted out came next. That high-pitched tune scraped over my eardrums just like the sound of someone digging their nails into the surface of a chalkboard and scratching it across until every nail broke and all the people surrounding covered their ears.
I entered the hallway and shut the door. Viv had waited for me to come out. Seeing her image was just the thing I needed to clear away everything else decaying in my head.
“Is that my father singing?” Annoyance laced her voice.
“Yes. Pack your bags.”
“What?”
Inhaling in and exhaling out, with each second that passed, I cupped my face. “Viv, just please listen to me. Go downstairs, pack your bags, and lock the door.” I removed my hands. “In fact, take a cab and wait at the airport.”
“Am I in danger? What’s going on?”
“I don’t think anything would happen to you.” I figured Benny had a hold of himself enough to not kill his kids. That might have been the one time in my life that I was proud to be his son. “I just think that the shit is about to hit the fan. . .very, very soon.” I spied Wendy going back into her room and didn’t know if I should tell her to run or keep her there. On one hand, she didn’t deserve the fate that Benny had ready for her. On the other, I couldn’t let her kill my sister.
“Whatever happens, you need to be far away from it,” I said.
“But—”
“Viv, just trust me. Get your stuff, pack, and leave. Don’t come upstairs. Don’t say goodbye.”
“What about Jasmine?”
Jazz can deal with blood, and she’s probably the only one of us that can calm Benny down.
“I got Jazz. Please, go. I just can’t worry about the both of you.”
“You don’t have to because—”
I seized her arms with my shaking fingers. “Please.”
She stared down at my hands. “You’re shaking.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never known you to be scared.”
“Now you see why you should go?”
She checked the door. “My father did something bad?”
That’s an understatement.
“Has Chase calmed Lucy down?” I noticed Lucy’s door was now closed.
“Yes. She went back into her room.”
I released Viv. “Do me a favor and take Lucy with you if you can. If she’s bugging and won’t reply, then leave her.”
“Take Lucy?”
“Yes.”
Lucy shouldn’t die for nothing.
Benny would kill her. I knew that the moment he stepped into the kitchen talking about biscuits and pastry tools. Sure, he sought Jazz’s protection, but the man enjoyed squashing the life out of people. He’d kill all three women whether they had something to do with the murders or not. I couldn’t let that happen. I knew Lucy had nothing to do with this. I was sure of it, just from looking into her eyes.
“Do you think you could get Lucy out of here?” I asked Viv. “If not, maybe I’ll try, before talking to Chase.”
“And when I see your face! Oh, when I see your face!” Benny’s singing traveled out to the hallway. He was probably in the bedroom drying off as he sang an upbeat tune next to a smashed-in corpse. “There’s no other gal that could take your place! No gal! Do bi do wo! That can take your place!”
For some reason the singing made me tremble more. I had to get control of myself. “Go ahead, Viv.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
She rushed off to her room.
“Viv,” I said right before she placed her hand on the doorknob. “I love you.”
She paused for several seconds and then finally said, “I love you, too.”
Chapter 25
CHASE
I held Lucy close to me. Most of the time, she didn’t enjoy someone touching her, but when she was drowned in sorrow, she allowed me to embrace her. She’d stopped shivering and sobbing.
Her voice came out hoarse. “Is our arrangement really over?”
“Yes.” I patted her back. “How are you feeling right now?”
“Better.” She wiped her face. “Troy mentioned—”
“Don’t, Lucy. We don’t need to talk about it unless you want to.”
“I don’t.”
“Okay.” I checked my watch. I’d been in the room comforting Lucy for more than ten minutes. It was time to go soon. I understood enough about women to realize that Jasmine might not appreciate me consoling an ex-girlfriend, even if I’d never had sex with Lucy. I had no intention to get back on probation.
“Would you like me to get you something to drink?” I asked.
“No.” Lucy climbed out of my arms and hugged herself. “I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“Dawn and Wendy did it. All this time they really worked together and killed the others. Jasmine, everybody.” Her flesh paled. “What are you going to do?”
I scooted over. “What makes you think Dawn and Wendy were the ones involved?”