Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
I swallow past the anger of having him inside such a small space. Fighting the urge to not wrap my fingers around his neck and watch as his life bleeds from his eyes.
His mouth twitches. “If it’s any consolation, I had nothing to do with dear Poppy’s death…” Liar. He had everything to do with her. I wince at the mention of her name, and before I can gather my thoughts again, he’s slammed the door closed and locked me inside.
Silence. Nothing. But silence.
He dangles the keys in front of him and I launch forward, banging on the glass, only it echoes with silence. A Cheshire Cat smile spreads over his face as he wiggles his finger in front of me. “No, no! Don’t worry.” He tilts his head. “I’m going to bring some friends in here for you by the end of the week.”
I watch as he disappears the same way I came through. I know that he won’t hurt Ruby and he’ll keep his word, not because of the promise he made me, but because he always has an ulterior motive. As much as he will try to deny it. Both of the brothers like to think they’re above everything and everyone. Even the fucking mafia.
I fall onto the bed and look around the room. Beside the toilet and basin there’s a low line dresser.
Running my hand through my hair, I pull my phone out of my pocket and see its battery is at one percent. The last, last percent.
I open a text to Ruby.
I trace the red indented cuts on my wrist, feeling nothing but numbness as I drag my thumbnail across the sharp edges of each cut. A slice for every day I have been here. I count. One. Two. Three. Lost track at twelve. It has been weeks since I have last seen her. Since I have last seen or spoken with anyone. Clothes come in daily, with some bullshit excuse for food.
I press the edge of the razor into a bare spot on my wrist, watching as blood spills over my skin. Closing my eyes, I exhale a sigh of relief when the cut splits open for my last day.
Resting my head against the glass wall, I stare up at the sky, watching the stars. One for each fucking problem. For each problem I no longer care about. Dropping the razor onto the ground, I push up from the ground. Another day where I don’t hit a vein. Deep down I know that I am playing Russian roulette. But I also know that I want it. I want to feel the coolness of death take over my body as I slowly bleed out onto the floor.
I slam the cupboard closed above the kitchen sink, just as I hear clicking of keys. Spinning around, I pause when I see K Diamond in front, guards on either side and behind him, but it is what is behind K Diamond that makes me stop.
Three guys, blindfolded and bleeding, stand. They look confused from where I am standing, but not one of them seems to be crying, or showing any form of emotion.
I shuffle to the side and watch carefully as K Diamond steps aside, yanking the boys into my den.
He pushes a little device that’s up near his mouth, his eyes on mine. “Wicked, you will have new housemates. Be nice… or not.” He shuffles behind the three of them, and before I can find the will to fight my way out, he’s gone. Disappeared back through the way he came.
I snatch the razor from the sink and move to the first one I see, cutting the ties that are around his wrists. He tears off his blindfold, uncovering his face. He’s gotta be around the same age as me.
“What the fuck is happening?”
“Not sure where to begin.” I finish cutting the rest of the guys loose, tossing the razor into the sink.
He nudges his head down to mine, where blood drips to the ground. “You good?”
“No.” I grab a roll of tissue paper from the bench, wrapping it around my wrist.
“What the fuck, man!” another one says, looking around the already small space. Now with all of them in here, it’s even worse, and something tells me that K Diamond is going to do everything in his power to fucking break all of us. That what he’s done leading up to this point is nothing. He is about to remove my training wheels.
“You taken too?” the first guy asks, and I get the feeling he’s the leader of the pack.
“Yeah.” I lean against the counter. “How did you three end up here?” Whatever K Diamond did, he did it for a reason. And deep down, I know that his beef isn’t with me, and me being here has more to do with Skully than it does him. Skully is just hiding behind his uglier brother in hopes that I never get out and tear his fucking throat out. K Diamond is keeping me for his own selfish needs, and probably to use as a weapon against Skully if he needs.