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)
“What?” My eyes flick to the paper covering another picture. “Is that her?” I’m back on my feet.
“Fuck.” Naomi pauses. “I thought you knew about her.”
“I know of her, but I’ve never seen a picture. My father never spoke of her, but those FBI agents told me he killed her.” I pull the paper off myself. I stare at her. I don’t remember her at all. I don’t bear any resemblance, either. “Tell me.”
I’ve pieced together that the pictures in the center of both boards aren’t motivated by money, but Naomi has clocked my father for the killings. Which I knew because I saw the boy being killed myself.
“A one-night stand that produced you. Your father tried to make it work, but crazy is crazy.”
“Like insane crazy?”
“I mean, kinda. I don’t think she was savable; it wasn’t postpartum either. She was nutty before pregnancy, and I could be wrong, but I think she might have tried to drown you. I found this police report. Not a lot to it, but that’s what I’m thinking, also because she’s the only person he drowned.”
"So my mother was a nutcase, and my father is a serial killer."
"Hold on." Naomi spreads her arms out like she is protecting her giant board that I swear is growing. "I don't think these are all his kills. I think the board to the right, the one with the FBI agent's wife and a handful of others, aren’t your father’s.”
"But still a serial killer."
"Yeah, I suppose."
"Are you trying to spare my feelings?" She gives a slight shake of her head, one of her curls falling out of her hair clip.
"It's rough to find out your mother tried to kill you, so your dad killed her. I'm sure you're wondering if you're not all sane up there." She taps her temple.
"I kind of was, but I didn't need you pointing it out."
"I'm only trying to relate. People do that to bond and make others feel better."
"Your mom's a saint."
"This is true," she confirms. "But when you boil it down, we're all still killers."
"Not me. I only have one kill, but give me time," I joke.
"Yes! See, we're bonding and relating." Naomi's response is again rather cheerful, especially from her. Anyone else would think she's joking, but she's not, which only makes it that much funnier, so I do the only thing I can do. I burst into laughter.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm sane either.
“Wish we could talk to your dad. He could really clear this board up for me.” Naomi steps back toward it, grabbing a folder and flipping it open. That would be helpful because the board only has me wanting answers to more questions.
I reach into my bag and pull out my own laptop. While she’s engrossed in reading whatever is in her folder, I send a message to my dad.
Me: I’ll have to sneak out of the Marino compound to see you.
Dad: Is that possible?
I check the time. Now wouldn't be the worst time. I’m away from any of the main houses and close to one of the stone walls that wraps around most of the land except for a giant wooded area. I’d surely get lost, and it’s getting dark.
Me: Maybe. How long would it take you to get here?
Dad: I can come now.
Me: Give me fifteen.
I close my laptop, putting it back into my bag.
“I think I’m going to head back to the house,” I tell Naomi.
“I’ll drive you.”
“It’s fine.” I wave her off. “I could use the fresh air and a walk right now. My head is kind of spinning.”
“You need alone time?”
“Yeah.”
“All right.”
“See you later,” I tell her. Except maybe I won’t.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
EROS
Istare at my hands; they're shaking. I ball them into fists, trying to calm myself, but it’s not working. Nothing will. I want to rage, but I can’t. Not right now, not yet.
“Anything?” I stop pacing to stare at my father. He has Bonte’s laptop. We found it on the ground where she had scaled the wall. Yes, fucking scaled it all on her own. She wasn’t taken; Bonte left of her own free will. I can’t even wrap my mind around what she was thinking. That will have to wait until later. Until I know where she is and that she's safe.
One of the sensors placed along the walls around the property had gone off near the bunker, which I knew Bonte was at with Naomi. Most everyone had gone to the game, but I’d met up with my uncles and dad to go over new information that he’d gotten from his handler.
As we thought, the agents who had placed Bonte were dirty. Actually, they're far past dirty. The lengths they’d gone to trying to cover their own crimes were undeniable. It was all starting to piece together.
“She's been messaging with someone."