Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
I suddenly want to kiss him so bad.
“It’s easy to sound entertaining when you can switch off the mic or edit the recording. But I don’t know how to talk to people. I’ve been homeschooled since I was twelve, and I didn’t really have many playmates since then. Other than my dog, but he died last year,” I add bitterly. “I’ve been so lonely. It’s why I went to the nightclub. I was just trying… trying to…”
“Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry,” Nico pulls me into a warm hug.
It’s so sudden it feels like sensory overload, and I’m reminded just how under-hugged I am. He strokes my back, and I melt into him. In the baking aisle. Under the leaking pipe.
A lady passing us with her shopping clears her throat, but when I want to pull away, Nico keeps me close.
“His dog died! Have some compassion,” he snarls at the woman.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I—”
“Do we look like we need the pity of a stranger?” Nico asks, and I snort against his fragrant sweater, pushing my nose between the folds of knitted fabric, so very at peace.
So very safe.
Now that I inherited half of my family fort—
My blood runs cold as reality slowly sinks in, and I stutter. “N-nico? I think I know why he did it.”
“Hm?” Nico pulls away enough to look into my eyes, and I shake my head as the world around me crumbles.
“He’s doing it for the money. He doesn’t want me to inherit my half of the fortune now that I’m a legal adult. He… wants it more than he wants me,” I rasp, hypnotized by Nico’s blue gaze.
“Oh no… Is it a lot?” Nico asks and I’m relieved we’re alone in the aisle now as he strokes my back.
I nod, though I don’t know how much money I’m supposed to receive exactly, since Carl has dealt with all our finances since I can remember. “But I’m his little brother. How could he… he’s still gonna have his portion, and that’s millions. He’ll still be free to pursue whatever he wants.”
Nico takes a deep breath, processing all of that. “I’m sorry, Blake. For some people there is no ‘enough’. And… from what you were saying, he wasn’t exactly brother of the year. Now it makes sense that he got you the ID. He encouraged you to go to the place where you were abducted.”
I hide.
My hands rise, covering my face as tears fill my eyes and drizzle down my cheeks. Not only did he not care for me, but he’s actively tried to get me killed.
I can’t believe it.
“It was all a trap. I thought he wanted to help me get out of my shell…”
Nico pulls me close again and strokes the back of my head. What does it say about my life that I’m getting more affection from a serial killer than I ever did from my brother?
“Sweetie… He’ll get what’s coming. I promise. And I’ll keep you safe through it. And we’ll make the cake together.” Nico kisses the side of my head, and it makes me a bawling mess, because he’s here, protecting and helping me, even though I’ve betrayed his trust and caused him so many other problems. Any other killer would have disposed of a witness immediately, but not him. He chose to not only spare me but treat me as someone special. I don’t deserve it. And he called me 'sweetie' again. I’m so relieved I could cry over that too.
“Thank you… I want to make the cake nice,” I sob, utterly pathetic. It’s almost too much to take.
But for once, I don’t feel alone with my feelings.
“It will be. Come on, let’s choose one,” Nico says with a smile and encourages me to browse the shelves, but then his phone beeps, and he pulls it out of my pocket. His expression turns serious, and he shows me the screen. “It’s the hacker. Your password.”
My heart rattles, but at least my attention is diverted. As soon as I put in the agreed-upon code, the next message appears.
[He’s in Aspen.]
Nico reads over my shoulder. “So I guess there’s no point in meeting the hacker in person after all?”
I shake my head as anger rises in my throat. “But if he’s in Aspen… he’ll probably only visit me after Christmas,” I mumble and meet his gaze, greedy for a solution. Because I don’t know what to do.
Nico kisses the side of my head. “Okay. More time to make cake then. We’ll prepare, and I know exactly where to go so you’re safe in the meanwhile.”
A flash of panic goes through me, and I grab his forearm. “Don’t leave me!”
Nico stares at me. “Together, sweetie. We’ll go together.”
My worries disperse like snowflakes in a puddle. I squeeze his arm, then look to either side of the aisle, and when I see we’re still alone, I lean into another hug.