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)
“You think that’s going to keep you safe from me?”
The cops begin to sweat. Rightfully so.
I’ve murdered men for less.
Atreus nods at them, and the men approach to ensure my cuffs are still on both my wrists and ankles before they pick me up from the floor.
“Bring her to room 2.”
They drag me with them, and I let them, because I’m mildly amused at the idea of them trying to contain me like I’m some kind of wild animal they captured.
I’m pushed into a room with the number 2 labeled on the front, and they shut the door behind us before setting me down on a chair behind a table, all of which is screwed to the floor to ensure I don’t use them as weapons.
Smart.
The cops tie my cuffs to the table and double-check I’m secured before they exit the room.
The lock falls back into place.
Atreus sits down in front of me on the other side of the table.
My chair isn’t the only one screwed in place.
And I’m not entirely sure I’m the only one who would be willing to use it as a weapon to get my way.
Between us is a single plastic bottle of water and two plastic cups.
He stares me down, but my eyes skitter past him toward all four corners of the wall. Two cameras are opposite me. The walls are solid. No windows. No see-through panel.
He wants privacy.
A wretched smile forms on my face.
Maybe I’m not the only one with secrets.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
I smirk. “Are you asking yourself or me?”
“Why?”
I lean forward. “All high and mighty of you to suddenly care about my feelings.”
A hint of a smile tugs at his lips. “I just want to apologize for the lack of comfort these past few days.”
I snort. “Don’t pretend you care.”
“We can upgrade you to a room with a bed,” he muses. “If you give me something I can use.”
“Against me,” I retort, rolling my eyes. “I’d rather rot on the floor.”
“If that’s your wish, consider it done.”
He came to play games. I don’t like it.
“But I think you know why I’m here.”
He pulls out a set of photos and slides them my way, putting the faces of the men I murdered right underneath my nose, including a photo of Bob Eizenheimer, the cop.
He thinks I killed him too? Funny.
“I don’t care.”
He taps the photos. “We need to talk about these murders.”
I’m not going to spill the beans. Not in front of him, and definitely not in front of all those cameras.
His eyes flutter across the room just like mine until he finds the cameras, and he clears his throat, scoots his chair back, and stands. I watch him unplug the cameras and sit back down to stare at me with pride.
But he just cut his buddies off from the conversation.
He wants this to remain private.
Between us.
And that … that’s the Atreus I remember.
“Are you done pretending you didn’t kill all those men now?” he asks point-blank.
I tilt my head. “Are you done pretending you don’t love chasing me around?”
His pupils dilate for only a second, but I noticed, and it makes me chuckle.
“You and I always knew we would end up here.”
“Speaks the man,” I say under my breath.
“I’m an agent of the law, Sunny. My job is to bring criminals to justice.”
“And what is justice to you?” I rebuke.
He sucks in a breath like he’s willing to entertain me. “Putting those who break the rules behind bars.”
“Which rules?”
“The ones we all agreed to when we came into this world.”
I snort. “I didn’t agree to shit. And as far as I know, the men you are supposed to be hunting don’t either.”
His hands tighten into fists. Guess I struck a chord. “Would it ease your rage if I told you they will all get what they have coming for them?”
“I doubt that. The cops have been unsuccessful in bringing these criminals down for years. In fact, the Bones Brotherhood has only grown their presence in Crescent Vale City, but you already knew that.”
His icy-blue eyes home in on my face. “So you admit you’ve been involved with the Bones Brotherhood?”
I merely stare him down.
“Anything else you want to admit?” He glances at the photos in front of me.
Of course not.
“You killed them,” he says assuredly.
It’s not a question, so I won’t answer.
“Just say it, and it’ll be over.”
Over. For him.
Not for me.
“Why did they have to die?” he asks.
I grind my teeth to keep my vitriol at bay.
Finally, he sighs out loud. “I thought you were done playing games.”
The only games I’m interested in are my own, and he interrupted.
“Sunny …” He picks up the bottle of water and pours it out into two cups. “A peculiar name, if you ask me, for someone like you.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why?”