Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 108988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Oh, shit! Shit! Fuck no. Oh—fuckingshityouguyswe’resosfucked.” The third robber had pulled out his phone and was looking down at it.
I started laughing.
“Blake!” Palma hissed, horrified.
I shook my head. I couldn’t stop laughing.
“Dude.” The second robber went over to his friend.
The first one got in my face. “Shut your Motherfucking Whore Mouth, Do You Hear Me?”
“Phil—No!” the third robber screamed.
The first one, the one screaming in my face, stopped and twisted around. “What do you—”
“Shut up! You have no idea—” The third guy moved closer, taking me in, and he visibly gulped. “We’re going to die.”
That was when the front door ripped open and Lassiter came in, gun drawn.
Levi and I moved at the same time.
Before the other two could turn on Lassiter, I rammed my knee up in the third guy’s groin. He doubled over, a half screech strangling out of him while Levi punched the other one in the face. Both were incapacitated right away. After shooting out a camera set up in the corner, Lassiter went straight for the third guy. “Put the gun down. Now.”
“Yo. I—” He gulped again but put the gun down.
Lassiter ripped off his ski mask. The guy was trembling, and he was as pale as a ghost. His hands were shaking as he held them up. “I’m one of you.”
“Fuck no, you’re not.” Lassiter motioned to the counter. “Sit your ass down.” He turned, snapping his fingers. “Levi.”
“On it.”
They got to work. Lassiter produced zip ties from his pocket, and there was no comment about why he would have zip ties on him because of course he would. They used them on the other two guys. Their ski masks were left in place, but I knew it was because they’d be pulled off at another location.
Palma was still crying. There were no other customers, which was a small blessing. The only other two people were the cook and a server girl. Both were sitting with the others.
I knew what was coming next.
I knew, but I didn’t want to think it.
Closing my eyes, I began to dissociate. If I was outside of my body, it wasn’t as if it were happening, but I was still there. All of this had been for nothing. I was witnessing it disintegrating before my eyes. My planning. My hopes. I tried. I really tried to have a normal life, but all of it had been for nothing because—the door opened again.
More of Creighton’s men came in. I recognized my watcher, along with three guys who’d been acting as security at the fights. Lassiter motioned them over, pointing to the two that they had zip-tied. “Take them out.”
“Wait. What are you doing?” Marshall started to stand up.
I flinched when Levi shoved him back down.
Marshall looked so confused. Heath wasn’t.
Palma gasped. “What?” She was looking at Levi as if he’d grown three heads and turned green. “What’s going on?”
“Just,” Heath spoke up, then faltered. He cursed under his breath, shaking his head. “Just be quiet for a minute. Okay? We’ll be fine. Just, shut up and don’t say a thing.”
Marshall made a protesting sound.
Heath whipped his head around. “I mean it. Not a goddamn word. You have no idea who—just shut the fuck up. There’s no narcs here.” His eyes lifted, growing hostile as Levi towered over him.
Levi gave Heath a smug look of approval. “That’s a good little Nogoskeski.” He put his finger in Heath’s forehead and pushed him back. “You know the drill. I’ll be sure to let big bro know how helpful you were. Both of them.” Levi winked at Heath.
The other guys were picking up the two robbers and carried them outside. Doors were slammed shut a moment later, and the screech of tires sounded next.
“Whe-where are they taking them?” Palma shrunk down when Levi looked her way. She hugged her knees to herself, but she was still thinking. She was questioning things. She wasn’t so scared that she ceased thinking.
It was a trickle. A small one, but I felt a spark of warmth start in my chest. It grew and stretched, and slowly, painfully, I was back in my own body. I hadn’t dissociated from this situation for too long, and I gasped, silently.
Palma turned her head, her eyes widening. “Blake. Are you okay?” She tried scrambling toward me, but Marshall and Heath both reached for her, holding her down.
Levi had also moved to block her, standing between us, but when he saw the others were holding her back, he relaxed before stepping to me.
Lassiter was on his phone, standing by the last remaining robber. He was watching me as he continued typing on his phone with one hand.
“Blake.” Levi dropped his voice so the others couldn’t hear.
I ignored him.
I hated this next part. Hated it. Bitterness and resentment and regret all began to burn inside of me. Mix it with anger and loathing and knowing how this would change everything. It already had. Palma had been my friend. Or she could’ve been a friend. She was a roommate. Marshall. Even Heath. All of it was gone now.