Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 135958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
I lost track of time after the first hour.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
I woke up in a bed, but not one I recognized.
“Where am I?”
Brooke shifted in her seat and leaned forward. “You’re safe.”
“What do you mean safe?” A pause. It all flooded back.
“Kai said you almost fainted. He wanted you to sleep as long as possible.” Her hand covered mine. “You fainted before?”
“Yeah.” My throat felt scratchy.
“Jonah’s coming, but Kai talked to him on the phone. He said it was probably the shock of your father knowing about you and everything.” She patted my hand before inching her chair closer. “I’m so sorry, Riley. I really am. When I thought to go to you, I didn’t know any of this would happen, that Kai would pull you into this. But I should’ve. I was being selfish, and I feel horrible. I don’t know how to make it up to you, but I’ll try. I swear.” She sniffled. “I’ve been selfish.”
Yes. She had.
I looked away. “Where’s Kai?”
“I don’t know.”
I turned back. She seemed solemn.
“What do you mean? Kai isn’t here?”
She shrugged. “After you must’ve fallen asleep, Kai came out, and he was at another level. I’ve never seen him like that. Between you and me, he was terrifying. I thought he was going to kill some of his men right then and there.”
The traitor. My father.
I remembered that part now.
Kai wouldn’t return until he had dealt with the traitor. I was sure of it. Jonah was coming, so all the questions I wanted to ask, there was no point.
Instead, I asked, “Tell the truth. Why’d you run?”
Brooke straightened up, her hands falling to her lap.
She expelled a frustrated gargle, her eyes flicking to the ceiling. “I wasn’t lying about it being about life and death. Kai found out something about Levi, and I’m terrified of what he’ll do with the information. I love this guy, Riley. He’s the one for me, and I couldn’t bear it if my brother destroyed us.” She snorted, leaning back in her seat. “I mean, if anyone’s going to screw things up, it should be me. Give me a chance here to mess things up myself.”
Raking a hand through her hair, she shook her head. “I’m a mess these days. How are you?” She gave a self-deprecating laugh, but her eyes focused on me. “You seem well, actually.”
“I thought Kai kept track of me?”
“He did, but I stopped asking for the reports. You went into the Network, and I knew you’d be safe.”
That was a year after she’d left school.
I snorted. “Thanks for your concern.”
She winced. “I know, I know. Going back after my dad died, it was different. Kai was even scarier. Tanner was pissy all the time, and Jonah turned in on himself. He wouldn’t leave his room some days. We were a mess. I’m a mess now, but we were worse then. I mean, Kai was sixteen. Our uncles kept trying to become our guardians, but Kai fought them on it. I don’t even know how he did it, but finally, they stopped. That probably took seven months. Seven months of hell—not knowing if we’d have to leave each other or what. Even the actual law came in a few times, social services and such. Kai bought them off right away. It’s such a joke sometimes. Our family gets away with murder.”
That was the truth. Literally. “Yeah…”
Brooke kept going, even a slight cheerful note in her voice. “Kai said something about your father. He knows you’re alive?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer, or if I even wanted Brooke to know.
I used to trust this girl. She gave me what I desperately needed. Security. Safety. Acceptance.
“You hurt me when you lied to me.” It stung to admit that.
She folded her hands together in her lap. “I know.” Her voice softened. Apologetic. “Are you mad that I involved you or that I lied?”
“Lied,” I said immediately. That was the truth. “I don’t mind that you involved me. I would’ve helped you anyway, but you lied to me. You didn’t need to lie to me. If you hadn’t, I could’ve helped you better. I would’ve understood.”
She tilted her head, questioning. “Has Kai said anything to you about Levi?”
Some of my anger faded, but not all of it. I was torn between so many things, and between more than a few people.
I shrugged. “We were in New York for a day; then we came here.”
“New York?” She sat up straighter. “Where in New York?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. We didn’t go anywhere. We were at a house, and then we came here.”
But that first night… Kai went somewhere that first night.
“Oh. Levi had to leave for a trip. I thought he went to Boston, though.” She sounded disappointed. “Okay.”
We were silent for a moment.
“Are you going to run again?” I asked her.