Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Max mumbled to himself, “Usually the darkness shows up once or twice in a year.”
The thick scent of death and blood thickened the air.
He stared at the dead woman and then his knife. “During the Tinder Killer shit, when Darryl was acting up and being crazy. . .her dark side increased a lot. A whole lot. . .but never twice in a week.”
My breathing grew into rapid pants.
I let go of her hand and looked down at my fingers—hard and calloused from years of fighting. Now blood covered each digit. It hadn’t come from Lunita, it was the couple’s blood.
I didn’t regret many things in life, but today. . .I sank in shame.
Mysh, I wish I could start this day over. I would change so much.
“We can’t tell her.” Maxwell scowled at me. “Innocent people. This is a secret you must keep.”
Regret swarmed all around me, seeping into all of my senses. Wet and sticky, it was a bitter taste on my tongue. A spoiled odor coating my nostrils. A deafening sound numbing my eardrums.
It was a heavy stone in the center of my chest, dragging me farther and farther into the depths of a dark pool of sorrow.
It was hard to breathe.
Hard to piece things together in my head.
Hard to see past the dead bodies.
Hard to decipher the pain tearing me apart.
The only thing I knew was that. . .I deserved it all.
“Man. Goddamn it. What the fuck did I say? I tried to tell you.” Maxwell poked two dots into the woman’s calf and then sliced a curvy smile under them. “I begged you to send Em back to Russia. Boris, Blue, and I could have taken her. I told you that if not, then we would have a serial killer situation in Italy.”
Lunita gestured at him and whispered in Spanish, “See what he’s doing. He’s not right in the head.”
I stared at her in horror and then turned to Maxwell.
“But no.” Still drawing on the woman, Maxwell carved a circle around the eyes and smile. “I have it handled. That’s what you said.”
Sweat beaded along my forehead.
How will I tell my mouse? Is he right? I can’t tell her this.
“I told you that boy was hers. I fucking said it.” Maxwell dropped the knife, picked up the dead woman, and carried her over to the small white love seat across from us. “I pointed to the cornrows as evidence.”
Next, he carefully positioned the woman so that she was sitting up. “Did you listen? No.”
Sighing, Maxwell rose and studied her.
She had long, blonde hair parted down the middle. On the right side, Lunita had yanked out a chunk of it. Blood still dripped from the scalp and the rest of that side was matted with drying blood. Red lipstick painted her lips and had smeared some of her cheeks. That had probably happened during her struggle with Lunita. Her white shirt and pants were ripped and dotted with blood.
“Damn it.” Shaking his head, Maxwell shifted the woman, probably to make sure that she was perfectly vertical.
Lunita turned to me and tapped her forehead twice. “Crazy.”
“Fuck.” Maxwell leaned over again, buttoned the top of the woman’s shirt, and brushed the side down. “Okay. That’s done.”
Maxwell went back to get his knife and then walked to the man. He still lay in the center of the doorway with his neck slashed open. Stab wounds littered his chest.
“Don’t you fucking tell her about this.” Maxwell sneered. “Listen to me. Don’t you fucking do it.”
Emily would never forgive herself.
My heart ached for my mouse. I wanted to take away her pain and fear. But I had no power to do that. I was helpless. No amount of men or guns could save the day.
Maxwell kneeled by the man and stared at his neck. “When I said to just drop the issue on Paolo, you should have just did it. . .”
Black dots appeared in my eyesight. Then, my vision blurred a little. I blinked through it and tried to catch my breath.
“But, what do you do?” Maxwell lifted the man’s arm and poked two dots on his hand. “You must fucking have your way. But, then that. . .dark side. . .will have her way and in the end. . .no one is thinking of Emily.”
Pressure built in my chest. My breathing didn’t improve. It was as if the air was sucked from the room.
Get control of yourself.
I returned my view to in front of me.
Lifeless, the dead woman stared back. Her eyes were wide in shock. Her mouth hung open as if in the middle of a scream.
I shivered.
“Now what?” Maxwell continued, “Dead people. Do you care? Probably not. Psycho piece of shit.”
Lunita turned from him and watched me.
I had no idea what was going on in that shattered mind.
But to my surprise, she took my hand and squeezed it. Our fingers intertwined. That gave me some strength to keep my emotions at bay.