Page 18 of Nemesync
But this week felt different. Because I knew I’d have her close to me at the end of it.
I might be her stalker after all?Fuck. I am clearly her stalker.
Nikolai looked back at me, mischief burning in his eyes. “Ben and I always imagined the day you’d have to see her. A lot of bets and an enormous fucking amount of money are riding on that, Eli.”
A dark laugh escaped my lips.
“That’s why I don’t like either of you, and tell that bastard of Ben to keep his nose out of my business.”
Niko shook his head in disapproval. “No chance. So, what’s the plan for the aftermath?”
I gazed at him, feeling the world turn bleak around me, devoid of color. “Chaos, Niko, fucking ashes. They’re going to regret every single move they made in their miserable lives.”
“Your definition of chaos is always so…gory.”
I shook my head, amused. “A lot of blood and agony, it’s artistic, not gory.”
“You’re so messed up.”
His laugh echoed between us. Deep and honest.
“Maybe,” I replied nonchalantly. I was messed up, I knew it. They messed me up, so it’s only fair for me to have my payback.
He suddenly pulled me into a side hug. “Happy birthday, brother.”
“Thanks, Niko.”
“Did you receive anything this year?”
I retrieved the star necklace from my pocket, analyzing every little detail about it. The sharpness, the bright reflection under the light around us, gleaming at every little movement. “As always.”
He examined it, worried, but not surprised, then met my gaze. “Someday your birthday will be different, I promise.”
I wasn’t so sure, and I doubted it would ever be better than this.
But hope wasn’t a luxury I could afford now.
Hope wasn’t a luxury I couldneverafford in fact.
6
ZANAE
Let’s just say that it had been two days since my meeting with the Zennites, and Elijah’s message remained unanswered.
I didn’t know how to respond to a text from a stranger who had my number and seemed to know me when I knew nothing about him. I didn’t expect to hear from him again, and the prospect of speaking with that man was oddly intimidating. Intriguing but still scary, even though I was way too curious about him.
He’s the other Venom Reaper, the Russian Pakhan.
Was it scary? Of course, impressive even. It’s simply weird to finally put a face on his reputation.
But I try to find other activities and stop thinking about these two. Today, I have things to do. After submitting a report to my father about his associates from the previous week, I hopped into the car with a simple goal in mind: the library.
The daughter of the Emir casually strolling into bookstores might sound absurd, but it was the only healthy thing in my life. Of course, leave it to me to turn even that into a twisted unhealthy addiction again.
My room was filled with stacks and stacks of them. Books have always been my refuge. I lost myself countless times within their pages, their words, their stories, I’ve never wanted to find my way back to the real world.
I love reading; I could be anyone and feel everything in books—sadness, happiness, love, anger. I feel more alive in those pages than in our world.
