Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Without a doubt, he’s the worst type of man.
“You’re awfully quiet. You should eat,” he says, pointing his knife at my salad.
“Did you do it?” I ask. Fuck this coy shit. He’s going to pay for what he did anyway. Now I want him to see me for the real me. A powerful woman. One not enticed by his cheap cologne or rented suit. A woman who basks in the world he so desperately wanted to be involved with and so clearly can’t handle.
He glances over his shoulder. This asshole’s in too deep, and he doesn’t know how to get out.
So I’ll make sure he’s taken out.
“Do what?”
“Makayla. Did you kill her?” I ask directly.
He stops cutting his steak and raises his gaze to mine. There’s a twinkle of being recognized but also the erratic movement of a man who’s about to crack.
“The possibility is there,” he says, glancing down at my tits. “I never meant for it to happen. But I was punished for being sloppy here in Manhattan for selling the drugs. So I had to kill some politician’s daughter. Makayla wasn’t supposed to be there that night, but when she heard I asked one of her friends on a date, she came anyway. Convinced the other girl to have a threesome with us. Maybe I should’ve fucked them both before I killed them.” He’s speaking so rapidly now it’s like he’s glorifying his actions. “I’m not a killer. I just had to show my boss I was dedicated, you know.” Something changes in his expression, and he meets my eyes again. “But girls like a bad boy anyway, right? I’d never hurt you. You’re different. You should eat.”
“No,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
He chuckles as if hearing no is a challenge, and he’s completely in control of this situation. He reaches for his glass of wine and takes a sip. “That’s what I’ve always liked about you. You have a little more bite. Before I dated Makayla, do you even remember me trying to get your number?” He’s trying to romanticize the situation.
Wow, this asshole is a total manipulator, but he’s fucking terrible at it. But I suppose if he’s encouraged women around him to take drugs, they’re more susceptible to it. I feel so stupid not having intervened with Makayla sooner. “It was you I wanted, but I settled for her to be closer to you.”
I consider the fork to my right and how it might look in his eye but curl my nails into my palms instead. I might be boiling inside, fueled by rage, but a killer I’m not. Not for him. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to hurt a man, just a little. Because someone has to do it, right? I think, shooting a quick glance at the steak knife on my right.
“But it’s okay. That obstacle is gone now. I made it work for us,” he says, deranged. “I even came back sooner than I thought I’d be able to, just so I could see you. Can’t you see how much I love you?” I think I’m going to be sick. “Let’s go back to my place after this and talk about it. We’ll have more privacy there.”
Nausea churns in my stomach. This guy actually believes what he’s saying, and I don’t know if this is before or after he killed Makayla and the other woman. I can’t tell if he was sane or wasn’t. But one thing’s obvious—he killed them to save his own ass, and they never deserved that.
My nails are biting into the palm of my hand because I know I need to lead him somewhere secluded so the boys can grab him, but I don’t want to be anywhere near him. Just as I’m about to agree and suggest we leave now, a voice booms over my shoulder, and all that nauseating tension curling in my stomach quickly dissipates. Even if it’s not the plan, I feel safer knowing he’s here.
“Sorry to interrupt, lover, but I heard there was a fuckhead trying to steal my girl.”
But he’s a little before his cue.
CHAPTER 38
Hawke
Ford rang me as soon as Billie filled him in on the details Ivy had shared with her. I’m proud of my little hacker for opening up to her best friend about what’s happening. She’s more than capable of dabbling in this life, which isn’t a surprise considering who her father is. But I don’t want it to harden her like it has most of us. Ivy seems like someone who needs the support of her friends.
I’m watching from outside the restaurant, as we previously discussed. Ivy might’ve thrown me off her case when we argued that night, and she found out about Eli’s separate operation, but having them reach out to me is her way of saying she’s sorry. Besides, even if I didn’t have the time and location of this meetup, I would’ve found out pretty fucking fast because there’s no way I’m letting some douchebag like that enjoy a date with my woman.