Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
I should stop thinking about that video and the man attached to it. This isn’t about me. It’s about Violet’s justice.
Soft fingers stroke my arm as Megan smiles at me. “You handled her well. Why are you so pale, D?”
“I’m fine.” I force a smile.
“Is it because of the dress?” She stares down. “I told you I get them from everywhere…”
“No, I’m really thankful you even lent it to me. Don’t ever be ashamed of not having money, especially because of her words. You’re kind and stylish as hell, even more than she is. Besides, you’re a better person than she’ll ever be, Meg.”
She grins and gives me a quick hug.
Sometimes, she reminds me of Vi. Vi’s a bit more in touch with her emotions, although Megan does love hooking up, unlike my sister, who I think is scared of it. Probably because of all the creeps.
Megan meets some of her friends and I stand with them for a while until I spot some hockey players going outside.
So I use a trip to the bathroom as an excuse and head out.
Fairy lights twinkle against the deepening twilight, casting a warm, festive glow over the gathering crowd. The sound of laughter and chatter mixes with the steady hum of the nearby fountain, adding a sense of surreal detachment from the underlying tensions this town reeks of.
I subtly watch every single person while pretending to marvel at the garden.
That’s when I spot Ryder Price, the Vipers’ defenseman, walking away from the buffet table. I catch a glimpse of his black serpent necklace, which means he’s a Vencor member.
I feign studying the food and I grab the fork he used to eat some cake and even licked clean before he left it on the plate. Then I hunch down, making a show of tying my shoelaces. After I ensure no one is paying attention, I cover up with a table’s drape, retrieve the DNA kit I bought, and take a swab of the fork, seal it in a bag, and shove it in my purse.
I let the fork drop to the grass and stand up.
One down.
I shadow the other players, spying their necklaces. Though the only Senior members on the Vipers are the trio, Kane, Jude, and Preston. And while I spotted Preston with a girl on his lap and Jude with his coach, I haven’t seen Kane.
Which is a blessing, really.
For some reason, I can’t focus when he’s around. And after our last encounter, a chill runs through me at the mere thought of him.
I manage to collect Declan Novak’s DNA sample after he sneaks off to smoke and then throws down his half-finished cigarette when a teammate calls him.
Declan Novak, Ryder Price, and…that’s about it. I haven’t seen the other players who have necklaces. And I definitely don’t want to risk it with Jude and Preston. Yet.
Hold on.
I’m in Gavin Drayton’s house. Sneaking into his room is the easiest way to collect his sample. Maybe I can even get my hands on his sister’s?
If she could see that video, she’s probably part of Vencor.
After a once-over of the crowd, I go back inside and upstairs.
Though it’s not as busy as downstairs, there are quite a few people in the lounge, which makes it easier to blend in.
The music’s volume goes down, and the chatter is more prominent, bustling and mixing in a fake social cloud. I wonder if anyone is listening to what the other person is saying or if they just talk over each other.
Since I’m not sure where Gavin’s and Isabella’s rooms are, I pretend to study the ugly paintings on the walls. Though maybe they’re ugly because I’m uneducated and can only see chaotic lines in unmatching colors.
Now and again, I open a door or peek through an ajar one to see what’s going on.
Sex. Making out. Screams of “Fuck off!”
Yikes.
The things I traumatize myself with for justice.
I wander off down a quieter hallway, needing to bleach my mind of all the scenes I just witnessed.
I hear a few unintelligible voices.
My heartbeat picks up, and after I make sure the hall is empty, I tiptoe to the room where the noise is coming from.
“…is a loose end that needs tying up.”
My eyes widen. That’s Isabella’s voice. No one else sounds as haughty as she does.
“You’re letting it get under your skin. That’s unlike you.”
My heart thunders behind my rib cage and I flatten myself against the wall, wishing I could somehow disappear.
Kane.
That was definitely Kane.
I draw circles on my thumb, hoping, praying that my heart rate will slow the hell down.
“That’s where you’re wrong. This is exactly like her. She’s jealous, vicious, and resembles a snake better than her necklace.”
Preston.
When did he get here? I swear he was about to fuck that girl who was rubbing herself all over him less than fifteen minutes ago.