Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Maintenance and the cost of living in this area were more than what I would’ve made working at the convenience store for an entire year. They had to be dumping nearly everything they brought in cash-wise into keeping up appearances.
And then there was Mateo.
I hadn’t seen or heard from him since he took me out to that diner. I returned home more conflicted than I’d been before speaking with him. I knew I couldn't trust the man, but he knew exactly how to catch my attention and hold it.
He knew I was in dire need of an ally, even if they only lent me an ear and helped point me in the direction. It was for that reason I forced myself to primp and dress for a night out with Melody and Peyton. I hadn’t wanted to involve them more than I already had, but I couldn’t see any other options right then save for making a deal with the devil.
Speaking here was out of the question. Something about my uncle rubbed me the wrong way and I didn’t trust him. I wouldn’t risk him overhearing the conversation that needed to be had.
I sat on the edge of my bed and slipped on my heels, making sure I hadn’t missed a text from Melody. She and Peyton were picking me up tonight since my car hadn’t been prioritized in my move back. Heaven forbid the neighbors get a look at my seasoned sedan parked on their immaculate driveway. Seeing I had some time to kill, I spent a few minutes checking my sister’s social media before calling it quits.
I found it strange not a single one of her friends had commented or posted to see where she was before her façade of a funeral was announced. Normally her pages were never short of interactions. There weren’t even a dozen condolences and the ones that had bothered weren’t names I remembered her ever mentioning.
I leaned back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, placing my phone on my chest. A part of me knew I was in over my head, but I wasn’t anywhere near ready to admit that. Somebody knew what happened to Eva and where she’d gone, who hurt Molly too. Someone other than Mateo. Figuring out who was another story. If this was related to something my family had done, I couldn’t go around asking random people questions, especially here. I didn’t want to risk pissing off the wrong person.
My phone pinged and I quickly checked the text, sighing as I sat up.
They would arrive in less than ten minutes. That gave me five to come up with a way to tell them everything. I wasn't sure how to approach it. How do you explain that a girl who was supposed to be dead is actually alive? How do you sum up the chaos that had become my life? And on top of it all, how did I admit that I'd been propositioned by a notorious crime lord who everyone fears? Peyton and Melody were more familiar with this world than I was, and they knew firsthand about Mateo's sadistic tendencies. Yet, the same man who terrifies everyone had taken me out for breakfast, albeit against my will, and was offering me a tempting opportunity that was hard not to consider
I’d replayed our one-sided conversation more than a dozen times. I vividly recalled the warmth of his breath against my skin and how my stomach flipped from being so close to him. I couldn’t think of a single reason why he’d approached me.
It didn’t sound believable even to me, and I was the one there. What did he gain from this? I hoped Melody and Peyton could shine some light on things after I explained everything. That is if they didn’t decide to stay away from me after I told them my secrets.
Lore was packed nearly shoulder to shoulder. The music was so loud I had a hard time hearing myself think, but if I was really being watched it was a nice buffer between us and whoever could be nearby. I peered down at the lower level, watching scantily clad women work the room as some people danced and others crowded the bar.
If not for Peyton’s foresight to book a private booth with bottle service, we’d be down there in that sea of chaos.
“You know, I’m not that surprised about any of this,” Melody remarked.
Peyton shook his head. “Me either, but I wish I was.”
I toyed with the thin straw in my glass. I had started with a margarita and was now three drinks too many past my limit. It was never a good idea to mix alcohol with my medication, but I believed this was worthy of an exception. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the day we talked.”