Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
He trailed off with the implication.
I wanted to whip around and tell him that what I’d pulled was letting every single asshole there know she was mine.
But she couldn’t be.
I was the one who’d given the charge.
Deemed her off-limits, and it was the kind of rule that was delivered with a stamped seal that there would be dire consequences if someone was stupid enough not to comply.
I heaved out a strained sigh, trying to gather my thoughts that had sprinted in every wrong direction. Remind myself why I couldn’t continue on the path that I was traveling.
All while I did my best to ignore the energy that seeped from the office, her spirit a hum right at the edges of my consciousness, luring me back toward the moment’s paradise that she had given.
Could still feel and taste her all over me.
“She disobeyed me, and I was putting her back into her place. As simple as that. Nothing is clouded. I know the mission and what’s riding on it.”
It was a miracle I didn’t choke to death on the blasphemous words.
Dubiety dented deep into Phoenix’s sinister brow. “Do you?”
“Of course, I do.”
Everything.
I knew I had to put an end to this obscenity.
Because this was getting so much deeper than just my oath to the club, which was hefty enough. Truth that I’d basically bartered the woman to gain the upper hand on Dereck Webber. The fact that there was a very good chance I was going to have to put the bastard in the ground made it that much worse.
More than anything, the bare specks of my conscience kept screaming to stop being a pillager of the good. Dragging Brinley deeper and deeper into something she didn’t want to be a part of.
I couldn’t keep dipping my toes into the treachery. Convincing myself I was offering her something good when I was really only stealing for myself.
It was nothing but a scourge of selfishness and greed.
Her spirit whispered out from the office, attempting to become one with mine.
The problem was, I had no fucking clue how to let go.
How to let go of something that made me feel halfway real for the first time in years.
FORTY-FIVE
SILAS
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD
Silas remained low, his head darting in every direction to make sure no one was looking as he switched out the backpack he’d retrieved along the bank of the river with the one that was hidden behind the industrial icemaker at the back of Keg & Creek Tavern.
Night swam around him, the drone of the country music playing from a jukebox inside seeping through the wooden walls, his thundering heart louder than anything.
It’s the way it always was.
His heart beating so hard that he thought it would explode.
He switched out the backpacks then ducked back out into the cover of the forest. Racing like he was trying to outrun the silvered rays of moonlight that speared down through the leaves.
Trying to stay in the shadows and out of sight as he headed back toward the river.
His breaths were rattled gusts as he finally made it back to the drop site, and he snatched the thick envelope stuffed with the cash he’d split with his dad and shoved it into his back pocket before he got onto his knees and pulled back the branches that covered the hole.
Only he froze when he felt the disturbed energy crash over him from behind. Just in the distance, stepping out from behind the trees.
Terror ridged his spine, and he tentatively shifted to peek over his shoulder.
His stomach dropped when he saw who it was.
“What are you doing?” His mother’s face was pinched in hurt and disgust, and she wrung her fingers as she took another step toward him.
“I…” His mouth was too dry to force the lie from his tongue.
“I didn’t want to believe it. But all that money kept coming in.” She choked it, not even waiting for a response or admission from him since she’d already extricated the truth.
“Mom,” he finally managed, but she was shucking off the shock, her demeanor shifting to anger and desperation as she started to rush for him.
Her attention whipped in every direction before she demanded, “Put it down right now, Silas. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but this ends right now. Where is he?”
She looked around again.
“I don’t—”
“Don’t you dare lie to me. I’ve had plenty of them already.” Disappointment gushed out.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Silas choked.
“You didn’t have a choice? You always have a choice, Silas, and I know you were trying to make the right one, but this is the worst one you could have made. We don’t stoop to this.”
She snatched the bag from his hold and shook it in his face. “He put you up to this, didn’t he?”
Silas blinked, shuffled on his feet, unsure of what he should give her.