Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“Why aren’t you ready?”
“I told you that she spooked me out when I met her.”
“Actually, you never really told me anything about her.” I frowned. “And why haven’t you told me what’s up with Ufuoma—”
“Oh, here we go—”
“Why don’t you tell me things anymore?”
“Don’t even try that, Em. I tell you everything else. Let me have a few things to myself.”
“What happened with Ufuoma?”
“I feel like Delphine is more important than that.”
“Yeah, but I’m nosy.” I eyed him. “The way I look at this. . .if you’re not telling me what happened with Ufuoma, then you think I would kill her.”
He stirred.
I tapped my foot. “Did she break your heart? Disrespect you? Did she—”
“Drop it, Em—”
“Why? I’m not Kaz. I won’t go ballistic.”
Max hit me with a skeptical look.
“What? I’m not Kaz.”
“Em, there’s a reason you and him are perfect together. You both carry the same violence inside of you.”
“Lunita carries that violence. I’m calm and collect—”
“Bullshit.” Max laughed. “Who do you think you’re talking to right now? Some chump on the street. You’re fucking crazy, Em.”
“I’m not crazy. Lunita is crazy. I’m the sane one.”
Max leaned his head to the side. “The fact that you even have another person in your head that kills people still makes you crazy.”
Good point.
“Well,” I swallowed. “Are you not going to tell me about Ufuoma because you think Lunita might do something to her.”
“Man, I think you would do something to her, before Lunita could even come out.”
I glared. “Then, what did that bitch do?”
Max frowned. “Don’t call her a bitch.”
I groaned in annoyance.
“And leave it alone.”
When I find out, I’m going to knock her head off.
Max sat down on the bed and gestured at the rocking chair. “First we talk about Delphine, then I’ll give you the phone. Okay?”
“Fine.” I lowered into the rocking chair. “Go ahead.”
“Alright. So. . .let’s get to the toughest part first.” He rubbed his face with both hands and then lowered them. “Delphine is my aunt.”
Shock hit me like a ton of bricks. The world around me froze. It took me forever to speak and when I did, all I could say was, “What?”
“Well. . .she’s really my grand aunt because she’s my grandmother’s sister.”
My head spun with tons of questions. “How the hell?”
“I know right. I’m not even going to lie to you. The whole trip to New Orleans fucked me up.”
I swallowed, trying to get my head around what he was saying.
“Even crazier, Delphine is related to Ava.”
I blinked. “Misha’s Ava?”
“Exactly. And she’s related to this other chick you don’t know. This black woman with a huge afro. Her name is Gwen. J.P.’s cousin was all up in her ass. They call him the Comedian, but he’s not as funny as he thinks.”
“Rafael.”
“Yeah.”
“Then, I think I know Gwen.”
Max raised his eyebrows. “How?”
“When J.P. kidnapped me, we hid in these women’s apartment. One of them was Gwen. I’m pretty sure.”
“Well you’ll see her again and Rafael.”
“And. . .Gwen and Ava are related to you?”
“Yeah.”
“What the fuck?”
“I know.”
“But then. . .” I held up my hands. “How?”
Max shrugged. “People fucking and having kids and shit.”
“No, Max. I mean. On what side of your family are you related to them?”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “On my. . .father’s side.”
No.
Shivers of fear ran up my spine.
Max looked away. “By the way. . .Aunt Delphine knows about that.”
My bottom lip quivered. “What do you mean?”
“She told me she knew.”
“Knew what, Max?”
“You know what.” Max scowled at me. “Aunt Delphine knew what my father did to you. She said my bloodline was tainted and I was going to fix it. She also knew Lunita’s name before I even returned to Italy. I had no idea who she was talking about until I heard Kazimir say the name Lunita much later.”
I widened my eyes. “She knew it all?”
“Exactly.”
“But. . .how?”
“This is why I have no doubt that she has some power. And you know I don’t fuck with shit like that. Spirits and demon worshiping stuff. But, check this. She’s Baba, but like multiplied by a thousand.”
Tension gathered around my shoulders. “And, you think she could fix me?”
“Listen. J.P. and I brought Timur to her. And I’m telling you right now, Timur was out of his fucking mind.”
“He seemed fine in Italy.”
“Yo.” Max held his hands up. “Swear on everything. When I first met that motherfucker, he was butt naked talking about an Eagle religion.”
I widened my eyes. “Say what now?”
“Well, actually the first time I met him, he put me to sleep with some shit and then he got me naked too along with J.P. and Boris and was preaching about the eagle.”
“Okay. Hold up.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know what question to ask first about what you just said.”
“Doesn’t matter. Timur was on the highest level of fucked uptivity and after a night with Aunt Delphine, dude was regular.”