Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
First, this.
I come to a stop at the end of the line, facing a man who was bleary-eyed when he first appeared but is now alert with fear. “Where is Mrs. De Luca?” I ask in a flat voice, staring at him.
He moistens his lips with the tip of his tongue. “I…”
“Speak up. Where is she?”
His brow furrows. He knows the answer and knows I won’t like it. Finally, he mans up. “I thought she was in bed. If not, I don’t know when she got past me, and I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate your candor.” In the next breath, I put a bullet in his head. He drops to the floor.
“Your turn.” I move on to the next man, who looks like he wishes he were anywhere else. He can’t stop looking at the corpse beside him. “Where is Mrs. De Luca?”
“I… I don’t know.” A second gunshot cracks through the air, and now there are two dead bodies at my feet.
Four more to go.
“Next.” I step to the left and fire another shot when I get the same answer. And again. And again. Finally, the sixth useless piece of shit is dead, the garage is full of bodies, and I’m no closer to finding my wife.
Prince’s high-pitched whistle stirs me out of my rage. “What next?” he asks. I appreciate his lack of surprise at the bodies, their blood now mingling and congealing on the concrete floor.
“Get the car,” I mutter, staring down at the carnage Alicia caused. “There’s only one place she could go.”
21
ALICIA
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe they’ll put that on my headstone one day.
Here I am, the only place I could think to go. At first, I figured I would come to school where I knew there were security guards, someplace I didn’t have to feel completely exposed and endangered. I thought once I got here, I’d be able to sit down and think about what to do next. All that mattered was getting away from the house, or so I told myself.
Seven hours later, I have no more of a clue than I did when I first got here. I’m too tired to think, exhausted, practically swaying on my feet. My hand has been wrapped around the straps of this tote bag so tight I wonder if I’ll be able to loosen my fingers and let it go when the time comes. I wonder what people would think if they knew what I’m carrying around. Hey, see that strange, bleary-eyed girl wandering around? She’s got thousands of bucks in diamonds in that bag!
I need to figure something out; that much is obvious. I can’t hang around here forever, going from one building to the other, trying to sneak in a nap before being asked to leave. I don’t have any friends, nobody I am really acquainted with except for Elena. I can’t even call somebody up and ask to stay in their dorm room for a night.
I only thought I understood how isolated my life was before now. It’s almost embarrassing how alone I am as I sit on a bench outside the Activities Center. I was hoping to go in and grab a snack, but of course, my stomach is churning thanks to morning sickness. All I can do is hope I don’t have to throw up. That would make this already miserable experience even more painful. There’s a trashcan next to the bench, so at least I’m covered if nausea wins out.
I wish I had never left the house. Enzo is bound to know by now that I’m gone, and I have no doubt he’ll come looking for me here. After all, it was the only place I could think to go for a reason. I don’t have a home anymore. I don’t have family to turn to. There are only so many options here.
So now, he’ll find me and drag me back to the house, and life will be just a little worse than it was before. He might go back to locking me in my room after this.
And once again, I know I can’t tell him the truth. That I left because my heart was broken. That he hurt me so much last night by not coming home. That I was disgusted and insulted and in tears at the thought of him being with another woman. I’m sure he would think it was hilarious, the idea of him meaning anything to me—either that or he would figure it was all a lie because that’s all he thinks of me now. I’m a liar, a traitor, all of that. He’s determined not to believe anything I say, so it would be a waste of time. I’d only end up hurting worse than before after he dismissed me or laughed at me.