Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Ryker was five when they had me, but we were never brothers. He was always on the outside. That’s why he never changed his name. It’s because my mom never did fit in. He didn’t want to belong, just like she didn’t. They didn’t fit in. Like you never will.”
He spits the insult at me and resumes pacing. He’s on a roll now and I don’t have to ask him any questions to keep him talking. But as he does, I look around for some sort of weapon I can use to protect myself if he comes at me.
“They cut me off and gave me no choice. They said I needed to learn some independence and take responsibility for my actions. That they were entrusting the business to Ryker because he had proven himself. But I’m their son!” His shout echoes through the warehouse. “I’m the rightful heir to the Hamilton fortune and they’ve cut me out of it. Ryker was their golden child from the beginning, even though I deserved it. My own father praised that bastard more than he ever did me.”
He lets out a growl and he clenches his free hand into a fist. I’m not sure my plan is working because he’s only getting angrier.
“Now the cops are after me, the guys we stole the art from are on to us. The buyers are demanding their money and threatening to kill me. What am I supposed to do?”
He turns to look at me and there is a panic in his eyes. His own reality is crashing in on him as he gives voice to his problems.
“We’ll fix this,” Lilith offers, her voice low and soothing. “We can make it all go away. Just give me the gun.”
I watch as she holds out her hands, slowly moving closer to Fritz. She’s only a couple of feet from him, but he doesn’t move as she gets closer.
“We can work this out, Fritz.” She’s inches away from him now. “Give me the gun and we’ll get out of here. Just you and me.”
As she says the last words, something snaps in Fritz. Anger falls over his face and before I can blink he fires the gun.
Lilith screams and grabs her side as she crumples to the ground. For a second Fritz looks panicked, like he didn’t mean to shoot it, but he swallows and the mask falls right back into place.
My hand goes to my mouth. I’m shocked and unable to move. Lilith is on the ground as Fritz stands over her, shouting. “You and me? It was never you and me. It was always you. I was your little errand boy and all you ever did was tell me how I fucked this up. Don’t patronize me, Lilith!”
I watch as his anger builds and builds, until he turns his eyes on me. A chill runs down my spine as he steps over to where I’m sitting on the crate.
“What will fix this is killing you, Blair. All I have to do is make it look like you were the one working with Lilith and all of this will go away.” He smirks, a crazy, happy look in his eyes like he’s got it all figured out now.
He grabs the files off the crate next to me and throws them on the ground beside Lilith. She’s crying, and the pool of blood surrounding her is growing. If she doesn’t get help soon she may bleed to death. I can’t help but feel bad for her, even though I know she’s all kinds of mixed up in this herself. Her hands aren’t clean.
“Please, Fritz, don’t do this.” I don’t know how to convince him that none of this will work. Killing me won’t solve anything. But he can’t see that right now. He’s too far gone. I just have to get through to him somehow. “If you do this, it will destroy your parents. Don’t do this to them. I know they love you.”
“You don’t know shit,” he says, but I can hear the waver in his voice.
“I know that I would love my child no matter what they did,” I say, and I know it’s true. If I’m somehow carrying Ryker’s child right now, I would love our baby without exception. “And I know your mom would do anything to keep you from hurting someone or hurting yourself.” I may have only spent a day with Kathleen, but I know this to be true. Just seeing how she was with Ryker was telling.
“She doesn’t care.” This time there’s no power to his words. He looks down at the floor and I can see his shoulders sag. He doesn’t even believe his own words.
“I know that if you turned yourself in, she wouldn’t lose you,” I push, trying to make him see another choice. As much as I don’t care for Fritz in this moment, I don’t want this pain for his mom and dad. They are good people, and it’s clear Fritz isn't well in the head and is having a complete breakdown. “The police can offer you protection. All you have to do is put the gun down.”