Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 76934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“God, Zeno was so cool and calculated tonight,” she said. “When we showed up, he just casually turned in his chair, seeming completely unbothered by everything. But then when Liam came in, the two seemed to be communicating silently. And… and then Zeno attacked the one guy. And after Liam shot the other guy… he just… stuck the metal into the guy’s throat…”
“Think we all can do what needs to be done in that kind of situation. Zeno… he was trying to make sure that Liam didn’t kill someone. He didn’t want that on his conscience.”
“It’s not over, though, is it? Those guys probably weren’t working alone…”
“We don’t know that yet. Or maybe we do,” I said when my phone started ringing in my pocket.
I reached for it while staying put. It wasn’t like Alara could be any more implicated in this than she already was.
“Hey, Lorenzo,” I said, pulling Alara closer. “What’s up?”
“How’s everyone doing?”
“Liam and Char are sleeping. Alara is right here with me.”
“Okay. Well, turns out these geniuses were carrying the password around in their damn wallets.”
“What did Zeno find?”
“Blackmail, technically. But it’s worse than that. Robin was a neighbor to the two fucks tonight. Used to hang out with them growing up. Seems like maybe her own household was not a happy one.”
Beside me, Alara sighed.
“I don’t like where my mind is going,” she said.
“It’s unfortunately, probably in the right direction. Turns out she was being abused by their dad. And, later, them too. And she had no one to tell. Seems like she maybe tried to move on with her life when she was old enough. Until she found CSAM online.”
“CSAM?” I repeated.
“Child sexual abuse material,” Alara supplied.
“Of herself,” Lorenzo added.
“Christ,” I hissed.
“Not bad enough they abused her, but they had to share it for other disgusting perverts to watch too. I guess she found a way into their place or their old man’s place and she stole one of their flash drives.”
“It’s enough to kill someone over,” I said. “Prison doesn’t like men who touch kids.”
“Is the dad still alive?” Alara asked.
“He is. As soon as the bodies are fully disposed of, Zeno is going to talk to one of our contacts on the force. See if they can do something about the bastard. Robin deserves that.”
“If they won’t,” Alara said, choosing her words carefully, “maybe Brio can.”
There was a pause from Lorenzo. “I’d be good with that. We all got kids in this city.”
“Can we… can we pay for Robin’s funeral? She never got any dignity in life. Maybe we can give it to her in death.”
“Yeah, babe, we’ll do that,” Lorenzo assured her. “I’ll let you guys know when we have any updates.”
“Thanks, man,” I said. “You okay?” I asked when I set the phone down.
“I mean, I know Robin was already dead, but this is just… so much sadder than I anticipated.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Ugly fucking world to be raising kids in.”
“Char and Liam are going to bring more good into it.”
“Yeah, they are.”
“Christopher?”
“Yeah?”
“I almost died tonight.”
“I know,” I agreed, squeezing her. “Don’t remind me.”
“So, I think maybe that’s what’s making me admit this already,” she said, pressing her head against my chest. “But, um, I think I might be a little bit in love with you.”
Fuck.
That made my heart feel like it was too big for my damn chest.
“Well, good. Because I’m definitely in love with you.”
Alara - 1 day
The second my eyes opened, the pain started.
In my foot, my face, the side where the attacker’s arms wrapped too tightly around me to drag me up to Zeno’s apartment.
Then there was the pounding in my head, the nausea rolling in my stomach, and a dizziness I didn’t expect. I didn’t know a lot about chloroform, but I didn’t imagine inhaling it was good for you. Maybe this was a hangover from that.
Under all that, though, was a sore throat from hell.
Like I’d been gargling glass and rocks at the same time.
There was something else, though.
A too-hot feeling in my face.
When I reached up, I was clammy to the touch.
Did Char and I catch the same bug?
Did I have that to look forward to on top of everything else?
Needing something cold to drink, some meds, and to complain to a sympathetic ear, I slid off the bed and swiveled on my good foot to drop my ass into the electric wheelchair Christopher must have moved in sometime while I was passed out.
I hoped for his sake—as the only well and uninjured person in the house—that he got at least a few hours of sleep.
It took me a second to figure out the knob on the chair. I still managed to ram the foot into the doorway twice before I got through it, but I imagined this was leaps and bounds better than crutches.