Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
My blood runs cold.
Trembling, I screech, “Nox!” before breaking into sobs.
Standing, I kick away the chair that holds the door locked.
Jamie starts to cough again, wheezing as he mutters, “He feckin’ killed me, Lil.”
My voice quakes as I ask, “What do you mean, Jamie? Where are you?”
His voice weakens. “In my apartment, love. And it won’t be long now. I’ll be back with Da.”
Tears fall freely down my cheeks and I shout, “You’re not going to die!”
Jamie chuckles, “Oh, sweets, the two bullets in my chest tell me different.” Doubling over, I clutch my stomach, bawling as I listen to my dying friend. “Ye were the best thing about America, Lily. Never wanted ta live here, but I had to come. Yer da is a good man. And I loved him like he was my own.”
More banging in the background.
Arms come around my waist, but I clutch the phone to my ear and whisper, “You’re going to be okay.”
“No, Lil. I won’t. But I’m good with that. Get ta see Da.” His voice turns reverent. “Never had a sister before, Lil.”
My body shakes violently with my tears. A second more and I hear the call disconnect. Panicked, I wail, “No!”
I’m crumbling.
Nox rocks me, but not before taking my cell and throwing it hard against the bathroom wall. It shatters into a hundred pieces and I sob while Nox holds me.
Between choked breaths, I tell him, “Jamie’s dying. They got it wrong. It’s Jett, not Jamie. He shot him, and now he’s going after Terah.” Closing my eyes, I whisper, “Don’t let him get her. Please, God. Don’t let him get her.”
Opening my eyes, I look at Nox through the mirror and say quietly, “He knows where I am.”
Nox’s arms tighten around me. Offering false security.
Chapter Nineteen
Leaving on a Jett plane
Lily
Pandemonium. That’s the only word I could use to describe the hours after that call.
Rock yells on one cell while Nox barks orders through another, and Boo packs a bag full of my things.
We’re leaving tonight.
I don’t know where we’re going, but as long as I’m with Nox, I’ll be okay.
My body trembles.
I’m not showing my true fear. Nox is stressed enough without having to deal with my BS.
Boo stops what she’s doing at the sight of me. And I thought I was hiding it so well. She comes over and wraps her arms around me, and I let her. She whispers encouraging words that I don’t actually hear.
Rock finishes up his call looking more than worried.
Shit.
Turning to Nox, he waits patiently for him to finish his call. Once off the phone, Nox barks, “Tell me something good, Rock. I couldn’t handle bad right now.”
Rock lowers his eyes. He says quietly, “Safe house Zed was breached just now.”
My heart stops altogether.
Before I can ask about Terah, he adds, “Jon knew something wasn’t right. Went with his gut and took Terah away from there. I don’t know where they are, but wherever it is, they’re safe.”
I turn my face to watch Nox. He swallows hard. He looks angry. Very angry.
Sniffing, he asks, “Fallen?”
Rock stills a moment before answering softly, “Takeshi and Sean.”
Nox steps back, sucking in a deep breath.
I still don’t know what’s going on.
Hands on his hips, Nox enquires, “Gunfire?”
Rock says even softer, “Explosion. Zed was blown apart.”
Oh God. Oh God. Oh my fucking God!
People are dead. Takeshi and Sean are dead.
My eyes fill with tears. They died protecting my sister. And I never even met them. I’ll never meet my sister’s heroes. I ask a hollow, “People are dying?”
Nox, Rock, and Boo all look at me. I ask again, quieter, “People are dying because of me?”
Immediately, Nox is by my side. And he’s furious. “No. Don’t do that. This is not your fault. This is because of some sick fuck with a crush.” Looking up at him through blurry eyes, he cups my cheeks and leans his forehead on mine. “Not your fault, baby. I swear.”
I know it’s not appropriate, but I love that he used my version of a promise by saying ‘I swear’.
Reaching up, I hold his hands over my cheeks. “What do we do now?”
Pulling back, he states, “We get outta here. Take Jonathon’s line of thinking and disappear. Just me and you, babe.”
Taking a deep breath, I nod as I exhale.
Nox whispers, “Good. Get your shit.”
As I walk over to back of the room, a deafening boom sounds from the back of the house, and I see a flash of blinding white light before an unseen force throws me backwards to the ground.
The house shakes. The fixtures rattle. The furniture moves. My heart slams into my chest. I’m winded from the fall. Shaking, I hold my hands over my ears and watch as the windows, a foot away from me, explode. Ducking my head, I scream in shock and use my forearm to cover my face.