Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“He told me that he was coming back for me later today.” I shudder at the memory, fear lingering in my bones.
“Dante is dead,” Kellen tells me. “You don’t have to worry about him ever again.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
I never thought I would be happy about someone’s death, but I can’t help but feel relieved.
“What happened?"
“I killed him,” Kellen says, his voice emotionless.
I stare at him in shock, waiting for some further explanation, but it never comes. I blink, trying to wrap my mind around Kellen ending someone’s life,
“Why?” I finally ask, wanting to know more about what happened.
“I saw him at your house. I was coming to check on you, and he was there. We fought. I won,” Kellen explains. “That’s why I have to go. His body is currently laying in your kitchen. I have to get rid of it.”
“Oh…” I don’t know what else to say; my mind is reeling with this new information.
Dante is dead.
Kellen killed him.
“What about the police? What if someone finds out it was you?” Oh my god, Kellen could go to prison for this.
“Don’t worry about that. I got everything under control,” Kellen assures me, like this is no big deal to him.
“How can you be so calm about this?”
“I got more important things to worry about,” he says ominously, which somehow reminds me of what else Dante told me.
I probably shouldn’t bring this up, especially not now, but I just can’t help myself. I have to know if it’s true.
“Dante also said that you are with another girl.”
Kellen frowns. “I didn’t touch her. My father sent someone up to my room, but nothing happened. I let her sleep on the floor so she wouldn’t have to go to the brothel to work. That’s all.” He leans forward a little. “I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.”
My mouth opens but before I can get a single word past my lips, the door flies open, and my parents come rushing in the room.
“Oh my god, Tamson,” my mother cries out when she sees me. She dashes to the bed, where she throws her arms around me. “I’m so glad you're okay. We were so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize, but I’m not sure if she can hear me over her sobbing. The guilt I felt earlier rushes back tenfold. How could I have put them through this?
“Honey, give her some room,” my father says from the foot of the bed.
Mom peels herself away from me, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, while Dad stands awkwardly across from me. I look up into his face, finding him wearing a pained expression. I would give anything to take that pain away.
Kellen gets up from his chair, and both of my parents flinch. “I have to go,” he announces, before turning to my father. “After Tamson is released, I want you to go home and start packing. I’m getting you out of town.”
Dads eyes go wide, but he manages to nod.
“What about you?” At my question, Kellen turns back towards me. “What if your father finds out you are helping us?”
“He won’t. I’ll be careful,” he assures me. “Don’t worry about me, just worry about getting better.” Kellen’s eyes linger on me for another moment, like he is unsure of what to do, before he leans over and presses his lips to my forehead. “Goodbye, dragonfly.” He straightens back up and walks around the bed, leaving the room without looking back.
The door shuts behind him. I know I should be relieved he is gone, but all I feel is sadness. Did he really mean it? Is this goodbye?
Chapter 31
Kellen
It’s for the best. I did everything I could for her, but I am the last obstacle standing in the way of her ultimate happiness and safety.
Amazing what can go through a guy’s head while he’s sitting around, waiting for the person who matters more than anything to him to have their stomach pumped. There are all kinds of thoughts and ideas that can run through a mind under that kind of stress.
There’s a lot of guilt that comes with it. Self-hatred, too.
I did that to her. I might as well have poured those pills down her throat. Everything that’s going wrong in her life from the day we met has been on me.
And there was really nothing I could’ve done about it. That’s the worst part. If I’d said no, Dad would’ve found somebody else to do his dirty work. And somebody else wouldn’t have fallen for her like I did. He could’ve had Dante do it from the beginning, and as bad off as Tamson is now—in the hospital, after her close call—there is no way to know for sure she would be alive today if I’d left the job up to anybody else.