Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
The house itself looked like it was made of large shapes that had been pushed together. Huge triangle shaped peaks formed the gray slate roof. The walls were an off-white. It was intimidating and quirky-looking. Five wide stairs led up to the big wooden door.
After knocking and waiting, she realized might have to just walk in.
Bloody hell.
If she’d felt out of place before, she felt even more so now. Inside she found crisp white walls, dark floors and a sweeping staircase.
Where was Mum? Was Indie supposed to just wander around and attempt to find her?
The sound of male laughter made her jump. Then a door slammed. Unable to help herself, she followed the sound and found them in the kitchen.
The kitchen was probably bigger than their whole flat. It was all white with gleaming silver appliances. But it wasn’t the kitchen that interested her . . . nope, her attention immediately went to the four boys who were currently making themselves sandwiches.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
They had to be a few years older than her and they weren’t like the boys in her school.
These boys were built. And she could tell that because two of them were wearing sneakers and shorts.
And nothing else.
The biggest guy, who had short dark hair, wore a sleeveless T-shirt that displayed his impressive biceps. She ran her gaze over him, taking in his wide shoulders and legs that were thick with muscle.
How could someone this young be this muscular?
He wasn’t talking, just listening to the others as he nodded while making himself a huge sandwich.
Next to him, she’d feel tiny. And safe.
Indie shifted her gaze to the other three. One boy had sandy-blond hair that he kept brushing off his face. He wore a pair of neon pink shorts, and his smooth chest was bare. He was teasing one of the others about something, his smile was dazzling.
He looked like trouble. But the fun kind. The sort of trouble that you’d miss when it was gone and would do anything to keep.
The boy he was teasing had an amazing poker face. He simply crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at the sandy-haired boy, then around the room. The calculating look in his gray eyes made her shiver.
He had his hair perfectly styled and wore a long-sleeved T-shirt. Unlike the others, he wasn’t hot and sweaty. As though sweat was too scared to touch him.
Finally, she moved her gaze to the fourth boy. And she froze.
He was pure, icy sin.
His hair was dark brown and slightly messy and he wore a pair of black shorts. There was something about the way that he watched his friends that made her think that he liked to be in charge.
That he liked to own rather than be owned.
This boy would carry out the murder Gray Eyes plotted.
Jesus.
She needed to stop reading so many dark romances. These were teenage boys. They weren’t killers. They weren’t calculated and dark and terrifying.
Yep. Her imagination was at it again. As they all started eating their sandwiches, her stomach gave a growl. Which would have been fine if it hadn’t happened just as they all stopped talking.
As one, they turned to her. The large boy moved protectively in front of the others. The smiling one’s grin dropped, although he gave her a curious look. Gray Eyes studied her like a bug under a microscope.
But it was the final boy that made her heart race.
His gaze wasn’t mean, but it wasn’t welcoming either.
“Who are you?” he asked in a smooth voice, his dark brown eyes narrowing in on her.
“I, um, well, I . . .”
Jesus, Indie.
Spit it out, you idiot.
“I’m Indie.”
Gray Eyes ran his gaze over her. She knew that he was taking in everything.
Her cheap clothing, her too-small shoes, her thin frame. She resisted the urge to cower in shame. Just because she didn’t fit in here didn’t mean they got to judge her by her appearance.
Raising her chin, she glared back at them.
Gray Eyes raised an eyebrow and gave the boy with eyes of sin a funny look that she couldn’t decipher.
“Well, I’m Indie,” Sin drawled. “Just what are you doing here?”
Yep, that’s what she was calling him. Sin.
She winced at him calling her ‘I’m Indie’. He was making her sound like an idiot. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly.
You are just as good as these boys. Better, because you’re a nice person.
“I’m looking for my mum.”
“She’s not in here, Princess,” the smiling boy said. Why did he remind her of sunshine?
Indie frowned slightly. “It’s Indie, not Princess.”
His smile widened. “I know.”
She was confused. Before she could question him, though, Gray Eyes spoke up.
Maybe she should ask their names because this was getting a bit crazy.
“Who is your mum?” Gray Eyes asked.
“Her name is Sylvia,” she whispered. She really wished she could suck her thumb. She knew it was silly that a close-to-fifteen-year-old still sucked her thumb, but it was her comfort.