Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
I miss him.
I miss the easy times we had together.
Before all this. Before the confusing shift with Ryder and the turmoil of the trespassers. Before Wild showed up with his stupid lies.
I’m leaned up against the side of the big house behind a tree under Kota and Declan’s window, hiding from having to do any chores, when Mage and Spirit dart past me, yipping at each other. Those pups double in size each day, I swear.
I’m still staring after the wolf pups when I notice Ronan has come to stand at the edge of the house. He’s scrubbing at his hands with a cloth frantically. Concern has me hopping to my feet, abandoning my hideout, to check on him.
Blood.
His hands are covered in it.
“Ro, what happened?” I demand as I rush over to him. “Are you hurt?”
Upon seeing me, he visibly relaxes, which does wonders to take my own edge off. “It’s not mine. It’s Kristen’s.”
I take the damp cloth from him and start to clean his hands for him since he was absently scrubbing in the same spot over and over. “Is she okay?”
His pained eyes pin me. “She…She tried to kill herself.”
“What?” I gape at him in shock. “Why?”
“Those rapists really fucked her up, Rae. She was speaking all sorts of nonsense. They made her crazy!”
I tear my gaze from his to focus on cleaning him off. He’ll have to take a dip in the river to scrub the blood from beneath his nails, but at least I’ve gotten most of it off.
“Is she okay?” I ask, taking his hand in mine. “Are you okay?”
“Dad’s sewing her up. He said they’re flesh wounds and look worse than they are.” Ronan sighs and drops a head on my shoulder. “I, uh, I had to hold pressure to her cuts. I was terrified of messing up. Logan would’ve hated me for letting his wife die.”
My hackles rise at the mention of one of them. Ronan shouldn’t give a damn about what those people think about him. But he’s always been the most tenderhearted of the three of us. I wouldn’t have him any other way.
“You’re awfully sad about this woman we barely know,” I murmur, giving his hand a squeeze. “Are you letting Wild’s lies get to you?”
He lifts his head off my shoulder and looks down at his feet. “Nah, it’s not that.”
“Well, if it is, I understand. It bothers me too, which is why I’m going to confront Mom and Dad today.”
Ronan snaps his attention to me and frowns. “W-What? Why?”
“Because I need to hear it from them that it’s not true. That they didn’t willingly put all their kids’ lives in danger. I have to know.”
He shakes his head, eyes flaring with panic. “You can’t.”
“Why not?” I scoff at him.
His hand pulls out of mine and he runs his bloodstained fingers through his messy hair. “Because they’ll send you away too, Raegan. I can’t lose you too!”
Every muscle in my body stiffens as I let his words sink in. They’re cold and ominous. A threat of something that’s going to destroy me. I know this because the heartbreak that’s making his eyes glassy and his bottom lip shaky will destroy me too.
“Who’s being sent away?” I choke out. “Who, Ro?”
Somehow, I know.
I can feel it in my bones.
But I need to hear it.
“Rowdy?” I ask, voice squeaky. “It fucked him up last time. He’s broken now.”
“Forget I said anything,” Ronan mutters, tearing his eyes from mine to focus on something unimportant behind me. “It’s nothing.”
Great. So now my own brother and best friend is going to lie to me too. Everyone in this freaking state is a liar and I’m so over it. It certainly makes me want to hitch a ride with stupid Wild out of here so I can start a life away from all the liars.
Now who’s the liar, liar?
“It’s not nothing. Tell me, dammit!” I shriek, shoving at his shoulder. “So help me, Ronan, if you don’t tell me, I’ll—”
“They’re sending Ryder away.” His teeth grind together and his jaw muscle flexes. “They’re sending him away because they’re worried he’ll get you pregnant.”
What?
Is he joking right now?
Based on the horrified expression on his face, I realize he’s not.
My parents are clearly insane.
I stagger away from my brother shaking my head. “That’s stupid. He’s not going to get me pregnant. I don’t even want any stupid babies!”
Ronan says nothing and won’t meet my eyes.
“They’re hypocrites,” I snarl. “If what Wild says is true, then they’re lying hypocrites. How dare them!”
As Ronan’s words sink in, my heart feels as though it’s shattering into a million tiny pieces, turning into sand and being washed away by the river of deceit. Yes, deceit.
“Ryder told you, but he didn’t tell me?” I ask, voice shaking with a mixture of anger and devastation. “It’s always been you two with me as an afterthought.”