Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“Are you fucking for real?” Jax asks. He and Damon are closer obviously than the two of us. They even play football together, a sport my mom pushed them into. She never tried that shit with me, but I’m starting to see Mom knows best before we often do.
"You think if I had a girl, which I don't, and don't push that shit onto me. But if I did, would I let her go off to a cabin with anyone?"
"Not much you could have done to stop me."
"All right." Jax steps between us. "Stop fucking with him. We don't need Thanatos to come out and play." Damon takes a step back.
"I don't have a thing for her. She's cool and all, but I was using her." I lunge for him. Jax grabs hold of me. Jax is as tall as I am, but I'm broader and built more like Damon. "Let me finish."
"Breathe, bro." Jax pushes at my chest, so I take a step back.
"We shared information. I got her to keep an eye on Kinsley so I could feed Jax information and he wouldn't lose his mind, and I would give her random information she could use for an article for the school blog, newspaper, or whatever the fuck you call it."
"All right."
"But know I gave her information for stories, but she never did anything. I was starting to think she wanted to be close to the Marino name. Why? Not a fucking clue, but that's what I know."
"You think she's up to something?" I ask him.
"Don't know."
"She's not."
"Can we get on the road?" Jax inserts himself again. He's always been the peacemaker. Often more levelheaded than all of us. Damon is the devil in the details. Pays attention to everything. "Because it doesn't matter if she was up to anything."
"Correct."
If she was, that was in the past. Either way, Bonte is staying mine no matter what I have to do to make everyone understand that. Including her.
Chapter Twelve
BONTE
“Eros.” I sigh his name, reaching out for him. My eyes pop open when I find nothing. “Shit.” I blink, my eyes adjusting to the room. How have I gotten so used to him being close to me already?
We’re not at the cabin any longer. I wanted out of the place at one point. Now I kind of want to go back. I didn’t realize how nice it was being away from everything and everybody.
“Binx. What are you doing?” He’s sitting on the fireplace mantel. “How do you get up to these places?” I slip out of bed, going over to him. “Did you give this place a proper inspection?” I get a sleepy meow from him. “Do you know where Eros is?”
Did he really leave me alone? I get that he has a life, but everyone has uprooted mine. Don’t be grumpy, I tell myself. He’s probably talking to his family or something. It’s then I see the note on the side of the bed.
“He doodled a heart.” I don’t know why, but I find that wildly adorable because it does not seem like an Eros thing to do. I trace the heart with my finger, forgetting to read the words. When did I turn into a lovey sap? The first note said he was downstairs, and the second said he had to step out, but he’d be back.
How long was I asleep for? I still feel tired. I’m sure it’s emotional more than anything. I don’t know what to make of all this, mainly my dad. I suppose I never have. I avoid those thoughts in my head so I don’t have to face the reality of them and where I stand.
A small scream makes me jump back up from where I’d sat down on the bed. My eyes fly to the door, and I hear muffled arguing. I walk over to the double doors and press my ear to them. They're too damn thick to make anything out. I should ignore it. This place is loaded with people, but curiosity always gets me. I turn the knob, trying to open the door quietly and only enough so that I can peek out.
It’s all in vain because when I do, two sets of eyes are locked on me. It’s Mac and Naomi. “Hey,” Mac says.
“Hey,” I respond back, but my attention is on Naomi.
“We’re here to make sure you don’t need anything,” Mac tells me.
“And that you’re not trying to escape,” Naomi adds.
“Don’t tell her that.” Mac hits her arm. “We give the illusion of freedom.” I hold back a laugh.
“That’s great and all, but what the hell is Naomi doing?” Her current situation has all my attention. She’s in the center of the wide hallway and appears like a giraffe born two seconds ago.
“I’m training,” she responds matter-of-factly, as if I should know this.