Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Vitiosis, no doubt.
The tale spoke of a witch who put a hex on the men of Riverside because of all the trauma they inflicted on Swans. They had to restore the balance somehow. None of them told us what that hex included, but now that I’m older, I’m assuming it was making them all assholes.
I keep driving as Evie skips songs, dances in her chair while drinking from the bottle of Don Julio, and lip-syncs alone to the lyrics. I don’t bother telling her to stop the streaming, because now that we’re are all on the same page with the boys, I don’t have anything to hide.
Almost.
I pull down Main Street, bypassing the shops and town center, before turning down the back entrance of the chapel and park in an empty spot. I leave my headlights on as the car growls beneath the music.
Turning to Evie, I mouth mute it to her before she taps her screen.
The silence will be short-lived because within minutes, this car park will be thick with cars. On cue, cars roll through the entrance of the parking lot in a roll of color, pulsing engines, and boisterous music. Once everyone is here, I press the accelerator and double clutch until the blow-off valve whistles.
“Everything my dad told me growing up, wasn’t all of the truth.” I direct us back out the way we came.
Evie pauses, the long-neck bottle almost to her lips. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the dark shit I was prepared for when it came to the EKC, Evie, doesn’t even touch the surface of the barbarous bullshit they’ve been toying with this whole time. It’s almost like they used us as a smoke screen.” I continue to drive us forward, through the streets of Riverside, and head north. Opposite of the way to New York and the Hamptons.
Streetlights whip past the deeper we are on the highway, until eventually it bleeds obsidian, with nothing but clusters of lights that line the center of the road.
“Bayonet Falls?” Evie pipes up, gawking out the window.
Goosebumps break out over my arms as I feel myself nearing the enemy’s territory. It’s like my body can feel Chevalier Hill looming closer and every instinct I have is saying to rip up the brakes and turn my ass around. But Bayonet Falls isn’t Gentlemen territory. It isn’t ours either, but if anyone knew that we were going there, it would have both sides prickling with tension.
The Gentlemen and the Elite Kings Club don’t have a superficial beef like our other rivals. No. This generational hatred is deep-rooted and dates back to our great-great-great—whatever—grandparents. It’s so volatile that even centuries later, there needs to be a damn treaty in place.
For years now, I’ve never heard anyone so much as whisper their existence. I don’t think we’d have an issue in Bayonet Falls. If anything, the ghoulish, abandoned township and ghosts who occupy it will love the company.
In the rearview mirror, the lines of headlights follow from behind as my phone starts blaring from the holster it’s connected to on the vent.
I swipe it unlocked when I see Stella’s face.
“Where are you?”
Stella hides her smile behind her hair. “A few cars behind you. Riv wanted to do a detour on the way.”
I don’t bother to look at my phone, but Evie does, moving into full view. “Where?”
Stella must flash something at the screen.
“Good girl…” Evie blows them both a kiss.
“You know you’re on stream, right?” Stella declares loudly.
I look down at my phone. “Yes. I don’t care.”
Her eyes burn with devilry. “Oh, are we finally breaking free of the constraints from the animals we have in our lives?” She pauses a moment. “Fathers included.”
I wince. I don’t want to touch Dad right now. I’d always been a daddy’s girl. My mother drove me crazy for the better part of my life, so Dad’s lap was my favorite spot. I would have done as he told.
I was his loyal weapon. Now I feel like I’d been loaded with blanks.
“Yes.” Another call comes through, but I hit ignore when the photo of War invades my peace.
“Tsk, tsk…” Evie wiggles her finger in front of my face. I couldn’t care less. They wanted this.
They did this.
I continue to drive us down Highway 88, the notorious stretch of power, and think over all of the possible scenarios to justify my annoyance with my dad and brother. The only thing I find is my hindered pride.
I sigh, leaning against the driver's door and attempt to distract myself with the lyrics of Big Sean.
“The group on Snapchat has expanded, which means there are a lot of people following us,” Evie ponders, scrolling through her phone. It had been fifteen minutes since hanging up with Stella and Riv, and we’re about ten minutes from arriving in Bayonet Falls.