Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Go, go, his eyes say. I fucking know you can do it. Life has been dragging you around, leaving you helpless.
You’re not helpless now, Butterfly.
You can do this.
You can help me save them.
I’m with you.
Always.
I nod fiercely.
Just in time for the boat angling away under his touch as I turn and scale the ladder as fast as I can, pulling myself up in quick, short bursts.
When I hit the top, I tumble over the railing and hit the deck.
For now, I’m hidden from easy view by the raised cube of the wheelhouse.
Thank God for small favors.
Every second Aleksander doesn’t see me is one more bite of hope.
I can still hear Ros, though.
She sounds miserable.
I can’t make out what she’s saying, but as long as she’s talking, as long as she’s making noise, she’s alive, she’s on this boat, and I can still bring her home.
Crouching low, I creep along the deck, flattening myself against the wall of the wheelhouse and reeling with every step on the rocking waves.
We’re going too fast, I think.
No one’s paying much attention to piloting the ship. Another problem.
At first, I’m thinking don’t wait for Grant.
Just get to navigation.
Stop the boat.
Then get between Aleksander and Ros—until another scream floats over the deck.
“Leave her alone you—you weirdo! Leave Miss Ros alone!” Nell screams.
Just past the wheelhouse, I catch a flash of blue with rainbow—Mr. Pickle—right before a pint-sized blur flings itself at Aleksander and my sister.
Baby, no!
With one brutish hand still locked on Ros’ wrist, Aleksander whirls around just in time to catch Nell cannonballing against his forearm.
He blocks her and shoves her back.
She goes tumbling to the deck with a heartbreaking cry.
“Well, well,” Aleksander leers, glaring down at Nell with a smile full of murder. “What do we have here? You’re a little young to drown, brat, but if you want to play rough...”
“No! Don’t you dare!” Ros cries, jerking violently on her wrist. “Don’t touch her!”
Aleksander whirls on her with that same awful grin.
“Oh? What will you do for me if I don’t, dearest sissy?”
Gag.
I’m going to be sick.
He effing knows.
We knew it before, but to have this horrid confirmation...
He knew who and what she was the whole time.
And it’s no wonder she’s fighting him with everything she has, rejecting this man like a poison when before she was glued to him.
Ros goes still, staring at him with a pale, horrified look.
All the blood drains from her already pale face.
“You’re disgusting,” she whispers. “All this time, stringing me along, I... I kissed you.”
My gag reflex almost overwhelms me this time.
Especially when Aleksander leans closer, smirking, bringing his mouth near Ros’ while my sister turns away cringing.
“And you loved every filthy, fucked up minute of it. How wet did you get, Ros? Why won’t you just admit you find this exhilarating?”
Holy shit, enough.
I can’t take it anymore.
I’m about to do something monumentally stupid.
Anything to make it stop.
There’s no warning, though.
One second, Ros is frozen in place, her familiar green eyes wide with terror.
The next, a resounding slap echoes over the boat.
Her hand smashes across Aleksander’s cheek so hard his head twists.
There’s my moment.
Aleksander reels, probably seeing double, his face blooming red, ugly-handsome features transformed into a mask of violent rage.
His grip tightens on Ros’ wrist and his hand flies up to strike her.
Before he can regain his balance, I charge forward.
I may be short.
But I make a way better cannonball than little Nell.
I slam into them with all the force I can muster, flinging myself between them and shoving Ros back from Aleksander, forcing him to let her go from pure shock.
Thank God.
We all go tumbling down.
Aleksander in one direction, me and Ros in the other.
As my sister and I hit the deck, clutching at each other, tangled up in the silk folds of her white dress, my heart scrambles.
Nell’s scream cuts through the chaos.
Ros gives me a panicked look before we’re moving again.
Only to freeze almost instantly.
Aleksander rises up on one knee like a snake that just won’t die, his hand snaring Nell’s hair, dragging her against his body.
Something metal materializes in his other hand—a compact black pistol from inside his designer white tux.
Shit, shit, no.
He can’t.
He won’t.
I start inching forward again, then go completely still as Aleksander smirks, aiming the gun dead at us over Nell’s shoulder.
“Ah-ah-ah. Not very smart, little sister. One little flick of the hand and it’ll be her just as easily as you.”
“You animal,” I hiss. “She’s just a little girl. Leave her alone!”
“She was old enough to follow us into trouble, wasn’t she? Such a clever little thing...” He makes the most disgusting kissy face toward a trembling Nell and my heart wrenches. “Too smart for a little brat. If she wants to fight like an adult, she can die like one, too.”
“No!” I thrust a hand out. “No, look, you can do anything you want with me. I swear, we won’t say a word, we just—please don’t hurt her.”