Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“What? We all know it’s true. I’m the funny, likable one.”
“So, which of us is Shrek?” Lilac asked Ryleigh.
“Pretty sure it’s me,” Ryleigh replied. “Maybe Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
“I don’t think so,” Opal replied. “Not unless I’m Alvin. Someone like me has to have a leading role. At least a name.”
“The other chipmunks had names,” Ryleigh protested.
“Yeah? What were they?” Opal challenged.
“Well, hell. I don’t remember.”
Lilac sighed and they both looked at her.
Ryleigh took one of her hands and Opal reached over to grab the other. “You going to be okay, Lilac?”
“He’s going to hate me.” She had to fight back her tears. She’d cried enough.
It was getting ridiculous.
She’d left him. He might hate her, but she could handle it. As long as her friends were safe.
“If he does, I’ll set him straight,” Opal said.
Oh hell.
“No, don’t do that,” she said quickly as Ryleigh attempted to hide her grin. “I’ll talk to him myself.”
“Right. We have a plan then.” Ryleigh looked happier.
Dread filled Lilac. She hated living like this. Never knowing where they were going next. Not having a proper place to call home. So, she should be ecstatic that they had a plan. A place to go.
But all she felt was this sense of doom. Would the Malones actually help?
Tanner was a good guy. She’d met Raid briefly, and he’d seemed like a good guy too.
But the town . . . it sounded too idyllic.
“I’m going to go to the bathroom and then we’ll leave,” Ryleigh said.
They both nodded, watching as she left.
Kye started to cry, and Lilac walked over to where they had set up his bed. It was a wicker basket with a mattress. She had found it in a thrift store. It should hopefully do until he was three months old. If he didn’t grow too big too quickly.
Picking him up, she held him against her chest. Turning, she nearly slammed into Opal.
“Jesus, woman.”
“You’re worried,” Opal said.
“I’m sure this is the best thing to do,” Lilac lied.
“No, you’re not. You’re worried she’s pinned all her hopes on a town that sounds too fucking good to be true. On stories that her fucking useless old man sold her. We barely know these Malones.”
“Tanner is a good guy,” Lilac protested.
“Yeah, but we don’t know the rest of them. And we don’t know how they’ll react to all of this. You and I both know that Stefan isn’t going to just let us go. No matter who we’ve got on our side.”
“We need somewhere safe for Kye, though,” Lilac said. “And this is the best option we have. Plus, you know who their cousin is from that research you did.”
“Yeah, well, maybe we should go to him,” Opal suggested.
“To Regent Malone?” Lilac asked, fear filling her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He could be just as bad as Stefan.”
“No one is as bad as Stefan,” Opal replied.
They both shuddered.
“We need to do something about Stefan.”
“Yeah? And what are we going to do?”
Lilac let out a deep breath. “I don’t know that part yet.”
That was a lie. She had a plan. Well, more like a rough outline. But if it worked then she hoped she’d save Ryleigh and Opal.
Opal eyed her. “Uh-huh. Well, when you know you need to tell me so I can help.”
Lilac shook her head. “It would be safer for me to do it alone.”
“Safer for who?” Opal asked.
“For you and Ryleigh and this sweet baby.” She breathed in the scent of him. God, she loved him. She’d do anything for him. “He’s innocent in all of this, Opal. I have to protect him.”
“And risk yourself? That’s not the way this works, Lilac.”
“Sure, it is. Ryleigh and Kye have to get through this.”
“And so do you,” Opal said. “We didn’t go through all of this to lose one of us.”
“I’m not planning on dying.” But she wasn’t sure if she cared that much if she did either.
“Glad to hear it. Whatever this plan is, I’m in, provided it isn’t a fucking suicide mission. I didn’t get out of that mess to dive back in. But I’m not letting you die either. So, you just figure out a way to get us out of this fucking mess that doesn’t involve someone other than Stefan dying.”
Yeah. She’d get right on that.
“We both know that Ryleigh is the optimist,” Opal said. “The one who has her head in the fucking clouds. We have to look out for her and this one. But you never fucking know, Haven might just be a haven for all of us.”
7
“Son of a bitch!” Lilac swore as smoke billowed out of the RV’s engine.
Why? Why did life keep sending shitty things her way? She wasn’t a terrible person. All right, so she could be better. But still . . . she’d never hurt anyone deliberately. Sure, sometimes she’d had to do a few dodgy things.