Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Thank everyone for the party and give my excuses. I’ll call you when I get to Crete.”
“Okay,” she says, sounding so disappointed.
I’m just as upset. I was looking forward to spending time with my friends. I could use some time with real people.
“But are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Skittles, I’ll be fine.”
I say the words and can taste the lie they are as they roll around in my mouth. She sighs into the phone. I want to share the truth with her, but I don’t know what to say. I’d also be exposing myself.
“I’ll talk to you later,” she says and we end the call.
“So you’re disowned. What now? You want to burn the place down?”
I look at Jeff and raise a brow. I actually mull the thought over before shaking my head clear. I’m pissed, but I haven’t reached that level yet.
“First, I need to get to Greece or at least find out why my calls aren’t getting through to my grandfather. I spoke to him when I landed. He was my first call before I checked in with you and Skittles. Why won’t my calls go through now?”
“We’ll find out, but you do know you don’t have to leave? I’ll help you in any way I can. You need money. I have you. You need a place to stay. I have that covered. Name it. I got you, bro.”
“Thanks, Jeff, but if I can get to my grandfather, he’ll release my trust to me. I know he will. I can get my life straight from there.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll find something.”
“Remember our lemonade stand in elementary school?”
I smile and laugh. “Yeah.”
“You made a fucking killing charging for kisses on the side.”
“Dude, I took that shit to a new level in high school.”
Jeff barks out a laugh. “I almost passed out when that mom slid you a hundred dollars to come over and help her garden.” He rubs his chin. “If your other investments don’t work out, you can always go back to mommy fucking.”
I snort. “I never fucked her. She wanted to talk. Her son was being bullied. She paid me an extra grand to help him stop the bullying.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope, remember Achilles Makris?”
“The dork who started following you around senior year?”
“He was actually pretty cool, but yeah. I taught him a few moves to defend himself and I beat the shit out of those guys when I caught them trying him,” I reply.
“Fuck, I remember walking into the locker room that day. I didn’t ask questions. I just made sure your ass didn’t get caught. You really are a motherfucking hero. The whole pun intended.”
I fall silent and turn back to the window. I’m a peaceful guy for the most part. However, seeing what they did to Achilles and hearing him say he wanted to end his life over it—I had to do something.
“Do you still speak to him or his mom? She was from deep pockets if I remember right.”
“Yeah, his mom was pretty cool. I still see her around. She’s a member of the country club and Achilles is into tech or something. You wouldn’t recognize him now if you saw him.”
I keep to myself how connected I am to Achilles and his mom. It’s something Blake Knight taught me. Not everyone needs to know everything. Not even “best friends.” This happens to be one of those things.
“What the fuck?” Jeff says as he reaches for the safety handle above the back passenger door and leans forward to duck and look out of the windshield.
The private air hangar is swarming with cops and the FBI. I grind my teeth as we get closer. When we pull up, an agent raps his knuckles against the back window on Jeff’s side.
The window is rolled down and the agent shoves his arm inside. The warrant is for you, Mr. Harrington, and this is for you, Joshua,” he says, shoving a phone across to me.
I frown and take the device. “Hello?”
“I told you not to go running to Basil. He can’t help you. I’ll make trouble for everyone you know if they try to help you.
“I’ve had you placed on a travel ban list for every island in Greece. You want to be your own man, here’s your start. Don’t say I never did anything for you,” my father snarls.
“I promise you, I will make you regret this. You’ve just made me a problem you never had.”
I hang up the phone and roar. I toss the stupid phone out the window at the agent. My mind spirals out as I realize I have nothing but the clothes on my back.
I need to figure this out and my pride won’t allow me to ask my friends for help. There has to be another way.
“Fuck,” I bellow.
Chapter 12
Guidance
Kelex
“You sure you don’t need my help?”