Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Take her with you,” I order.
“Fuck off,” my brother says and hangs up the phone.
Turning back to Sarah, I approach her slowly, the knife still in my hand. She jolts at seeing the blade come near her, and I smile and lean down, then cut the ties that bind her hands.
“It’s your lucky day. I have to go. And remember, if you go near her again, you’ll lose more than one finger.” I pull back and slide the knife into its sheath. When she doesn’t answer, I step closer and bend down, my menacing eyes focusing directly on hers. “Do. You. Understand?” I ask, my words coming out as a growl.
She nods emphatically, and I ruffle her hair before I stride out.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Alaska
Ha, take that, bitch.
Hands wrap around me as heat licks my face. They are careful not to touch my stomach as they lift me.
“Put me down,” I shout.
“Fuck! Are you trying to get us locked up? You’re fucking crazy.” I laugh at Kyson’s words and smile as I look back to the house.
Zuko’s house.
Which is now up in flames.
That’s what he gets.
I didn’t give him permission to take matters into his own hands and go crazy on someone.
Granted, she deserved it, but still.
I wanted to deal with it myself.
I didn’t ask him to go all macho and handle my stuff. I’m a strong, independent woman and can do that shit by myself, thank you very much.
“Put me down,” I tell Kyson again as we reach his car.
“No. Get the fuck in the car. I don’t want to be locked up today.” He places me in the back seat of the car as the sirens get closer. “You better not fucking run again,” he warns. I smile at him, and he shakes his head as he gets into the front seat and starts the engine. As soon as he is about to take off, I jump out of the car.
That was a really stupid mistake.
Because it burns.
A lot.
Fucking hell! I wince and glance back at Kyson. He gives me a murderous glare before he drives off.
I sit on the grass in front of the house as I watch it burn. Firefighters rush to put the flames out as neighbors come to see what’s happening. One person asks me if I’m okay, and I look down to see my shirt has blood on it. Great. Lifting my head, I watch as the fire is put out, but everything inside is burned.
Ha, take that asshole.
“Are you enjoying the show?” I stiffen as Zuko stops in front of me, his hands hanging loosely at his sides and sunglasses covering his eyes.
“Yes, very much so.” I give him a smug smile.
“You set my house on fire,” he states.
“Look at you, Captain Obvious.” I laugh, and it hurts when I do. Fuck this stomach wound.
He bends down, so we are eye-to-eye. “Why?”
“I warned you time and time again. It’s not my fault you chose not to listen.” I shrug. He lifts his sunglasses so I can see his eyes. They stare back at me, and I have to remember to breathe.
“Fair point,” he replies.
“What did you do to her?” I ask. “You better not have killed her. Because if you did, I’m going to do much worse next.”
Zuko fights a smirk before he shakes his head and scoffs. “What do you plan to do, Trouble?”
“I’ll find something else you love to set on fire,” I snap. “Why are you smirking?”
“Because that’s funny. I’ve never loved anything in this life.”
I’m shocked at his words, so I cover it and point to the house. “You didn’t love your house?”
“Nope. If you noticed, there was nothing personal in there. Though I am disappointed, I have to shop again…for everything. I fucking hate shopping, especially for clothes.”
“I love shopping for clothes,” I mention as two police officers approach us.
Zuko stands, and they ask him what happened. He lies and says he was asleep and left a candle too close to a curtain, that it was too late by the time he woke, and that he barely made it outside, then he heard sirens.
I sit there as he tells a perfectly crafted lie.
The officers stare down at me for a moment, and then their attention turns back to Zuko.
“So, accidental?” they ask.
“Yep. No insurance would accept this. So I guess I’ll just have to rebuild myself.” They nod, happy with that, then write down a few particulars on their notepads.
“That will go into the report. So if you change your mind, the insurance company will see this,” one of them says.
“I get that,” he states, his tone bored and unconcerned. They seem taken aback by him. Both are standing a distance away from him, and they give him a nod before they turn and step off.
“Do I need to carry you, or can you walk?” Zuko asks, looming above me. I roll my eyes and stand. I try my best not to show any pain when I stand, but I must admit I am walking a little funny.