Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
My grip on her was a stranglehold. “None of this is your fault.”
“All of it is my fault, Luna. I was here. A twenty-minute drive away, but I didn’t know what was going on with my own child, or that she needed me. For that to happen once is inexcusable, but twice...” She shook her head, getting to her feet. “My daughter shouldn’t have to get arrested or marry a stranger for me to take notice. I’m sorry, Luna.
“I’m so sorry.”
Mom walked off, leaving me speechless. Half of me screamed to run after her. The other half of me didn’t know what I’d say if I did.
In a sudden, frustrated moment, I told her the truth of what brought me to Regalia, and made everything worse. Victor warned me we wouldn’t like the consequences if we backed out of the engagement now. More than that, I couldn’t face the consequences if Mom had Jack pull my tuition money, and I was forced to tell her I wasn’t going anywhere.
The truth behind what happened to Winter was bigger than I realized. She was murdered. No matter what it cost me, her killer’s fate was sealed.
Their days of laughing at me and basking in everyone’s ignorance was over. Winter would have justice.
Her killer’s headstone would look good next to Ashton Scott’s.
Gazing down the empty hallway, I typed in his number. He was the last person I expected to call that day, and I was sure I was the last one he expected to hear from.
“What do you want?”
“Be nice, Victor.” I walked to the deck railing, looking out over Regalia. Hell was such a beautiful place. “We’re both about to get what we want.”
“ARE YOU SURE YOU DIDN’T kill him?”
I held on tight to my eye roll. “I’m pretty sure. Someone attacked both of us, Katie. And by the way, you running in screaming what did you do, wasn’t very helpful.”
“Eh,” she said. “What was I supposed to think? I walked in, there was a dead guy in my pool and a stun gun in your hand. I know Giovanni treated Winter like shit and brutally dumped her. I wouldn’t have put it past you if you did attack the guy. You didn’t, did you—?”
“Katie!”
“Okay, okay.” A gusty sigh crackled over the phone. “I had to be sure. Honestly, I kinda wish it was you.”
My face screwed up. “Why would you wish I was a killer? Because you wouldn’t care if I went to prison?”
“No,” she drew out like that was a stupid question. “I wish it was you because then I would understand the motive. He was terrible to Winter, and probably a huge part of why she felt so depressed and alone.”
No probably about it.
“Revenge for your sister is something I can understand, but this... If it wasn’t you, what am I supposed to think, Luna? A killer was roaming around my party? Maybe even the same person who stabbed Ashton in a room full of people?” Her voice climbed the octaves. “All of this is really starting to freak me out, and I won’t even tell you what I went through when Mom and Dad came home. I had to tell them everything. They don’t think Regalia U is safe, Luna. They don’t think the people I’ve known my whole life are safe.”
“Katie, I hate to say this, but they’re right. It wasn’t me.” I paced the length of my room—waiting. “Someone who was at your party did this. Someone you know.”
“But we can’t be sure, can we? It’s not like we invited Giovanni, but he crashed. Whoever did this could’ve followed him to my place and cornered you guys in the pool house.”
“Wouldn’t the security cameras have picked them up?”
“I don’t know. Dad has Kyson going over everything now. The cops made him turn over the footage, but we have backups.”
“That’s good. We might have answers sooner than we thought. Trust me, Katie, no one wants to know who did this more than me. No one.”
“Ugh. Well, if you really didn’t kill him...?”
I flopped on my bed, giving in to the eye roll. “You’re not going to make me answer that again.”
“If you didn’t do it, then tell me when you’re coming over. We need to go over every single thing that happened. It makes more sense for you to see the footage, and tell me if anyone looks familiar or suspicious. Damn it, I wish we had cameras pointed at the pool.”
“You really want to do this? Look for the killer ourselves? I thought you were freaked.”
“I am freaked. I’m even more freaked at the thought of sitting in class, sharing notes with a killer. I want all of this behind me so Mom can relax, and I can go back to not looking at my friends in suspicion.”