Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 164910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 825(@200wpm)___ 660(@250wpm)___ 550(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 825(@200wpm)___ 660(@250wpm)___ 550(@300wpm)
“He’ll stay away from places with cameras,” I whisper. “Check those. She might know to hide there.”
The gym, the cafeteria, the administration offices…
“I’ll check the ones without,” I tell him.
I pull out of his grasp, my T-shirt caught in his fist, but I run, heading for the locker rooms first.
Scanning each row, I hurry to the showers and coaches’ offices before jumping over to the girls’.
Both of them are empty, though. Crossing the hall, I search the teachers’ lounge and bathrooms and run down hallway after hallway, passing classrooms and looking for any sign of life.
“Mr. Ames,” a voice calls.
I spin around, seeing Barnes running for me.
“Did you find her?” I ask.
“No,” he says. “I’ve checked everywhere that’s not locked.”
Sweat covers his black hair. He must be roasting in that suit. The air conditioners are off.
“Go outside to the car,” I tell him, giving his arm a shove as I start to run away to continue my search. “Call the police and call me if you see Anna-Katherine.”
He speeds off toward the front of the school, and I charge up the stairs.
I’ve checked everywhere that’s not locked.
The Ministry offices.
I ascend the second flight of stairs and head up the smaller staircase to the Ministry. Please let him be alone. If Jerome, Milo, or Vincent is helping him…
Dallas and I might not make it out alive.
The doors appear ahead, and I slow, grabbing Mrs. Calderon’s letter opener off her desk. I slide it into the back of my pants.
I forgot my keys, but when I twist the handle, it opens.
Everything tenses. They’re in here.
Opening the door, I walk in, seeing my father standing next to the bookcases, and I hear the singing before I even see her. My gaze flies to Anna-Katherine crouched between the couch and another bookshelf. Her knees are pulled up to her body, and she’s shrouded in darkness, her soft voice filled with tears.
“Anna-Katherine?” I say.
She crawls out from her spot, the look in her eyes frightened but a little hopeful that I’m here to save her. Her suspender is torn and blood trickles from the corner of her mouth.
Anger burns in my muscles. My father has slapped me a handful of times in my life. I never considered him particularly abusive—physically anyway. She must’ve had a panic attack when she saw him.
I inch forward. “Go find Dallas.”
She rises and takes a step.
“Sit!” he growls at her.
She stops, casting scared glances between us, and I gesture with my hand. We own a few firearms, and I wouldn’t put it past him to have one on him.
Anna-Katherine takes a seat on the edge of the couch, farthest from him, her head bowed.
“She used to be a good girl.” My father walks out from the shadows and into the center of the room. “Did you tell him how different you used to be?” he asks her. “How you used to moan for Daddy?”
Goddamn him. I dart my eyes to her, seeing her shrink more and more.
“She’s controlling you,” my father says in a stern voice. “And you need to stop letting her. She loved everything I did to her. She’s not a victim.”
I grind my fists together. “She was a kid who had never had attention from a man!” I howl at him. “You seduced her!”
She was fifteen when he started!
“And you should’ve seen her that night,” he coos. “She was the main event.”
My eyes burn. You son of a bitch.
He peers over at her. “You had fun with all of those men, didn’t you?”
She holds the arm of the sofa, pressing her forehead into it to shield her eyes. “Once upon a December…”
Her tinkling voice carries her away, and I keep mine steady, trying to sound like I have everything under control.
“Anna-Katherine, I’m here,” I say. “He’s trying to provoke us. Don’t let him.”
Shaking his head, he takes another step toward me, her voice continuing in the background.
“I want this finished,” he announces. “Where is it?”
What is he going to do? Kill us?
There’s only one thing my father cares about more than money. Legacy. I’ve gathered that he has a couple of illegitimate kids out there somewhere, but I’m the only son he claims, and he’s smart enough to know he won’t live forever. He won’t kill me.
But then he calls out, “Sophia?”
I glance at her as he keeps his stare locked on me.
“Do you love your brother?” he asks her.
“Don’t listen to him.”
“What would you do to keep me from hurting him?” he asks her.
Motherfucker. “He’s not going to hurt me,” I tell her.
“Would you come back to my bed?” he goes on. “If I promised to leave him alone and leave everyone in the Bay alone? If I promised that all of St. Carmen would leave them alone and all you had to do was come back into the Den?”