Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Thoughts of that poor girl he’d found in the funeral home drawer in his youth flashed in his brain. Whenever she crossed his mind, he always said the same thing, a sort of prayer: ‘May you still be restin’ in peace, Rebecca Sanders.’ When he got a bit older, he began to anonymously send her mama flowers every year on Rebecca’s birthday, until four years ago, when that woman had died. He felt like he owed her because, had it not been for Rebecca, he would have never accepted his dark side. The side of him that found peace in reclusiveness. In death, darkness, and in light.
Kage started that bad boy up, stoking the flames while hearing the noise of breaking glass in his house as those boys attempted to make entry. Their muted voices could be heard through the computer monitors playing in the background, helping to keep him abreast of all that was transpiring around him. It was time for Stone to go after the settlers…
His internal version of MeeMaw’s story was different. See, Kage didn’t believe Stone did the right thing. He wanted to have his elk and eat it, too. There was no forgiveness left inside of him. Only pain and a taste for blood. Kage began to place various weapons on his person, getting ready for battle.
He turned on the remainder of the deadly apparatuses in the chamber, grabbed his newly sharpened axe, then made his way up the wide stone steps into the living quarters of his home…
Poet clutched the tall man’s waist. A fistful of soft brown leather made her palms hot. Long jet black hair waved in front of her, and the smell of cologne filled the air as Phoenix navigated fast amid the towering trees. He maneuvered like a cheetah through thick brush, darting about like quick strikes of lightning. Her heart was thumping so hard, it was damn near painful. Perhaps her jumbled emotions were causing the agony? Everything had changed in a matter of seconds. It was like a dream… a very bad dream. One minute she had her mind set on some buttery popcorn and a cold Pepsi in front of the television with her lover, and the next thing she knew, her man was shoving guns in a duffle bag, then marching her out the door.
Don’t pretend you didn’t know this man was trouble! she chastised herself. You knew it. You called it before you even let your guard down. It was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed. Now you’ve fooled around and fell in love, and you’ve fallen hard. Just try to get through tonight… try to trust him…
Phoenix, a man she didn’t know but was forced to bet her life on, had kept silent when he’d helped her onto the motorcycle, only identifying himself, then telling her to hold on and not let go before he took off like a rocket. They’d been moving so fast at one point, the skin on her face felt as if it were going to fly off and drift into the sky. Besides the sound of the roaring bike tearing through soft ground and shredding grass and small branches, things were fairly quiet. But then, she heard a strange noise. Like the rustling of trees, only it was louder than the wind could have caused. Then she heard something else… a car in the distance?
“Oh, shit!”
A big black car with its high beams on, barreled towards them. She yelled and pointed as Phoenix turned to his left at the exact same time, raised his gun and shot several times through the car, riddling the vehicle with bullets and shattering the glass. A cold sweat came over her, and her voice caught in her throat. Before they’d gotten too far, she noticed splatters of blood and heard faint groans of pain from whoever was inside the car.
Phoenix patted her hand as if in reassurance that all was well… but all was not well. Oh my God… Lord, please protect us!
After a minute or so, Phoenix slowed down in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Is this still Kage’s property? It had to have been. It was such a vast area, there was no way anyone could walk it all. He suddenly turned to the right and coasted about fifty feet until he came to a complete stop. From her left came a noise. Phoenix seemed rather calm, though she could tell by the way his muscles tensed beneath his jacket that she was still holding with a death grip: he’d heard it, too.
“Stay right here,” he whispered. She wanted to scream as she saw him walking away. Anxiety crept into her cells and chewed away. She didn’t want to be left alone. She wanted to know where the fuck he was going, and when he was coming back! It was too hazardous to ask questions. Too perilous to risk being overheard.