Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
The gunfire all ceases at once. I think. Either that or my hearing is gone completely.
“I really fucking hope I didn’t just get everyone killed,” Rush says just loud enough to be heard.
“You still alive, you arrogant, stupid, pussy-whipped boy?” Herrin calls out, his tone sounding way too damn smug.
“Whoever touches her will lose both hands once I get out from behind this bar. Food for thought, for those of you with a brain cell still in your head,” he chirps, spirits far too bright.
He broods after orgasms. He jokes around when blood is on the line.
He’s not the same boy I fell in love with. At all.
I’m terrified how much more I think it makes me love him, because it’s the only thing keeping me together right now—his arrogant dismissal of Herrin.
Herrin’s rumble of laughter is the only response he gives. Idly, I notice no one joins him in laughing.
Rush just came back from the dead. He’s got the upper hand, whether Pop knows it or not.
A strangled cry of agony bursts forth in surprise from my lips, as a fiery slice of pain lances my scalp. I’m yanked to my feet by an unforgiving, unrelenting grip.
“People need to start paying more attention to my threats. It’s not like I make them with empty promise,” Rush gripes.
“I’m going to start by killing Sledge. After that, I’m going to work my way down the list, in order of who you’re closest to. If you’re still not out by the time I get to Kara, I’m going to let my men take turns fucking her in this very room. We’ll see how long you cower behind that bar then,” Herrin threatens, quickly regaining the upper hand.
I really hate him. He makes me overthink too much shi—
Music to a familiar song suddenly starts blasting through the warehouse, and my lips curve in a slow grin as a few hushed whispers break out. I never thought I’d smile when hearing this song ever again.
I bet none of this lot thought they’d ever be freaked out by the melodious sound of Julie Andrews.
Everyone is looking around, backing up as they ready their firearms, searching for the girl they’ve apparently studied up on, since this song isn’t all that intimidating without the backstory.
My smile dies in the next instant as my teeth get rattled and pain slices through my jaw as I gag against the metal barrel of the gun being shoved inside.
Pop. Pop’s the one who’s got me. I went and let myself get captured, while Rush was giving me all the distraction I needed to get hidden like all the others clearly did. I froze. I fucking froze.
“Did you change the fucking codes?” Herrin snaps.
“We did,” another answers.
It’s all just chatter, because I’m no longer among the living. The second this gun went into my mouth, my fate was sealed.
So stupid. I’m so stupid.
A tear drips from my eye before I can stop it, and I steel myself the best I can, even though I already feel dead inside. A cold washes over me.
The anticipation seems to leave them restless, because Sarah/AJ is taking her time lining up the shot that better go into Herrin’s forehead. If I have to die, at the very least, he should go with me.
“Shoot me, and this bullet goes into her fucking brains,” Herrin calls out, eyes darting from one place to another.
“There’s a reason no stray bullets hit her,” Rush calls out in a lazy drawl. “Herrin, not even you’re stupid enough to harm her with me in this room. Clearly you know my affections for her; otherwise, you’d have chosen Eve as your hostage. She’d clearly be worth more to everyone. Everyone but me, that is.”
My eyes lift, staring at the bar where Rush is still hidden from sight.
The song barely ends before it starts back over, the volume steadily growing louder.
I don’t see Eve or any of the others, so I’m assuming they’ve gotten out of the line of fire. I’m the only damsel in distress, and I’m supposed to be the most formidable survivalist. If I wasn’t so devastated, I’d have just enough energy to be ashamed of myself.
As if the seal is ruptured, five rapid fire bullets soar into the air from an undetermined location, taking out the five men surrounding Herrin in a circle.
Cheese and rice, my heart is in my throat right now. I take it back. I hate adrenaline rushes these days. I’m not even turned on right now I’d just like to piss somewhere other than on myself.
The bodies drop all around us, and there’s only the sound of their collapse inside the room for a brief second.
In the next, the spray of aimless bullets has me wincing.
Silence descends all at once, and I idly notice ten more men have fallen all around us…