Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
That warmth slowly turned to fire, and my love turned to hate.
Now, I want nothing more than to see him burn.
To see them all burn.
“What do you want?” Alarick asks.
“I want to come with you when you go and finish this. I want to be there. If I’m giving the information, I want to be involved in watching it go down. I’ll follow orders, but I’m there.”
Alarick narrows his eyes. “Why?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does when my entire club is at risk if somethin’ goes wrong. I don’t know what you want, Aviana. All I know is you’re fuckin’ bitter and you have somethin’ you want to finish with this club. I don’t trust you, and I have every fuckin’ right to that.”
My chest tightens as I stare at him. I don’t break eye contact. “I understand.”
“So, tell me, why the fuck do you want to come on a dangerous mission?”
“I want to make sure that girl gets home safely.”
“We all do, that ain’t enough for me to take you.”
“I want to see Peter.”
Alarick flinches. “Peter thinks you’re gone, probably dead. Peter don’t need to know where you are. That’s openin’ up somethin’ I’m not entirely sure you can deal with right now. He’s fuckin’ dangerous, and if he knows you’re alive ...”
“What?” I challenge. “What will he do if he knows I’m alive, Alarick? Why don’t you tell me?”
Alarick’s jaw tightens. “He’s a dangerous man. You want away from danger? Goin’ back to him ain’t goin’ to give you that.”
“I’m not going anywhere near him, Alarick. No, I’m going to be the one who takes him down.”
Alarick stares at me, his face twisting slightly. “You’re goin’ to kill him?”
I nod, my face stony. “I’m going to take him out because he ruined my life, my family and now he’s running this shit show. I want him gone, and I want to be the one who does that. I have that right.”
“That’s fuckin’ dangerous, and you’d have to think I was nuts to let you do somethin’ so incredibly stupid.”
“You either agree, or I don’t spill. What’s it going to be?”
Briella gives me a look that is half shocked, half horrified. She would never dare stand up the way I am, but I’m sure if she had something worth fighting for, she would. I know what happened to Magnolia, I know it broke her, I also know she went hunting for justice. She, out of everyone, should understand why I’m doing this.
I have to.
It’s simply how it is.
“That’s fuckin’ blackmail.”
“Call it what you will.” I shrug. “I’m doing what needs to be done. You either let me or you waste even more time trying to find them when I know exactly where they are.”
“If that’s all you fuckin’ wanted, why not just go there and do it yourself?”
I glare at him. “You and I both know that me going there alone isn’t an option. Are you going to do as I ask, or not?”
Alarick’s face is angry, like a god damned scowling dog, but he nods. Small and sharp. I win. It’s about damned time I started calling the shots around here.
If only they knew what would be waiting for them when we arrive.
I’ll kill Peter, no doubt about it.
But Cohen and that club ... They’re not leaving either.
No.
The only one walking away from that place when we’re done will be me.
Finally free.
Finally.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH you?”
I’m walking toward the clubhouse when Briella’s voice calls out over the wind which is currently sending dirt up and all over my damned clothes. I turn to stare at her and see she’s rushing after me, hair whipping across her face. She has some weird haircut—I don’t know why, but it looks like she has a scar on her head. I wonder what happened to her. Once, I would have cared.
Now, I simply do not.
“Hello, Briella ...”
“Seriously, Aviana, who are you?”
I stop and exhale. I’m sick of the questions and the demands. They all want to know what happened to me, why I am the way I am, why I’m being so cold and so heartless. Well, that’s simple ... I’m doing it because it’s who I was created to be. When Cohen sent me away, my life went from being somewhat easy to hell on fucking earth. I was sent with a man that was cruel, and then I had to fend for myself when I tried to escape, ending up on the streets, on drugs, in horrible places, and ended back with the only person I knew could keep a roof over my head.
Who could keep me alive even if it meant living the hardest life I could imagine.
God, she has no fucking idea what life was like for me.
No idea whatsoever.
“I’m not sure I get what you’re asking,” I mutter, crossing my arms. “I’m Aviana, you just don’t like the version of me that you’re seeing.”