Page 53 of A Wild Darkness

Her hand slowly turns over, her fingers intertwining through mine. “I want to do this with you, Sebastian. These monsters deserve to be taken out.”

I smile with relief. “That’s my girl.”

She turns away smiling, but I don’t miss the way her cheeks turn a light shade of crimson. Her reaction sends a heat up my neck in response.

“Shall we?” I say, opening the car door.

“Mm-hmm.”

I walk over to her side to let her out. We walk hand in hand toward the back entrance. “Remember what I said about eating and drinking?”

“Yeah. I’m not to drink anything they give me or touch the food, because it could be laced with something. Or, for all we know, human flesh.”

“And if you’re pressured or feel you should, spit it into your napkin or back into your glass,” I remind her.

“I know. Trust me, I won’t.”

We ascend the small stone steps up to the door. “It feels weird without our masks on.”

“But it’s what we have to do to show them our trust.” My hand taps the gun tucked into my back waistband. It’s the same one I use in all my kills, and I’m hoping it can be my offering.

The heavy wooden door swings open to reveal a man dressed as a security guard. Not sure if he’s part of the Society or they hired him for this event, so I tread lightly.

“Hello,” I speak first. “We’re here for⁠—”

“I know who you are.” Does he recognize us? Could he be the figure who led us into the library at the masquerade ball? His weathered skin shows his age and is a window into what he’s seen in his life. “Silas and the others are expecting you in the entertainment room.”

“Great,” I say, stepping inside, but the man blocks me.

“I’ll check you both first.” He whips out a handheld metal detector from his waistband. “Arms up.”

“I brought a gun with me,” I tell him, as he waves it along the length of my body.

The detector goes off when he moves over my back. “Take it out.”

I slip it out and hand it to him. “I brought it for the group.”

He sighs as if he’s annoyed. “The weapon will stay with me until the conclusion of the event.”

Not what I hoped would happen because I wanted to offer it to the group myself, but if he must keep it for security purposes, I can let it go. “Fine.”

“Of course,” he tells me as he finishes patting me down.

He moves toward Stevie, but I keep myself in close proximity. I twist to face Stevie. She will be connected to me through touch for the entire night.

Once we’re cleared, he leads us through the aisles of tall bookshelves. As we round the corner, we enter a small room lit by candlelight. A long wooden table is before us, fitted with table settings and with the members enjoying generous pours of red wine. I hear a brief gasp from Stevie as she witnesses what I am seeing—all six of the men, including one woman who I hadn’t noticed before sitting around the table are without face coverings.

To assume they would isn’t a stretch, but to see what their faces look like comes as a shock to Stevie—because they look like regular people.

Silas is the first to slide from his seat with his glass in the air to greet us. I recognize his voice and overly arrogant demeanor right away, prompting a mental countdown until he is eventually face to face with the barrel of my gun.

“Hello!” Silas exclaims. “Please welcome our guests this evening, the Dark Prince and Annabel Lee.”

The members raise a glass in our honor as Silas gestures for us to take the last seats at the end. I guide Stevie over, keeping one hand firmly placed on the small of her back.

As we get settled into our places, Silas moves to the head of the table and remains standing. “I’m happy to add more members to our group. The Dark Prince and Annabel Lee were recruited by our good friend, Andrew Hughes. The police almost discovered his body the night after he was savagely killed,” Silas continues. “And part of the many member perks we offer is that we were able to get to him before the police found his body in that cabin and linked him to all the women who went missing during his sex ring. Essentially keeping his desires secret forever.”

How would Silas know that? Is it protection from getting caught that they provide for their other members?