Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
I’d asked my brother after I’d met Tiago what the name ‘Kettle’ meant, and he told me that one second, Tiago would be just fine, completely calm, and the next he would just snap, like the whistle of a teakettle. I’d shivered thinking about that man ‘snapping’ and having to witness his change, but the only thing I’d seen from Tiago was politeness.
“Yeah, this is James’ ex-girlfriend. We’re just going to talk for a few minutes, if you don’t mind.” I clarified.
“Okay, just yell if you need me.” He said, turning and walking back down the walkway, and then across the street to lean against a tree and wait.
I snickered. “Now, where were we?”
***
When I’d heard Jack’s voice, I’d made my way to the hallway from James’ room after having changed into different clothes since mine happened to have a smidgen of blood on them.
Which proved to be fruitless when I heard what Jack had to say, which led me to now, when I was beating the absolute shit out of Anna after overhearing, and coming to the conclusion that Anna probably had more to say. And knowing that I had the incentive, in the form of my right and left fist.
“You know, when I was twelve my daddy showed me how to throw a punch. You see, the secret is to make sure not to tuck your thumb into your hand, and use your body’s momentum” I explained, and then demonstrated.
Her head snapped back, hitting the back of the rocking chair, before she righted it to glare at me. “We know about the website. About the plan to auction Janie off. Now we need to know the details. Let’s face it. You’re not going to win here. In fact, you’re probably going to jail for the rest of your life...if you’re lucky. I’ll make sure James doesn’t get you a cell shared by an Amazon with a steel pole fetish, and in return, you’ll tell us everything. Understand?”
Her eyes had widened at my mention of knowing about the auction, and the realization that this was the end had finally sunk in.
“I lost money, and they told me I owed them fifty grand by the end of the year, or they’d use my body as payment. I’d come here originally to ask for money from James, but when his stupid bitch of a sister refused to even let me see him, I had to use other means. Then I met some biker at the park while I was watching Janie and that other little shit play. From there I was just supposed to get Janie for him, and he’d pay off my loans.”
“That’s all you know?” I asked, sickened.
“Yeah, what else is there?” She snapped.
I studied her, and believed that she was telling the truth. She didn’t know anything else. “Do you know what they were going to do, precisely, with your daughter?”
Her mouth tightened, but she nodded once, confirming that she knew they were selling her to some random person with the wallet to do God knows what to her.
The next few moments were filled with my questions and her answers.
How do you reach him? Cell phone.
What was his name? Sloan Lerng.
Did you ever speak to anybody else? No.
Where were you to deliver her to once you had her? Off the interstate, near an abandoned hotel.
“How do you feel about being raped?” James asked emotionlessly from behind me.
My heart stalled, and I whipped around to stare at him. What kind of question was that?
Anna’s eyes widened, and she started to weep. The first time she’d done so since she got over an hour ago.
“You don’t like the idea of rape? Don’t worry. I’m not that type of man. But the person that you were going to sell our daughter to is. How do you think a six year old would handle that, hmm? She’d be damaged for life, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Jesus Christ, I can’t even stand to look at you.” He said before turning and leaving the room.
“He’s right, you know. You are a piece of shit. I hope you like closed spaces.” I said before following behind James, sidestepping Jack, Winter, Sam and Sebastian as I went.
Winter gave me a reassuring smile, but I wasn’t sure things were going to be all right this time. Not until that man, that horrible awful man, was ten feet under. Only then would everything be all right.
***
I woke up to find James gone, and the light rhythmic thumping of my cat playing in the living room.
Standing slowly, and stretching my arms up high over my head, I yawned, and then grabbed a pair of shorts off the floor.
It wasn’t until they were halfway up my hips that I realized that they were a pair of James’ running shorts, but I didn’t care. They were super comfortable. Even though they fit, which was slightly depressing if I was being truthful. I didn’t even have to cinch up the drawstring.
The loud thumping, and then the scrabble of claws across the hard wood floor sounded again, and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. The damn cat sounded like he was climbing the walls. He’d been to do that every once in a while when he saw a bug.
I peeked carefully around the corner of the hallway towards the commotion that Boris was making, and damn near fell over in a fit of laughter.
James was sitting in his recliner, and had his gun in his fist. He was moving it from side to side, and up and down. The laser that was attached to his gun moved with the motion, prompting Boris to attack it. Or try to, at least.
James looked up at my laughter, but didn’t stop. “What?”
“Just try not to shoot him, okay?” I teased.
I knew he wouldn’t shoot him. The man was a fricking genius with a gun. But still.
“What exactly are you doing?” I asked finally.
Boris wailed when James clicked the laser off his gun, and shoved it behind him, situating it into the back of his jeans. “I got a new sight in the mail, wanted to try it out and see how it fit. How it worked. Get used to it.”