Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
His face slowly falls. The confidence leeches away, leaving the weak little squirrelly man behind. I hate his stupid face and his weakness. His shoulders slump. “I’m tired of covering for you, Emilio. I’m done, okay? I’m throwing in with Cask. Now please, get out.”
“Malcolm is willing to kidnap my people to keep hold of his power. You think he’ll roll over when you try to ruin him? You’re only making your life harder.”
“Get out.”
“Tell them to let Lesley go or I will fuck you so hard you feel my dick in your mouth every time you to go brush your teeth. Have a nice day.”
I turn and leave the way I came. I have no clue if he’s going to do what I want, but at least he understands his choices better. If he fucks this up and Lesley isn’t returned to me, I will release that recording and watch him burn with a gleeful smile. I don’t need him—he only makes my life easier. The second he stops doing that is the second I watch him go up in flames.
Once in the back yard, I start down toward the palms and bushes, but stop midway there.
Kaye’s standing next to a tree, staring at me with wide, confused eyes.
What the hell is she doing here? I was careful when I left, but I’m distracted. I must not have noticed her sneaking along in my wake, watching my every move.
“You followed me,” I say, standing very still.
She chews her lip and looks past me. “Those are the administrative houses. Who were you talking to?”
“You don’t need to know.” I walk past her into the underbrush and skirt along toward the paths. She hurries to catch up.
“Why are you being shady?”
“Because this isn’t your business.”
“I thought I’m Calico now. I thought we weren’t keeping secrets.”
I glare back at her. “You thought wrong then.”
She looks hurt. It breaks my goddamn heart, but Lesley’s in trouble and I don’t have time for this right now. I keep walking, mind racing, trying to figure out a way to get leverage over Malcolm so that I can get Lesley back safely in case my conversation with Dean Wotherspoon doesn’t work out. Kaye shadows me and walks at my elbow once we’re on campus.
“I know how much she means to you,” she says softly and touches my arm. “But, Emilio, you can’t—”
I stop walking and face her, seething. “I can’t, what? Tell me what I can’t do, pet. There’s nothing in this world I can’t fucking do. There’s nothing in this world I won’t do for my friends, you included, but right now it’s Lesley that’s in trouble. I can’t tell you who I was talking to back there. I can’t tell you why. All you need to know is it might help.”
She looks down at the ground. I can tell she’s struggling. She wants to push, to beg me to tell her what I was doing, but I can’t go there.
She can’t know. Her, in particular.
Kaye can’t ever know who I was talking to and why he listens to me.
My expression softens. I reach out and gently touch her chin, lifting her eyes up to meet mine. She’s hurt and angry, but most of all, she’s scared. She likes Lesley—somehow they’ve gotten close through all this mess.
Leave it to Lesley to find the best in another Drake sister.
“You need to trust me. I’m doing what’s best right now.”
“You’re hiding from me again. It just makes me worried.”
“I know, but I’m asking you to trust me anyway.”
She hesitates, but nods once. “Okay, I’ll trust you.”
“Good pet.” I lean down and kiss her gently. “Now, go back to Calico House. Make sure everyone there is keeping calm. I don’t want them doing something stupid.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to wait for Lesley to come home, and if she doesn’t, I’m going to war.” I kiss her one more time before walking off, already planning how I’m going to kill a house full of college kids and carry their bodies into the sea.
Chapter 20
Kaye
Everyone in Calico House is an anxious nightmare. Dom and Nathan are at each other’s throats. Terrence disappears for hours. Jayson plays obscenely loud music. Paola sits in the sun and refuses to talk to anyone. Even Dirk cooks obsessively, offering people pizza, roast chicken, baked eggs, fresh bread, whatever other random dish he happens to whip up.
I hide out on the front porch, waiting for Emilio to come back.
The day drags. I keep thinking about his face as he came out of that teacher’s townhouse. Who was he going to visit? Who at this entire school could help us right now? His refusal to tell me anything concrete made my spine shiver and I’m still worried as hell.
He’s going to do something violent.