Page 87 of Coal Hearts

He’d always need me.

Not a single day had passed when I hadn’t seen him at least once—even living with Sam. The trip to Paris had only happened because I’d drawn up a calendar of how long I’d be gone and promised to FaceTime at least four times a day.

How was he coping?

Was he breaking, same as me?

A despairing moan escaped me.

God, Krish—

“Stop crying,” Henri barked, his voice black and hollow. “Right now.” Grabbing my elbow, he yanked me into his side. His eyes locked onto Patrick; the hollowness in his tone switched to arctic. “Nice to meet you, Patrick, but I’ve been tasked with training this one and I should really get started.”

Patrick licked his lips; his slimy gaze lingered between my legs. “I can help if you’d like? I overheard Vic tell you where the library is. I haven’t used that room yet and wouldn’t mind experimenting with a couple of books. I’m sure the thicker editions could bruise flesh quite nicely.”

I bared my teeth.

Henri shook me.

“No need. I prefer to work on my own.”

“You know you’ll have to share her eventually, right?” Patrick’s friendly act dissolved. “She’s new. She’s caught the eye of most of us.” He waved at the men all congregating on the never-ending lawn, not so subtly watching us. “There’s a rule that we all get to have a turn with a new jewel.”

“That might be, but she’s mine for the weekend.” Henri stepped past Patrick and dragged me down the steps. I tripped into him, my feet not cooperating. His fingers pinched my elbow, but he didn’t look down. “Take it up with Victor if you have a problem.”

“Oh, I will. We all will.” Patrick crossed his arms over his pale yellow polo shirt. “You’re not a member yet. You’ve been given a great gift, and you can play with it for a little while, but mark my words, by tonight, she’ll be fair game.”

With a wink, he spun in his flipflops and marched back to a pretty slave kneeling by a manicured bush. He grabbed a handful of her sandy hair and dragged her crawling beside him.

Fierce, unquenchable rage billowed through me.

This place.

These people.

They were...despicable.

All of it.

Every last one.

Fury ignited before I could be rational.

Sheer hatred and uncontrollable violence had me yanking my arm from Henri’s hold and screeching at the crowd. “You’re all going to pay. Karma will get you. Eventually. You’re all bastards. Rotten fucking bastards. Every single one of—”

Pain.

Seering, slicing heat bolted through my nervous system, stealing my ability to stand.

I collapsed onto the grass, twitching, spasming.

I’d never been electrocuted until today. Never known how it felt to have a power strong enough to kill tear through my veins and blood.

Now I did.

And it wasn’t the slicing shock that hijacked my bodily functions but the punch of it. The throbbing wallop after wallop as if a thousand men circled me and pummelled me with their fists.

As quickly as the pain tore through my bones, it stopped.