Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“Fucking do it, Zade,” he spits.
“Oh, I would, and I would enjoy every fucking second of it, but why do it when I could offer Oakley the chance to do it herself? After all, she’s giving her life for me, so why not allow her the chance to take yours in the process.”
Matthias scoffs. “She would never. She’s too weak.”
“You underestimate her,” I tell him, releasing my hold and shoving him back. “She’s going to surprise you, and by then, it’ll be too fucking late for you.”
Then with that, I turn on my heel and storm back up the long hallway, knowing without a doubt that Matthias Quinn doesn’t have the answers I’m looking for.
Chapter 6
OAKLEY
The early morning sun creates a slight glow through my darkened room, and I pull myself out of bed, rubbing at my sore, tired eyes. It must only be five in the morning. I’ve slept for barely an hour, but I can’t stay here much longer. I need to be as far from this place as possible.
My feet ache with every step I take across the small room, but it’s got nothing on the dull ache residing in my chest.
After quickly using the bathroom and trying to brush my teeth with my finger, I spare a glance in the mirror and hate the stranger staring back at me. This isn’t where I hoped my life would take me. I was supposed to be enjoying college life, working for rent in Danny’s shitty dive bar, and making memories.
Empire was never a part of my plan.
Using up precious minutes I don’t have, I haul the big set of drawers away from the door and slip out into the dewy morning, not nearly as refreshed as I’d hoped. But an hour of sleep is better than no sleep at all.
There are only twenty minutes or so until the sun will be in full force, and I need to be off the streets before then. I can’t risk being out in the open. Empire will be on the hunt by now, and I can only assume there were cameras in the old train tunnel to tell them exactly where I ran to. Hell, I’m lucky to still be alive now, but if I don’t get a move on, the luck will quickly burn out.
Peering around the shitty motel, I take in the shadow, making sure I’m not being watched when I slip down the stairs and dash across the lot to the main office. Barging through the door, I find the horny asshole from last night, sleeping in his desk chair, his wrists still bound to the armrests and his limp dick hanging out.
His eyes spring open at the sound of me storming into the room, and seeing me, he tries to scurry away, pushing back and rolling the chair right into the back wall. “Chill out,” I grunt, not in the mood to deal with his shit as I make my way around his desk to the computer. “I’m not gonna hurt you, not unless you try to do something stupid.”
Moving the computer mouse, the screen comes to life, and I search for the quickest way out of here when I realize that if I want to get out of the state, I’m going to have to backtrack back into Faders Bay to get a train out of here.
Fuck. The biggest question is where the fuck am I going to go.
After quickly searching the train schedule, I come up with a plan, which is probably just as stupid as going back to Faders Bay in the first place. Then turning back to the motel attendant, I give him a beaming smile. “Where’s your phone?”
“Seriously? After all of this, you’re gonna steal my shit as well?”
“Well, I was just going to order an Uber, but that’s not a bad idea. I’m gonna need your wallet too.”
“Fuck.”
He lets out a sigh, and ten minutes later, I walk out of the motel with all of his cash, his hoodie, and an Uber waiting right at the doorstep. The need to double back for the phone pulses through my veins, but knowing my luck, Empire will find out about it and use it to find my stupid ass.
Getting into the back of the Uber, I scooch down in my seat, keeping hidden from the outside world as my stomach turns with the thought of heading back into Faders Bay. I could have caught a million different buses, taking much longer to get anywhere and being exposed while waiting at bus stops, but taking a train will get me where I’m going in no time. Kind of.
It’ll still take a few hours of traveling, but once I get where I’m going, I can take a break, regroup, and come up with a game plan. Until then, my heart won’t stop racing.