Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
Her torso.
Her legs.
She was vibrating. “Holy fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Fuck that piece of shi—”
That was the precursor.
“FUCK! FUCK! FUCK HIM. FUCK HIM TO HELL AND BACK! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—” She rounded, knowing that everyone was watching us. Anyone who had their own phones out had stopped what they were doing to now watch this new entertainment happening live and in person. She thrust the phone in the air and began walking. “IF ANYONE, AND I MEAN ANYONE, SHARES THIS IMAGE, YOU WILL HAVE ME TO ANSWER TO!”
“AND ME!” That came from Gem, who was farther down, Her face was beat red, her eyes blazing, and her chest moving so fast I wasn’t sure she was breathing at the same time.
Theresa froze, looking at her cousin.
Everyone was focused on Gem, who was visibly panting, her arms full of papers, and after a second, she threw them all down. “AGHHHHHHHHHHH!”
I jumped back from the ferocity of that scream. It was bloodcurdling, and I only needed to count down the seconds before teachers would be rushing out into the hallway.
One.
As soon as Gem quieted, Theresa picked up the gavel, “YOU WILL DELETE THIS SHIT! NOWWWWWW! And if you have a thought of saving it, I will find people who can hack shit and they will expose you for keeping UNDERAGE PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON YOUR PHONES, COMPUTERS, TABLETS, IN YOUR INBOX, I DO NOT CARE! THEY WILL FIND IT, AND I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN!” She gasped at the end, drawing in a breath.
Two teachers had come out. I forgot to keep counting.
No one was moving.
“NOW! DELETE IT NOWWWWW!”
I scrambled for my own phone, going to my email and deleting it.
That was when I saw a text that had come through, a different text, one that had nothing to do with Amalia, one that I hadn’t noticed.
My heart stopped.
40
SCOUT
I stopped after taking two steps because fuck him. I didn’t know if I could stop myself from hurting my best friend. Not right now. Not after what he just said.
“You think I’m like that piece of shit? That I’d do what he did to her?”
Alex was still so still as he studied me, but I was too caught up in my anger to really care. I was already breathing red, my blood rushing through me. “That guy? That murdering piece of anal shit who should never have been born? That guy? You think I’m like that guy?”
Alex eased back, but his head was lifting.
“She told me what he did. She said I’m the first one she told besides her mom and the cops, that she didn’t even get to tell you guys because you were told by someone else. She said it was the first time she brought it up, and I’m guessing she meant outside of a law enforcement setting, but fuck you, Alex. Fuck you if you think I’d do that to her.” If Max Prestige were here, right now, in this situation, I would killed him.
I wouldn’t blink.
I wouldn’t have second thoughts.
I’d do it, so it’d be done, and then I’d do the one thing I made a vow early in my life to never do—I’d call my grandfather. And no one knew the weight of that promise.
“I’d fucking kill him, right here, if he was here. I’d do it in a heartbeat, and it wouldn’t be for you. It wouldn’t even be for her. It’d be because that piece of shit shouldn’t have been born. Or hell, maybe we should go another step and take out the dad because it was semen that produced that piece of shit and raised him. They created him. It’s their fault he’s such a fuck-up that he killed her father and sent her pictures of it. You think I’m like that guy?”
Alex was all the way calm now.
That was starting to penetrate, just slightly. I was still envisioning killing her ex how he killed her father.
“That guy is going down. If you think I’m like that guy, then you and I aren’t friends. We never were if that’s the case. But I’ll tell you this, that guy comes here, you don’t need to worry about protecting her because I’m going to end him.” He could take that however the fuck he wanted.
My phone was blowing up, and I realized I was almost breathing Alex’s air.
I roared, ripping myself back, and that was when some clarity began to sink in.
“What the fuck?” Alex whispered, his phone out in his hand.
I knew. I fucking knew.
He lifted his head, his eyes stricken. “This is the shit you were talking about?”
I winced, seeing the image of someone who was like a sister to me on his screen. “Delete that.”
His thumb moved in a flash. “Done.” He was back to watching me, and I was seeing how we’d switched roles. Now he was wary around me. “Scout . . .”