Read Annihilate Me (Vol. 3) (The Annihilate Me Series) for Free Online Page B

guess.   Now she’s
determined to rid the world of something she could care less about.”
    “It’s something like that,” Blackwell
admitted.
    “Something or exactly?”
    “Maybe exactly.”
    “She’s such a fake.”
    “No comment.”
    “Immaculata is friends with Peachy.   So is Tootie-Staunton Miller.   Jennifer, you’ll need to be aware that
they’ll be there and that you’ll need to deal with them on your own, not that
you can’t.   I’ve seen you in action.   I know that you can handle—”   He stopped speaking and furrowed his
brow at me.   “What’s the matter?”
    I quickly wiped my eyes.   “Nothing.”
    “That’s not true.   What’s wrong?”
    I blinked away tears and when I spoke, my
voice was thick.   “It’s just that
you seem yourself again, and I’m relieved.   I’ve been sick with worry over you.   You seem better.”
    “And here is where I leave,” Blackwell
said.   “I’ll be just outside if you
need me.”
    She put her hand on my shoulder before she
left the room.
    “Come here,” Alex said when she was
gone.   He moved over a little and
patted the side of the bed.   “Sit
with me.”
    I went over and sat beside him.   As I did so, he leaned forward and
kissed me on the lips.   “Are you
all right?” he asked.
    “I’ve been so worried.”
    “I mean physically.   Are you all right physically?”
    “I cut my arm and bruised my hip.   I didn’t get it nearly as bad as you
did.   I’ll be fine.   Alex, I’m so sorry for reacting the way
I did.   I’m the reason you’re here
now.   I’m sure of it.”
    “You know better than that.”
    “I’m sorry, but I don’t.   At the time, did I think I was doing
the right thing?   Yes.   But looking back, do I think I did the
right thing?   Absolutely not.   I was scared, and I didn’t keep my
cool.   And look what happened.   Hell, look what could have happened.   I could have lost you.”
    “But because of you, you didn’t.   If I’d been standing beside that car
when it exploded, I’d be dead now.   We both know that.   By
standing up to me, you got me away from the car before the explosion caused
serious damage, which it would have.   What happened that night is on me.   I should have told you about the threat before we went to Maine, but I
didn’t because I didn’t want to lose you again.   I didn’t want you to see what my life is really like.   At least not yet.   I thought that if I fully let you in,
you’d leave me again, if only to protect yourself.   And who could blame you if you did?   That decision was selfish on my part.   If I’d told you the truth, you would
have been prepared when you were threatened with that email.   You said yourself that you would have
told me immediately about it because you would have known the two incidents
were linked.   I’m sorry, Jennifer.   I really fucked this up.”
    I put my hand on the side of his
face.   “Why don’t you take these
things seriously?”
    He kissed my palm and, for a moment, he
closed his eyes and pressed his face against it before he straightened and
looked at me.   “For the first year,
I did.   For the first year, before
my parents died, I took every threat seriously, even though I knew this sort of
thing was routine for my father.   But over the years, just like with my father, nothing ever
happened.   Nobody ever followed
through with their threats, so I had a false sense of security.   Now, somebody has finally acted.”
    “Who is behind this?”
    He shrugged.   “I don’t know.   It’s like I told you that night.   Wenn has made its share of enemies.    We’ve driven people out of business.   Some people have lost everything
because of us.   It could be anyone.   I’m assuming the FBI and the police are
investigating.   Any word on who
that man was in the car?”
    “Not that I know of.   He was dead by the time your guard got
to him.   From what I understand, he
had no ID