Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
I laugh at Abaddon’s words, but I feel nothing, just a void of emptiness. As if what I’ve just done is worse than the sins we’ve already committed.
Abaddon stumbles back as I punch him in the face. Walking over to the discarded file, I pick it up and shove it at him. “I should do worse.”
Abaddon opens the file and squints before gazing up at me. “You expect me to read all this? It’s like a damn novel.”
“Second page. Read the name on the file.”
I turn to Eden, tucked in Iblis’ arms. She doesn’t know that no one can save her once Abaddon sees what’s in the file.
Abaddon swears under his breath before jumping up and heading toward Eden, waving the file in his bloodstained hand. “Why do you have this?”
Eden’s mouth tightens. If she thinks we’ll settle for her silence, she’s sorely mistaken.
Abaddon tugs at her hair, forcing Iblis to let her go so she doesn’t get hurt. He drags her, ripping her hair from her scalp. He drops her by the fire, lifting the hot poker from the flames. “Tell me what I want to know, or I’ll make you. Either way, you’re going to talk.”
Eden lifts her arm, holding it out for Abaddon.
He laughs and grips her throat, holding her still as the poker hovers above her right cheek. “You think I’ll leave you pretty?”
Who sent her? Why, after all these years? What does she want? Can I do what’s necessary and kill her?
Chapter Twenty-One
ABADDON
My hand shakes as I hold the hot poker an inch from her cheek. One false move, and Eden will have a permanent brand on her face.
Please fuckin’ talk.
“Why do you care about Delilah?” I ask.
“Why the fuck do you care about her?” Eden spits. “You don’t even know her.”
“Doesn’t matter why I care. I just do.” I move the poker closer. “Tick-tock Eden. Tick-fucking-tock.”
“Do you know them?” Eden whimpers. “Do you know the boys? Where are they?”
“The question isn’t about the boys. It’s about Delilah. Why do you care about her?”
Eden struggles against my hand, trying to pull away. Fear lances through me. She’ll make me do it. This is the first time in two years that I’ll have to kill someone I don’t want to.
“Delilah is my real name!” she screams.
The earth stops spinning, and the world ends. I drop the poker and fall to my knees.
“He seems kind. Maybe he’ll let me visit,” Delilah whispers. Her little hands fidget with the hem of her neon pink T-shirt.
“I’m sure he’ll let you,” Jacob states, slinging an arm around her delicate shoulder. “Besides, you’re safe now. They all understand not to bother you. Esau and I took care of it.”
We sure did. Told all those stupid kids that if they mess with her, they mess with us. Jacob even told them our new dad was rich and we could come back whenever we wanted to take care of them. But I’m not sure if that’s true because when we begged him to take Delilah, he said no. Said he only wants boys.
I get that boys are awesome, but why wouldn’t someone want a girl, especially one as amazing as Di? Perhaps I should have told him she runs faster than Jacob and me. She also catches frogs, likes baseball, and prefers pants to skirts. That last part I don’t like because when Mrs. Dodgley makes her wear a dress for Sunday service, she looks so pretty, like the brightest rainbow you’d ever see.
Delilah removes the bunched-up shirts from my suitcase and folds them like they do at the mall. “You’re going to have another brother now. Are you happy about that?”
“He looks like a jerk,” Jacob says before I can get a word out. “Besides, who needs a brother when we’ve got the best sister in the world right here? I’d tell that man we don’t want him if I could. He’s an idiot for not wanting you too.”
Delilah blushes a sweet pink color. She turns to Jacob with a smile. “You get an actual parent and your own room, with your own things. I would never ask you to stay here. I’m sure someone will come and get me.”
I lock eyes with Eden. She’s not the little girl from before. She’s more somehow. Shame floods me at what I was about to do to her, at what we’ve already done to her. Our Delilah. The girl we’d slay dragons for.
I crawl in the dirt by her feet, hoping I can turn this around.
She scurries back as tears trail down her face. “Stay the fuck away from me.”
“Delilah,” I whisper. “We thought you were dead. We searched. I promise we did. For years. There’s even a grave with your name in Paris. A death certificate. You can’t grasp the pain we suffered, knowing you were gone forever.”