Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
“That was weird,” Rhodes confessed.
No, Rhodes, no! Not you too. Not after everything you just said.
“Where did that money come from?” he continued. “We removed her access to all of our accounts.”
“You know Sue’s got her ways,” Alex replied. “She probably ran another SueNaturals scam on the last pack of dumbasses who haven’t heard of her.”
“But if that’s what she did, why would she turn around and give all the money to Lily?”
A heavy silence fell on the group.
“Rhodes, you did have legal look over those trust documents, right?” Micah asked.
“You know I did. I told you, Erik said it was clean. A straightforward trust managed by us, for Lily. Sue gave up her access to it as soon as she signed the bottom line.”
“But just because the trust is clean, doesn’t mean the money is clean,” Alex reminded. “Have him, and your IT guy, look into all of it again.”
“Fine.” Rhodes sounded the music of resigned. “But what are we saying right now? We’re not giving Sue a chance? We’re just going to make her keep begging and pleading for another chance while she ticks down the days until her mother dies and we throw her out? Because even with all she’s put us through, we’ll be the evil bastards if we do that.”
“That’s why we won’t,” Alex put forth. “You’re right, man. If she’s willing to hold to a truce, then there’s no reason for us to make life in the manor unpleasant just to be a couple of resentful bitches. Let Sue make all the dinners and buy all the vomit medicine she wants because”—his voice changed—“it’s not like we’re actually waiting until the old prune croaks it.”
My lips turned down, heat leaking from my face.
“That’s right.” Micah laughed. “We’ve only got to make it to the anniversary party.”
Anniversary... party?
“About the party,” Rhodes started. His tone did not match their satisfied ones. “I was thinking that maybe we should cancel that after—”
“No.” Alex’s voice was clear. Final. “It’s too late to cancel. The party is going ahead like we planned, and when it’s over, we’ll finally be rid of her for good. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Micah returned without hesitation.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
The clock ticked down as they waited for—
“Agreed,” said Rhodes.
I stood there, silent in the shadows, long after they walked right past me into their rooms.
CARNIVAL MUSIC FILTERED through the speakers, inviting one and all to a freakishly fantastic adventure.
I darted behind the clown, curling my legs and arms in tight around me—shrinking away from the spinning, technicolor lights.
Footsteps thudded over the music. Heavy, loud, and coming closer.
“Now, where did you run off to, little girl? Huh-hyuck,” he laughed—that strange, hiccupping laugh. “There’s no need to be scared of Captain Chucklepants. He just wants to play.”
I clapped my hands over my ears, desperately trying to drown out his voice, his laugh, the music, the lights, the colors, that awful smell.
A shadow fell over me.
“There you are. Hide-and-seek is over.”
I screamed as he reached for me.
“It’s time to play.”
“Ahh!” I shouted, ripping out of the dream.
Shooting up in the bed, the sweat-soaked sheets clung to my neck and shoulders. I fought to kick them off but not in time. Pitching over the side, I vomited right on the carpet.
“Ugghh.” I crawled off the bed—stomach flipping and heaving.
I knew with my return to the manor, the nightmares would sneak back into my sleep. Honestly, I was surprised they had taken this long.
I lay there on the carpet for a spell, willing my stomach to settle. Only when I trusted myself did I push up on my hands and knees and crawl out of Sue’s room. I didn’t force myself onto my feet until I reached the staircase.
The kitchen light beckoned me the rest of the way. Either I forgot to turn it off, or the guys did after they finished up their secret meeting in the hall and came down to clean up after dinner.
My already aching jaw clenched. As much as I told myself it shouldn’t bother me while I polished off the merlot in the bath, it fucking bothered me. I knew how hard it was to forgive Sue. Twenty-eight fucking years and I never accomplished it.
But what I also knew was how much it sucked to be blamed for Sue. To have to carry the weight of her actions, her callousness, her lies, and her manipulations. I did it the day she paralyzed Colin. And now I was doing it again.
Sighing, I trudged over the threshold, heading straight for the cabinet over the sink. I’m sure I put Lily’s nausea medicine in this cabinet. Hopefully, it works just as fast on adults—
“Guess it’s my turn now.”
“Zeus in heaven!” I belted, spinning around. “What the flipping fucking fuck are you doing!”
Micah grinned at me from his seat on the kitchen island. “Same as you. Couldn’t sleep.” He shook the container of my bulgogi at me. “That’s what I get for going to bed hungry.”