Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Rafael was the one to send me indoors to find dinner was already waiting, and so was The Butcher. She simply sat at the table, looking calm, collected, and I saw she was on her cell phone.
“Evening,” I said.
“Evening.”
I expected her to complain about my lack of company, or say something critical. She typed on her cell phone exceedingly fast, and then slid it into her pocket.
“Did you have a good afternoon?” she asked.
This made me frown. Technically, this was my house, well, no, it was Victor’s house, but I lived here. Shouldn’t I be the one asking her this question? It didn’t seem right that she was the one asking me.
“Uh, yeah, I mean, it was good. I like hanging around with Rafael. He said you were in the garden.”
“Just checking things out.”
Okay, this held my curiosity. “Checking things out?”
“The perimeter. Seeing if there are any weak spots, that kind of thing.”
“And?”
“Victor has his house locked down tight. Kind of makes me respect him a little.”
“You don’t have respect for him?”
“I do,” The Butcher said. But she didn’t elaborate.
“I just know that even in the most tightly locked-up space, there is always room for error, and that means people have to be ready for anything.”
This made me frown. Was she purposefully talking cryptically?
“I’m sorry,” I said, attempting to change the subject. I felt it was going to be easier to apologize for being a terrible host today. Not that I knew anything about being a host. My father never allowed me to have guests, and the truth was, he tended to vet them all. I hated it.
I guess it helped that I didn’t make any friends. Most of them just wanted an excuse to get closer to my father or my brothers. Being homeschooled stopped me from being around a lot of people. I think I’m starting to realize why I am socially awkward.
“What for?” The Butcher asked.
“Today. I should have stayed with you.”
“Why?”
I opened my mouth, closed it, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Instead, I frowned and glanced down at the food on the table. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s what people do who live in a house when they have people over ... they make sure they’re not alone.”
The Butcher chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. We had a good time. I liked it, and I also got to check out the property.”
“You’re not going to steal from Victor, are you?” I asked, wondering if this was one of those stupid tests I’ve seen in the movies.
This is why I stopped watching movies. They made me paranoid, and don’t even get me started on horror movies. If I even catch a glimpse of something scary, I could kiss goodbye to a good-night’s sleep. That stuff messed with my head. I hated it.
This is why I sewed, did makeup, and read books. Romance books, mostly. No horror, no crime, just romance that left a smile on my face. I’ve already come to see that the world was a shitty place, and I didn’t need to add to it by filling my head with all the bullshit out there.
The Butcher chuckled. “You’re cute, but no. Victor doesn’t have anything I want.” She cut into a piece of steak and shoved it in her mouth.
Picking up my knife and fork, I started to eat.
“Freya, honey, you’ve got to learn to relax.”
That was easy for her to say. She hadn’t been married off and forced to live with a man who couldn’t stand her guts. I don’t know what was worse at the moment—living here, or living back on my father’s property. At least today I was able to go for a swim without fear. That was nice.
We ate our dinner in silence, and much to my surprise, it didn’t feel awkward. The Butcher excused herself and told me to have a good night. I’m guessing that meant I could go to my room, which I did—after another shower, as I was filthy from helping out in the garden. Although I didn’t do a lot of work, I helped where I could. I blow-dried my hair, climbed into bed, and turned out the light. I didn’t expect sleep to claim me, and yet, in the next minute, I felt someone shake me. At first, I thought I was dreaming, then I realized it was The Butcher. She was in my bedroom.
“Come with me,” she said, whispering.
I had no idea what was going on, and the fact I had just woken up, after the previous night of getting no sleep, I didn’t think I’d be the best of company. All I wanted to do was fall asleep. I felt myself lagging behind, and The Butcher grabbed my arm, dragging me out of my bedroom, and that was when I heard it.