Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“O…”
“No,” I say, shaking my head at Sebastian. “You know it’s true, and you know how much it kills me to go against Nic. I loved him so fucking much, and for him to do this to me … I just … I can’t forgive him this time. It hurts too bad. This is my father we’re talking about. My father. My blood. Surely that has to mean something to you guys.”
Kairo sighs, taking on the role of the softie when we all know he’s anything but. “Ocean,” he murmurs cautiously. “Your father was a Wolf,” he says cautiously, as though that’s supposed to make a difference, as though that fact alone means he’s not worthy of fighting for. “Even if we could have done something to help … it’s not our place. We’re only going to make things worse if we try to step in. All we can do is try to deal with Nic on our own terms. Let us do that.”
I shake my head. “That’s not good enough. What if this was your mothers, your little sisters, brothers? Would it be something you just shrug off then? You’d go to fucking war if he even thought about touching any of them.”
Eli takes a hesitant step toward me. “They’re our family. Nic would never …”
“Yeah,” I scoff, feeling the hysteria beginning to rise. “Just like my father was my family. There was once a time that I thought Nic would never either. I know that I was never officially a Widow, but I thought that I had your protection. I thought I was safe.”
With that, I turn and step back toward the Audi, only Kairo reaches out and grabs my wrist, spinning me back to face them. “Woah, Ocean. We’re not nearly done with you yet. You turned your back on us. You betrayed our trust.”
I tear my arm free of his grip and glare up at him as the anger begins pulsing through my veins. “You betrayed my trust first. You all did, yet I've stood by you and forgave you time and time again, making excuses for the bullshit you put me through when none of you deserved it, but it ends here. The cycle has been broken. From where I’m standing now, you’re either with me or against me, but you’re making your side pretty damn clear. Now, unless the only reason that you came all the way out here was to just run me off the road and make some kind of show about how you can still force me to do what you want, then I’m out. I’m not going to stand here and let you three try to make me hurt and regret my decision just because you all have bruised egos.”
“Don’t do this, Ocean,” Sebastian begs. “It’s not a war you can win.”
“I’m not asking for a war,” I tell him. “There’s no reason for you all to get involved. Just hand over Nic, and I’ll handle it quietly.”
Eli scoffs. “You know that’s never going to happen. You’ve already got the Wolves involved, and they won’t stop until every last one of us are buried in the ground. It doesn’t even matter how many of their own men have to die to make it happen. You’re going to be responsible for a mass murder.”
“Don’t you dare try to put that on my shoulders,” I demand. “I don’t pull the strings, and you damn well know that. Russo is responsible for what happens now. All I did was give them the name of the man who killed my father. The rest is up to them. So, like I said, either hand over Nic or start preparing yourselves. Don’t be stupid. I don’t want to see any of you get hurt.”
Kairo clenches his jaw, and I see his options swirling through his mind. Regret, hesitation, and indecision flashes across his face. I don’t doubt that he’s thinking about just taking me now and using me as a tool against the Wolves, but he wouldn’t dare. His moral compass is too high for that, at least, there was a time that I thought it was. Who knows where we stand now?
I meet his eyes and gently shake my head, silently telling him that I know exactly what he’s thinking. Guilt instantly floods his eyes, and for a brief moment, he looks sick with himself. That is until two cars pull into the empty parking lot and race toward us.
The three boys turn and step in front of me, proving that when it really comes down to it, they’ll protect me with their life. The two cars come to a screeching halt, and within a second, four Wolves dressed completely in gang colors are standing in front of us, staring at the Widows.
There’s silence as they all glare, waiting for someone to make a move. I’ve never felt tension like it.