Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Suddenly, the bushes behind me rustle, and I look up, my heart racing, thinking it’s Kai. But when Jason walks into the garden, my heart immediately sinks into my shoes.
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing. Expecting someone?”
I throw my books down on my bag and get up. “What the hell do you want?”
“I think we need to talk.” He rubs his nose. “You’ve been avoiding me ever since that dinner.”
“Yeah. I think I was clear enough, right?” I say.
He approaches, and I don’t like it one bit. “Look, I fucked up. I get that, okay? Can’t we talk?”
“No,” I say.
“You won’t even let me apologize?”
I fold my arms. “Not interested.”
He comes even closer, holding out his hand. “C’mon, Lana, I just want one chance. I know now what I did wrong.”
I step back, away from his grip. “Don’t. Don’t even fucking try after what you did.”
“It was just a bunch of pictures,” he says. “I get that now.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” I say, shaking my head. “You tried to blame me.”
“I don’t want anyone to look at you like that. Please, Lana, you have to know I care.” He attempts to grab my hand, but I jerk away. When he gets too close, I push him away.
“Ew, get off me.”
“Why would you say that? I’m trying to make things right with you.”
“I don’t want you anymore,” I say, my voice becoming unhinged.
“Not now, but maybe in the future. I’ll wait for you,” he says, gripping my arm. “Just tell me who they were.”
“What?” I push him away and try to jerk my arm free, but he won’t let me go. “No, let me go.”
“Goddammit, Lana, you have to trust me!”
When I finally manage to wring free, I run off into the snowed-under maze to try to get away from him. Even though my knife pokes into my thigh from my pocket, I don’t want to pull it on him. I don’t want to hurt him.
But I can hear his footsteps behind me, cracking through the snow, and it strikes fear into my heart.
Not because I’m afraid of him, but afraid of what I’ll have to do if he won’t let me go.
“Leave me the fuck alone, Jason!” I yell, bumping into some snowed-under rose bushes on my way through the maze.
Thorny roses push into my skin, but I try to ignore it as I keep running.
“I need you to be safe, Lana! Please! Stop and talk to me!”
I come to a full stop in front of a dead-end.
Shit.
I turn around, and he’s right there in the only exit out of this part of the maze.
Fuck.
I don’t want to fight him.
Jason used to be here when I needed him. When I needed to lull that part inside me that screamed to be let out.
But now it’s too late. Too late to put the genie back into the bottle.
“Stop,” I tell him as he walks closer. “I cannot give you what you want.”
“I’m just asking you to tell me who took those pictures,” he says, approaching fast. “I want to protect you.”
“Too late. I gave you a chance to help me, and you didn’t take it,” I say, tears welling up in my eyes. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”
His face contorts. He’s mere inches away from me. “You’re my girlfriend. I won’t allow that. I need you.”
My heart’s beating in my throat when someone jumps out of the rose bush, skin cuts and snow all over, and thrusts a knife right to Jason’s face.
Kai.
“One more inch. One touch. And your eye meets my blade.”
I’m frozen to the ground.
His whole body is covered in an aura of violence, like a silent killer ready to strike. And the mere sight of him even makes Jason’s knees weak.
“I’m …”
“I know who you are,” Kai says, an air of calm and collectedness surrounding him, like a ghost before it’s about to haunt its victim’s soul. “Jason Foley from the Skull & Serpent Society.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Jason growls back.
“Kai,” he hisses, tilting his head.
Jason’s eyes widen. “Torres.”
“So you do know me,” Kai muses, smiling.
“Lana …” Jason’s eyes skitter between Kai and me like he’s trying to warn me.
“Didn’t you hear? She doesn’t want you,” Kai says, his voice low, commanding.
Jason looks over Kai’s shoulder at me. “You know this dude?”
But Kai raises his knife again, pushing it into his forehead so deeply a bloodied mark appears. “Don’t talk to her. Talk to me.”
Wow. I’ve never been guarded like this.
It almost makes me feel … protected.
Jason’s lip quivers. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You. I’ve got a problem with you trying to touch my girl.”
“Your girl?” Jason’s brows furrow.
Oh fuck no. Now he’s gone and done it.
“No, no, she’s my—”
“Girlfriend?” Kai mocks. “The girlfriend you can’t even please?”