Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“I took the dare, but it wasn’t until after...” Giovanni squeezed his eyes shut. “After I did what I did that I noticed Winter was getting it too hard. Too many dares were about her. Someone was in her face every day. When that video of her attack in the dorm went viral, I realized she wasn’t just another Dreg who became the club’s favorite that month. Someone wanted to teach her a lesson. I figured out what that lesson was—”
“—after she killed herself.” I stumbled back, feet tangling and nearly sending me to the floor. “Someone in your little... club... dared you all to bully Winter till you drove her over the edge.”
“I didn’t know Winter’s death was the goal, but they did.” Giovanni spat the sentence. “They came to me after she died. Owen, Levi, Wesley, and Ashton. Said they all got specific dares like me, telling them to do something horrible to Winter for a huge prize.
“They had an idea who was behind it, but they needed me to get the proof. If we were right, we could demand so much more.”
My lips peeled back from my teeth.
“Yeah, I went along with it, but it’s not what you think,” he cried. “I just wanted to know the truth. Someone made me a part of driving a girl to kill herself! Winter never did anything to me. I didn’t want her dead.”
“What does that matter now?” Wetness soaked my face. “Tell me you found out who started this. Give me their name!”
“No, no.” He resumed his pacing—rubbing his eyes and tossing his head. “Who did it isn’t nearly as important as why, Sinclair. It’s about the secret Winter discovered.”
I jerked. “Secret? You know what it is?”
“It’s big,” he breathed. “She found out and they used the club as their own personal hit squad. Now it’s happening to us. Winter was bullied until she lost it. Now everyone who knows why is getting fucked up. Bomb in my car. Money stolen. Humiliated. On the edge of being expelled. I lost Gabby and Annika. It’s happening to me, just like it happened to Winter.
“They got in his ear.” Giovanni slapped himself smacking his ears. The man was unraveling before my eyes. “Convinced Ashton to get rid of us and claim it all for himself. Now he’s dead too, and they’re not even sorry! That’s just one less person who knows. But you.”
I stepped back as he flew at me, finger in my face. “You can end all of this. Once you go public, it’s over. There’s nothing they can do.”
“Giovanni.” I held his face still, forcing his darting orbs to lock on mine. “Focus. You’re all over the place. Give me a name, then tell the secret. Name and secret—the only words that you need to say.”
He licked dry chapped lips. “If I tell you, will you protect me?”
“Yes.” I didn’t have to think about it. “After you tell me, the attacks on you stop. No one will mess with you again. You’ll be safe.”
“Okay.” Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath. “The name is... Sinclair.”
“Wha—?”
“Sinclair, look out!”
I heard the footfalls behind me much too late. Electricity surged through my muscles, trapping them rigid. I crumpled, collapsing at the edge of the pool.
Black crept into my vision as two figures ran from me.
“—CLAIR? SINCLAIR!”
My eyes fluttered open, pain flooding in ahead of consciousness.
“Luna!”
I pushed myself up. A resting marble lion came into blurred focus. It came back to me—Giovanni following me, our conversation, and...
Reaching to massage my temple, I struck my cheek with a hard object. Looking down, I found the stun gun clutched in my hand. How...?
“Luna, holy shit.”
Katie ran in. Rafael right behind her. Over their heads, half the wet and naked partiers crept inside, gasping and clapping their hands over their mouth.
“What’s... going on?” I rasped.
“That’s my fucking question,” Katie cried. “Luna, what did you do?”
I had no idea what she was talking about until Rafael picked me up, and turned toward the pool.
Floating face down in the water was Giovanni Natale.