Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Billy Mathos and Gael Santos are over on Remington Cove, and Jimmy and Clayborn are over on Glenn.”
Jimmy and Clayborn were names I’d heard before. Deshawn told me all about them when I’d caught him in that alley. They’d started this whole mess with Ruben, and I was ready to end it.
“I’ve got Jimmy and Clayborn, and I’ll take Ghost and Gash with me.” I looked over to Seven as I said, “You take Smitty and Creed over to the cove.”
“You got it.”
“And what about the rest of us?” Prez asked, sounding pissed.
“We need you to go to the clubhouse and hold tight.” I understood that Beck was his son and he felt the need to be in the thick of things, but he’d already put himself in enough danger. “If one of these guys isn’t where Shep thinks they are, then we’ll need you to go take care of them.”
“You got it.”
I gave him a quick nod, and we all dispersed.
As I got back in the truck, I had an uneasy feeling that we were about to encounter something unexpected—something that could change everything. That feeling should’ve had me turning that truck around.
It didn’t.
Nothing was going to stop me from finishing off the Assassins, once and for all.
Jenna
I’d had a bad feeling all day.
It wasn’t the first time.
I’d felt it countless times since moving in with my brother. He’d put me through the ringer with all his craziness, so it made sense that I was always on edge.
But today was different.
All the bells and whistles were going off in my head, and I knew I had to get Luna and I out of there before something terrible happened. As soon as I got off work, I rushed to the daycare and picked up Luna, then drove straight home. I rushed to our room and quickly started gathering everything we owned into a black garbage bag.
Luna sat huddled in a corner, clutching a stuffed animal as she watched me pack our belongings. Her eyes were wide and full of fear as she muttered, “What’s wrong, Momma?”
“We’ve gotta find somewhere else to live, sweetie.” I was terrified that Steven or Jimmy would show up and cause trouble, so I kept glancing over my shoulder every few seconds, making sure we were still alone. “I’ve got to get us somewhere safe.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated, sweetie.” I continued shoving our things into the bag as I told her, “But don’t you worry. Momma is going to take care of it.”
“Can I take Boo?”
Boo was her favorite stuffed animal and most prized possession, so I told her, “Of course you can. You can take anything you want.”
I opened another garbage bag and quickly filled it with Christmas presents I’d bought for Luna. It wasn’t much, just a doll she’d been begging for and a small kitchen playset. I’d used the last of my savings to buy it, but I had no choice. I had to get her something for Christmas.
I was just about to pack the last of my clothes when the front door burst open. Panic washed over me when I heard Jimmy and Steven’s voices, followed by footsteps coming down the hall.
I darted over to Luna and pulled her off the bed. “I need you to hide under the bed. Just for a few minutes, and I need you to be really quiet. I mean it. Not a word. Do you understand?”
With brows furrowed, she nodded and did as I asked. Once she was safely hidden, I dropped the comforter over the foot of the bed, concealing her even more. I continued closing the bag, praying that they would leave us alone, but when I saw my doorknob turn, I knew that wasn’t the case.
The door slowly creaked open, and Steven scowled as he stepped into the now barren room. “What the hell is all this?”
“We’re leaving,” I answered.
“Leaving?” he scoffed. “Where the fuck you think you’re gonna go?”
“That’s not any of your business.”
“You can come stay with me,” Jimmy snickered. “I’ll take real good care of you and your little girl.”
“I don’t think so.”
“See?” Jimmy nudged Steven. “The stuck-up bitch thinks she’s too good for me.”
“She’s got no reason to think that shit,” Steven snapped. “Bitch don’t even got a place to live.”
“Steven,” I pleaded.
“You’ve always thought you were better,” he snarled. “And for no reason. Hell, look at ya. You’re nothing, and you’ll always be nothing.”
Jimmy took a step over to me and wrapped his grubby hands around my waist, pulling me against his chest. “I’m gonna fuck you so good.”
“That’s not happening.” I jerked free from his grasp. “Not now. Not ever.”
“It’s time for you to have an attitude adjustment.”
He raised his hand and smacked it across my face, busting my lip. His face was flushed with anger, and even though I knew more was coming, I sassed, “That all you got?”