“No. You misunderstand, Tilak. It’s time for you to return to the gods.” A swarm of brethren fill the tunnel, blocking me from every side. I might be three feet taller than them, but they outnumber me twenty to one.
I would kill for my blaster right now.
Before they have a chance to organize around me, I shove Boss hard enough to take three brethren down with him. I easily shove my way through to get back to Bri. I should never have left her alone.
Baby Face stands in my way and raises his fists. As if his tiny hands could stop me. I lift him off the ground by the throat. In a futile attempt, he bangs against my bionic arm, begging for freedom. My tight metal grip makes his eyes bulge before I toss him onto the pile of fallen brethren.
Another one swings a wooden broom handle, smacks his brethren in the face with his backswing and brings it hard across my abs. I yank the stick out of his hands and snap it across my knee, breaking it in two. He panics and runs in the opposite direction. The remaining brethren scatter and clear a path for me.
I’m nearly to the end of the tunnel when two brethren jump on my back at the same time. I reach behind and grab one by the hood of his robe and toss him aside. The other wrestles my bionic arm down and slaps a cuff on my wrist. A shock knocks me to my knees. My vision narrows when my other arm is wrenched back and cuffed.
My yell echoes off the stone walls when another shock radiates through me. I grind my teeth together to get through the pain, counting every shallow breath while I wait for it to stop. I deepen my inhales and the current comes to a stop.
“You arrogant Tilak, thinking you can come in here and take what is ours,” Boss says, brushing dust off his robes.He stalks toward me. From this position, he is taller than me. I look up and spit right in his face. He pulls out a blaster and points it right at me.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Bri
Iwait a few minutes in the prayer room and listen for Boss. Hopefully he’s convinced I prayed long enough and I can get back to my room. This is such bullshit. It’s past time to plan a little retaliation for Boss being such a prick.
On tiptoes, I creep through the tunnels toward my room and wonder if Tai is there. Maybe I’m still in the sex haze, but I’m excited to get back to him. I smile despite myself.
That little voice in the back of my head whispers warnings.
You’ll only hurt him.
You weren’t made to settle down with anyone.
By the time I reach our room, I’m completely conflicted. Part of me wants him. In some weird way, we work. The other part wants a life free of guilt, and that means no one gets close enough to get hurt.
I take a deep breath and open the bedroom door. No more of the hottest sex to ever exist. We’ll keep it friendly and plan our revenge on Boss.
The room is dark and empty. I don’t have to see anything to knowTai isn’t in there. Something is off. There aren’t any brethren hovering around, Boss isn’t anywhere to be found, and Tai is missing.
I turn on my heel and begin my search.
“You arrogant Tilak, thinking you can come in here and take what is ours.”
I hear Boss’s condescending tone down the hallway.Excuse the fuck outta me? Theirs?
Oh, hell no.
I step around the corner and into absolute chaos. Tai is on the ground, wrists cuffed behind his back. Boss looms over Tai, pointing a blaster down at his chest. Brethren are scattered all over, rubbing jaws and inspecting injuries.
“What is going on here?” I ask innocently. Boss and Tai look at me in unison. Tai looks concerned, but that concern is not for himself, It’s for me. Boss has his familiar arrogant air about him.
This bastard loves it when he can reign over anyone.
“Glorious Light-Bringer, the Tilak has broken the sacred laws. He has defiled the Wahadi and deceived you. It is time he paid for his transgressions,” Boss says keeping the blaster firmly pointed at Tai.
“How has he deceived me, loyal Brethren?” I slip into character. I’m going to need to be convincing to get Tai out of this.
“He has not told you the truth about his past. He was here, on Sabaak, when he was caught for his crimes,” Boss says. “I knew he looked familiar. I checked our records and confirmed it was him.”
“Tai?” His name slips from my lips.
He looks ashamed, caught in a lie. His reaction tells me everything I need to know. Boss is telling the truth.
