Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
The women glance between us, back and forth. Finally, Aura lowers her shoulders. “All right, but we’re covering the entrance. If anyone comes out that isn’t you, we’re shooting. And if you’re not out in fifteen minutes, we’re coming in.”
“That seems fair,” Mags says.
I pause. “Aura? Do you still have the rocket launcher in the trunk?”
Alexei swears something in Russian under his breath.
“Of course.” Aura smiles widely, moves to the back, and brings me what I need.
Alexei and I jump back in the SUV and I hit the gas.
“Are they serious?” he asks.
“Yeah, they’re serious.” I left Fergus with them on purpose. He might be able to stop them, but I don’t know. Either way, I don’t want him caught in the crossfire. I glance at the Russian. “Are you sure you want to do this? This isn’t your fight.”
“I want to help. Rosalie will be heartbroken if anything happens to Ella. Besides …” He lifts his shoulder. “I like her. She’s sweet.”
“That she is,” I say. “And she’s all mine.”
I stomp the accelerator and swing the SUV around the gate. Guards shout, rifles bark, and I duck as bullets tear into the metal. Glass shatters, and sparks fly. I don’t care.
My woman is in there.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Ella
My arms ache, my ears ring, and I’m filled with as much citrine power as is humanly possible. I’ve exchanged energy for at least fifteen minutes, and the world is singing. It’s too bad I can’t shoot this power from my fingertips and take off Wynd’s head.
Corinda has awakened, but she sits like a husk in the chair, not moving. The hollows in her cheeks look like they were dug with shovels and are so dark I can barely tell if she’s still in there. She blinks but doesn’t seem to see anything.
“How can you do this to your own sister, Stacia?” I step away from the stone. The power throbs through me. I might be invincible. Probably not to a bullet, though.
Stacia is busy playing with Wynd’s butt and snuggling into his side. At least that looks like where her hand is. The way his pants tent kind of confirms that fact.
“Oh, please,” Stacia says. “We were never close. She was Mother’s favorite. Always has been. The truth is she’s dumber than a box of rocks.”
“I don’t think she is,” I retort. “I think she just has different ambitions than you. You’re fucking evil. I’ve never met anyone who would kill their own mother before.”
“It was me or her,” Stacia says. “She was slowly killing me by edging me out. She wanted Corinda to take over and bring in some billionaire new husband. Her money was on Justice. You know she planned to kill you, right?”
I swallow. My fingers are tingling. “Yes. I’m aware of that. I really don’t think it was very nice of her, but I wouldn’t have shot her in the head.”
“You would have,” Stacia says cheerfully, and the casualness sends a chill down my spine. “You just won’t admit it.” Her sigh sounds heavy and fake when she looks up at Wynd, her gaze adoring. “We can’t exactly keep her any longer. Justice is going to come looking.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to kill her?” he asks like he’s making dinner plans.
Stacia looks at me, then back at him. “I’d rather you did it. I shot my mother.”
When he looks at me, his eyes are dead. “You want me to shoot her?”
“No.” She shrugs. “I want you to make it more personal.”
I take a step away from them.
“Oh, yeah?” Wynd sounds interested.
I shake my head. “How can you do this to Justice? He’s like a brother to you.”
“No, he’s like a brother to Thorn,” Wynd says. “I’m the hired help. I have royal blood in my veins just like he does. The garnets can be mine.”
I cough out panic. I’m sure he doesn’t have half the power needed to charge them, and he’s too egotistical to know it. “You’re going to drive two social media companies into the ground.”
“We can handle it until kids arrive,” Stacia says, patting her flat stomach. “I’ve heard kids as young as three can charge.”
“Even so, that’s years away,” I snap. “Do you have any idea how Aquarius and Hologrid will take you down by then?”
Wynd shakes his head. “I’ve been coming for them for a long time.”
“Yes,” Stacia says. “We’ve been infecting servers left and right. You have no idea how weak the infrastructure is on both Aquarius and Hologrid Hub. I’m in their systems.”
I blink. “You can code?”
“Of course I can code,” she snaps. “What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time? Just going to parties, having fun with Corinda, and posting on social media?”
“Well, yeah,” I say, stunned. Apparently we underestimated Stacia the same way the world underestimated Alana. I should have known better.