Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
I frown. “Why would I do that? The second I do, you’ll kill me.”
“We’re going to kill you anyway,” Wynd says, casual as morning coffee, “but it’s up to you.” His gaze rakes me head to toe. “I can make it fast, or I can take my time. Slow. Have some fun.”
Slow chills prick my skin. “Do you have any idea what Justice is going to do to you?” I blurt before the thought can be tamped down.
Wynd smiles, and whatever playfulness he had disappears. “No one will ever know it was me, Ella. I’ve got it covered. Kaz’s last thought was a regret for being such a pain in the ass all these years.”
The name hits me like a punch. He killed Kaz.
Wynd snatches my hair and throws me toward the citrine. Agony rips across my scalp. I slam into the console, bounce off metal, and land on my knees. Pain blooms in my palms and legs from the impact.
He stands over me, gun already out. “I’ll shoot Corinda in the throat, then you in the foot, then the other foot, then your shoulder, then the other shoulder,” he recites, voice calm, methodical.
I lift a hand. “I understand. You’re going to keep on shooting me.”
“Yep.” He leans in. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll take your clothes off and convince you another way.”
My gaze jerks to Stacia. She doesn’t even blink. “Aren’t you two in love?” I snarl.
“Definitely,” Stacia says. “But you do what you’ve got to do. Now start charging that crystal. Our entire system needs the power.”
I stand on shaking legs and place my hands on the gem. The stone is warm, buzzing faintly under my palms. Heat travels up my arms, a hum under skin.
Corinda coughs behind me. She sounds like her lungs are full of water.
I press harder and force my will into the task, thinking of Justice, of Alana and Rosalie, of my godmothers, and of whatever little life I can salvage for Corinda if I live through this.
“Wait a sec. Who killed Horace?” I ask.
“Me.” Wynd shrugs. “Horace was in the way. I buried him at Justice’s just to fuck with him.”
“You’re sick,” I breathe.
Now I just have to figure out a way to get Corinda and me out of this before Wynd makes good on his threats. I look up and he smiles.
“This is going to be fun,” he promises.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Justice
Fergus, Alexei, and I ride the elevator down to my secret garage. The air feels heavy here, metallic with oil and old smoke, the kind of silence that makes every footstep echo. The doors slide open and the first thing I see is Bronco, slumped on the pristine concrete, pale and still, the car gone but my SUV waiting beyond it. Wesley Whisper is on his knees beside him, shaking him, trying to wake him.
“What the fuck?” I move toward them. “Wake up, Bronco.” He’s out cold.
Wesley looks up. “He got shot twice. By Wynd.”
I nod. “Wynd is the enemy.” Words I never thought I’d say, but I saw him on that video. I know the tattoo on his wrist.
Alexei barks orders into his phone.
I lean closer. Blood is caked up Bronco’s neck in a dark, sticky trail glinting under the fluorescent light. “Is he breathing?”
“Yes,” Wesley says. “I’m not sure what happened. The elevator door opened, and he attacked Wynd. The guy went ballistic.” Wesley’s bleeding from a cut beneath his eye and there’s what looks like a bullet wound near his collarbone.
“How bad are you hurt?” I ask, my breath heating.
He wipes blood off his chin. “Dunno. I’ve already called an ambulance, but they don’t know how to get here.”
“I’ll open the door. Tell them to come around back.” I need to find Ella. “You tried to save her?”
“I did,” Wesley says. “I love her.”
“That’s too bad.” My voice is flat. “She’s mine, but I owe you one. Thanks for trying to save her. Get Bronco to the hospital.”
Wesley nods and hauls Bronco up with raw, shaking effort. He staggers toward the massive door.
I run and jump into the SUV and punch the button to open the door.
Alexei climbs in beside me, sliding his phone into his jacket pocket as Fergus barrels into the back seat.
“You good for this?” I ask.
“Yes,” Alexei says grimly. “I’ll help you get her back. Where would Wynd take her?”
The door is taking way too fucking long. I pull up the map on my phone, scroll, and shove it into his hands. “She’s the blue dot.”
He blinks down at it, then looks up at me, his eyes dark. “You chipped your woman?”
“No. I chipped the dog. She’s got a bracelet with a tracker in it.”
“Smart,” he says.
The engine roars to life.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have Rosalie covered,” I say.
He smiles without answering.
“That’s what I figured.”
The door is only halfway open when Kaz crashes into it and crumples to the ground. The sound is sharp, like a sack of bricks hitting steel.