Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Everything that happens next is just instinct. My feet come up to his waist and my legs wrap around his hips. My body twists in the next moment so I’m face down, but my upper body is propped up with my hands. Then I twist again, taking him with me, and he falls into the sand, laughing.
I get to my feet and stand over him, fuming. “What the fuck?”
He’s still laughing. “Didn’t see that one coming. Where did you learn that move?”
I turn and start walking away.
He gets to his feet and runs after me. Both of us are breathing hard. He uses the breathing as a cue, I think, because the moment mine slows, he bumps me with his hip. Like we’re old friends, or something. Like that was a joke back there.
“I don’t know what the fuck you want”—I’m not looking at him. I’m looking straight ahead—“but whatever it is, I’m not interested.”
“You were interested enough to show up at the gym tonight. Was it for money? Do you need a loan, Irina?”
I stop when he says my name. It’s not really a secret. I mean, I didn’t change my first name, and I did tell Dog what it was. So I’m not sure why this feels… intimate. Like he has a secret of mine. But that is how it feels.
My eyes meet his. He’s still fucking smiling. “Do you need a loan?”
“No.”
“Then why do you want in?”
“What’s it to you? Are you the boss or something?”
“No.” He laughs that word out. “I’m Dead Eyes.” And then he points to his stomach.
I look at what he’s pointing to. It’s one of his tattoos. Then I squint and lean in, trying to see it better. It’s… a face. A smiley face, but that’s like saying an albatross is bird. It is a bird, technically speaking, but it’s nothing like a sparrow. And this face—faces, there are a lot of them—they’re nothing like a smiley.
They have x’s for eyes, no nose, and something that reminds me of a jack-o’-lantern mouth, wide and smiling, but with x’s for teeth too. The whole thing is done up in black and neon green, making it more sinister. Like it’s the horror-movie version of a smiley face.
Dead Eyes. Dead eyes.
Or… something laughing at you, not with you.
I look back up at him. “OK. So what do you want?”
“I’ve asked ya two questions now, you’ve answered neither of them, and you’re still asking me what I want.” He pauses here and narrows his eyes. “Are ya stupid, Irina?”
“What? Fuck you.” I turn and start walking back down the beach again.
“Hey. Where did you get that black eye? At least answer this one.”
Keep walking, Irina. Just keep walking.
“Did someone hurt you?”
I turn, angry now. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I don’t have a black eye.” I point to my face, which is not bruised.
“In the picture, Irina. You had a black eye in that picture ya took. Did someone hurt you?”
“No. I mean…” I sigh with frustration. Who is this guy? And why is he fucking with me? “I got jumped on the beach.” Then I realize something and almost smile. “Right over there, actually.”
“Why did they jump you?”
“Why do you think? I was a girl walking alone on a beach at night.”
“And what did ya do?”
“I beat the shit out of them.”
He laughs. And my God, is he beautiful when he laughs.
“Three of them, anyway. The rest ran.”
“I bet they did. No one fucks with one of Maart’s kids, eh?”
Something happens here. Something… I dunno, weird. I think I stop breathing. I think I stop blinking too. But I’m looking him in the eyes. X. Eyes. Dead Eyes.
“I’ve watched all of Paulo’s fights. He’s good. About your age, right?”
It’s just wrong that someone I don’t know is using my Ring brother’s name to my face.
“Is that why you ran away?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“They’re looking for you, ya know. Macks contacted my trainer. She’s looking for you. Maart is looking for you.”
I turn away from him and walk towards the ocean.
“Irina.”
I don’t answer. I just walk into the water.
“Irina?” He grabs my arm.
I pull away, jerking hard to make him let go. And then I keep walking into the water.
“Where the fuck are ya going?”
When I’m deep enough, I push my arms forward and glide into the sea. Then I’m swimming. Just… swimming.
“Irina!” He’s yelling my name. Sounding a little desperate. Sounding a little scared, actually.
I push my face into the water, hold it there for a few seconds, and then roll over so I’m on my back.
He’s swimming up to me when I do this, confused, and angry, too. He opens his mouth to say something, but then my lip trembles and he sees it.
His eyes dart back and forth to mine for a moment, trying to work things out. Then he lets out a breath and lies back on the water next to me.