Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
She will pay for this. Both of them will.
I lean in toward the glass, meeting Anton’s eyes. “I hope you rot in hell,” I tell him before tossing the phone down on the table and leaving, never looking back.
Chapter 12
Slade rushes toward me only stopping when he sees my face. “What happened?”
I shake my head. “Please, just get me out of here.”
His eyes scan over my face, taking in every inch of skin before finally nodding. He leads me over to the guard with the clipboard and I quickly sign myself out before bailing out through the front doors and running for his truck.
Slade struggles to keep up despite his long as fuck legs. “Sky?” he calls after me. “What happened? Can you just stop?”
I come to a standstill, throwing my hands to my knees as I try to catch my breath. He practically runs into my back before grabbing my shoulders and spinning me to face him. “What happened? Talk to me, babe. What did he say?”
I try to hold it together. Who must Slade think I’ve become? When I first moved here, I was so strong, so determined to forget the past and be a boss bitch, but I haven’t been that strong girl in so long. I’m a fucking fraud.
“I just…please, just take me home. I need to see Blake.”
He grabs hold of me and draws me into his loving arms. “Okay,” he whispers. “I get it, you need time.”
I nod into his chest and we stand there, neither of us moving as I take a few calming breaths. A minute passes and then another before I finally pull my head out of his chest and look up at his concerned gaze. “Okay,” I whisper. “Now I’m ready.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Yeah, I need to get home to see Blake. There are some things he needs to know.”
Slade’s hands travel down my arms until he’s taking my hands and lacing his fingers through mine. “Alright, baby. Let’s go.”
He loops his arm over my shoulder and we walk the rest of the way to his truck. He opens the door and helps me in, being sure to brush a gentle kiss over my forehead before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s seat.
Slade gets in and within seconds he’s driving out through the gates of Castle Rock Maximum Security Penitentiary for Men, leaving behind the hell I’ll never have to face again. I got my answers. They weren’t exactly what I was expecting or wanting to hear, but they helped me to understand what really happened and they sure as hell cleared up a few things.
Either way, I faced down my parents’ killer and I told him where to go and the next time I see him, it’ll be in hell.
For now, I need to focus on Maria. I’m still in shock. I can’t even explain it to Slade. All this time I thought Lucien was the monster. Don’t get me wrong, no matter what the circumstances, nothing would change that but I thought Maria was at least partially on my side, but she’s just as bad if not worse. She started this. She tore my family apart. She’s the reason I’ve spent thirteen years in hell.
This is all on her. Without Maria, my parents would have had three more weeks to pay their debt and if given that time, they might have been able to find the money. They might have survived.
Slade’s hand remains in mine the whole way back to Aston Creek, not a word being said between us. Slade’s eyes come back to me every few minutes, always checking, always making sure I haven’t broken but never pushing for something he knows I’m not ready for.
We get to the hospital and I find myself sitting in his truck, not ready to go in there and face my brother. Shay is no doubt sitting by his side and I know this news will crush her too. Not to mention how pissed off they’re both going to be learning where I’ve been all day. I’ve got at least twenty messages from the two of them which I had to reply with a generic ‘I’m fine’ so they didn’t worry that Lucien got his hands on me.
“Like a band-aid,” Slade murmurs, squeezing my hand.
I let out a heavy breath. “You’re right.”
He waits as I flip down the sun visor to check my reflection in the mirror. Unfortunately, the haunted look behind my eyes is painfully obvious.
I get out and Slade meets me around the front of his truck. We walk in together and when we reach Blake’s door, he pulls back. “I’ll wait out here for you.”
My brows furrow. “What? Why”
“Whatever it is that Anton said clearly makes you need Blake more than me right now, so I’ll be here waiting until you’re done.”