Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“No, I think it’s fair.”
“Fair?”
“You heard them. They dug into your life, so turnabout is fair play.”
“You’re right.” I jump up. “I love girl math.”
“It’s the only math I like.” Riley puts the kitten down. He follows us around. “This place is pretty open.” It is, but there are a few doors.
“That’s the bathroom.” I motion toward the sliding door. “Guess we tried these.”
“Shall we try door number one?” Riley motions to one. “Two.” Then another. “Or three!”
Doors one and two won’t open. They are sealed shut. I notice a screen next to it. “Locked.” I tap it.
“Yeah, one is probably an office, and the other maybe a safe or weapons room.”
“A what?” I ask, confused.
“Let's go for three.” Riley doesn’t answer me, instead going to the final door. It opens. “A closet.”
“Very anti-climactic.” I laugh. “Not that I’m still not going to snoop in it.” The closet is almost the size of a bedroom, but what I see has my stomach dropping, a sense of dread settling in.
There are rows of hanging clothes and shelves of shoes, which is normal for any closet. The problem is, they are all women’s. My eyes continue to scan the room. I think I might be in shock. Abel said there was no one else. I quickly head over to the drawers and begin opening them. My stomach turns more with each revelation.
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions.” Riley tries to reassure me.
“Regardless of who she is, she has a badass nail polish collection.” I run my fingers along the bottles.
“Jesus, that's a lot of nail polish,” Riley says, peering over my shoulder. I shut the drawer.
“Fuck.” I hear grumbling, making both Riley and me spin around to see Abel standing in the doorway to the closet.
“Maybe Nikolai and I should go.”
“No.” I grab Riley’s hand. “I’ll come with you.”
“Not happening.” Abel’s whole body goes visibly tense. I stomp over to him.
“You’re not the boss of me.” I poke my finger into his chest. Abel drops his eyes to it.
“Maybe let's not poke the bear,” Riley suggests from behind me.
“I’ll poke him all I want.” I do it again. Abel’s hand shoots out, grabbing mine.
“Oh crap,” Riley whispers.
Maybe I should be scared of Abel, but I’m not. Even when I notice a few spots of blood on his shirt. “Did you kill Nikolai?”
“I’m out here,” Nikolai calls.
Abel lifts my hand, which he still holds, and kisses the tip of my pointer finger. “Don't do that.” I try to jerk my hand back, but it obviously doesn’t work. “I’m pissed at you, and I’m leaving.” There, I told him.
“You’re not.” His hold on my hand tightens.
“It’s best if you stay.” Riley comes to stand next to me. She gives me an apologetic smile before she exits the closet, leaving Abel and me all alone.
13
CHURCH
“Let go of my hand.” Angel orders me, lifting her chin in defiance.
“I can’t let you go.” I already warned her about running from me. I don’t think she is scared of me. No, not with her poking and half-shouting at me.
How fucked up is it that it turned me on? I’m hard as fuck right now, and my temper is starting to rise with the thought of her trying to leave. It seems Riley took my warning about not letting Angel leave with her.
But she has to be freaked out by me on some level, now that she found everything in the closet. Why else would she want to leave? I think explaining it might make it all that much worse. She must think I’m some sort of stalker psycho like her brother.
“Abel.” Angel starts to deflate right in front of me. Her shoulders drop, and her bottom lip puffs out as unleashed tears fill her eyes. Seeing the sadness in them is enough to bring any man to their knees. “How could you bring me here? When you clearly have another woman." She waves her free hand toward the clothes.
“I told you, Angel, there is only you.”
“So an ex, then?”
“Please don’t cry.” I release her hand so that I can cup her face. Angel sniffs.
“Just tell me what’s going on. I know I have no right to be jealous. We’re not even like—ah, I don’t know. Boyfriend and girlfriend sound silly. Because you’re definitely no boy.”
"No, I'm not,” I agree. “We’re together. You’re not leaving.”
“Why am I not leaving? Because it’s not safe?”
“Yes.” Even once I deal with her brother and father, I still don't think it would be safe for her to be alone in the world. Darkness has a way of catching her. I could protect her from it.
“See!” She sniffles. Fuck me. I’m messing this all up. I have no clue what I’m doing.
“Okay, I’m back.” Riley comes waltzing back into the closet. “This is getting ridiculous now, so let's clear some of the air.” She pushes her glasses up her nose. “The clothes are for you. I mean, I thought so when we walked in, but the nail polish really sealed the deal. It’s all yours.” She clasps her hands together. “Are we all better now?” I glare at Riley.