Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 160041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
Gotcha.
I saunter up to the door, flipping my black-and-green hair back before I ring the doorbell. A cheerful girl opens up and stares at me.
“Hi, can I help you?”
“Yeah, whose car is that in your driveway?”
She pokes her head out the door and tilts it sideways, narrowing her eyes. “Huh … That’s not from one of our girls.”
I just smile at her.
“I think Aspen’s brother just came in. It might be his,” she says.
Aspen’s brother Xavier? The one with the wild brown hair, the cute dimples and button nose, and a sleeper-build physique?
Well, isn’t that fucking interesting.
“Do you want me to go ask her?”
“No, it’s fine, I think I know enough.” I turn around and walk off.
“Wait, that’s it?” she calls after me.
But I’ve already sauntered off.
I’m not going to make a mess of that sorority. Why should I? There’s no need when I already have him cornered. He just doesn’t know it yet.
He’ll know when I want him to know.
And I’m fairly certain Aspen’s brother and I share a class. Just one, the only one I kept failing all these years.
Economics.
Boring.
Appalling.
And so goddamn enticing now that I know my little stalker boy will be there.
Oh Xavier, I’m going to enjoy playing with you.
Xavier
“Want a drink?” Aspen asks as she sips her Coke.
“No thanks,” I reply as I lean on the kitchen counter.
She keeps staring at me. “So why are you here, exactly?”
Sweat droplets roll down the back of my neck while I try not to look spooked by the fact that someone just rang their doorbell. “Uh …”
That someone was definitely Sunny Reed, and I am so fucked.
“Is there a reason you have that?” Aspen asks, glancing at the mask in my hand.
“No, no, no, it’s from a party.” I suck in a breath through my nostrils. “That’s actually why I came here.”
“Really?” She raises a brow. “I thought you hated parties.”
“The Phantom ones, yeah,” I scoff, snorting, maybe too inconspicuously loud. “This is from a Tartarus party.”
“Interesting.” She takes another sip of her Coke. “And you were wearing that while you came into my sorority?”
“Yeah. I mean, why not?” I shrug. “Who doesn’t like dressing up sometimes?”
I’m failing hard here, but what else am I supposed to do? I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I needed to ditch my car, fast.
“Apparently you,” she says, snorting. “You still haven’t answered my question, though.”
“What’s that?”
I’ve completely forgotten what we were talking about.
“Why you’re here.”
“Oh.” I glance down at the mask. “I just thought I’d come here to personally invite you to a party.”
“A party?” She frowns. “You’re throwing a party?”
“No.” I laugh. “That’d be dumb. I mean, one of the Tartarus parties. Yeah. Let’s go together.”
She squints at me. “You’re hiding something.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yeah, you are.” She snatches the mask from my hands and inspects it up close.
“See? Nothing,” I say, laughing awkwardly.
A black-and-green-haired beauty waltzes down the street behind the kitchen window, away from the building, and a wave of relief washes over me.
Maybe I won’t die today after all.
“What are you looking at?” Aspen follows my gaze.
“Huh? Nothing.” I shrug, scratching the back of my head. “Just distracted by the scenery.”
“Right.” I didn’t think she could narrow her eyes even further, but apparently, she can. “Well, about this party, when is it?”
I clear my throat. “I don’t have the details yet, but I’ll text you once I do. Is that okay?”
“So you just came here to invite me to a party you don’t know exists yet?”
I turn around and slowly back away. “Yeah, that’s about it.”
“I know you’re hiding something, Xav,” she says.
“Nonsense,” I head toward the door. “Bye!”
“I’m onto you!” she growls as I shut the door and quickly run off. “Come back here and tell me who you’re running from, asshole!” Aspen yells across the street, but I don’t care.
I know this is just sisterly love speaking underneath all that vitriol.
Besides, I need to get to my next class. Lunchtime is over.
Atreus
The stench of death permeates the air.
Another body, another day in Crescent Vale City overrun by criminals.
I take a photo of the body lying mutilated on the concrete floor of the warehouse, but the lens doesn’t make the scene any less ghastly. The man beneath my feet got sliced to bits, and several holes are poked all in his body. It’s as if the perp kept them alive a little longer just to enjoy torturing him a bit more. Macabre.
I pull out my notepad and write down some of the details. His zip-tied hands. The lack of weapons left at the scene. The location. The way the body is lying face-up, a terrified look still plastered on his face.
“How long do you think he’s been here, Detective?” one of my guys asks as he approaches.
I put on my gloves and lean in closer to inspect his wounds, making sure I don’t tamper with any of the evidence. “The blood is still fresh. Wounds still open. Can’t have been more than a few hours, at most,” I mutter.