Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
I simply tilt my head, reinforcing the question when Chris looks my way, as if I'll save him.
"J-Just m-making conversation," he stutters.
"Well, don't," Zeus says before he turns to walk again.
I follow after him, not giving a single reassuring word to the man. Maybe he'll tell people not to talk about it, or Lyle will kill them, and that suits me just fine.
We step inside the building. That fucking crown painted outside still gets on my fucking nerves even though I've seen it every day for the last three weeks.
We get no weird looks other than the guys standing in the front office when we walk past for our meeting, and I know we only have their attention because they're surprised we're not joining them to get our task list for the day.
The conference room is full of other men, so there's nowhere for us to sit.
I head toward Rodney and Chet, the guys I've been chatting up at meals.
Zeus heads to a corner alone, as is expected of him.
Keeping even a minimal degree of separation works for us in two ways. It keeps any chatter about what Scott saw in check, and it also gives us an advantage if there's trouble. Now they have to worry about focusing on two different targets rather than if we were standing side by side.
"First meeting?" Chet asks, a wide grin on his face as if he's just as excited for me as I should feel for myself.
"First meeting," I confirm.
"You deserve to be here," Rodney adds. "The inner fucking circle, man. Welcome."
I haven't outright spoken my desires to be included, but I've hinted at it many times. I don't know if these two guys are the reason we've been included today, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to get a closer look at the organization's inner workings.
Chatter dies down when Bobby walks into the room, and I do my best to fight the urge to get the fuck out of Dodge when Scott walks in right behind him, making me believe that they were together right before they showed up.
"It seems we have a fucking problem," Bobby says, wasting no time getting to the front of the room.
My blood runs cold, but I don't risk a suspicious look in Zeus's direction. Instead, my attention is drawn to the man closing the conference room doors. The thud of its sound jolts my body.
"Who wants to tell me what the fucking problem is?" Bobby asks, his voice demanding as he looks around the room.
He doesn't stare at any single person longer than the other, but his eyes land on both Zeus and me at some point.
The men in the room shift their weight as if each of them either has a secret to share or is feeling really fucking sorry for whoever has a confession to make.
"You know what happens when you don't confess," Bobby growls, giving the confessor one last chance to speak up.
I look around the room, my eyes holding Zeus's for a few seconds, just long enough to see the slight shake of his head. He isn't even looking in my direction, but I know the action is meant for me.
Hold tight, he's saying. We're good.
"Fucking speak!" Bobby roars.
"I… ummm," Billy says, his hands wringing in front of him.
"Yes?" Bobby prods, his voice sinister and full of vengeful justice.
"I w-was going to bring her h-here," Billy continues.
"But you didn't," Bobby interrupts. "You didn't. Tell everyone what you've been up to, Little Billy."
"I only fucked her twice," he says.
"Two times too many for the rules," Bobby clarifies.
"Yes, sir," he mutters, his head dropping in shame. "Won't happen again."
"I know for a fucking fact it won't happen again," Bobby says, his voice turning calm in the most chilling way. "Especially not with Roxie."
Fuck. My. Life.
Roxie... the name he gave Melody at The Garage.
Billy looks terrified, his eyes sweeping to Zeus as if he's to blame for suggesting that if they want a girl, they just hide her from the people at the compound.
"What happens to me now?" Billy manages, not an ounce of concern for the girl he may have already gotten killed.
"I haven't fucking decided, but you don't leave the compound until I do," Bobby mutters. "Now, let's get back to regular business. Shall we?"
Tension releases in every man's shoulders, making it very clear that they suspected Bobby might confront any one of them today. Billy isn't the only man in the room with sins to confess.
Chapter 34
Zeus
"Something wrong?" one of the guys asks me.
I don't even know which one, because I don't waste energy looking in his direction.
"Fuck off," I mutter, leaning on my shovel.
I was fucking joking when I told Zayne this is what we're probably doing today. It seems to have been a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Digging fucking drainage pipes is the very last thing that will help us gather information on the organization.