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Zach shook his head while he bounced on the balls of his feet, hitting his pecs as hard as he could. Maybe if he could get some pain going somewhere else, the burn of the iron wouldn’t be so bad.
“Won’t work,” Copper said, as though reading his mind. “Tried the same thing when I was in your spot. Ain’t nothing gonna make this shit any better.” He bent and retrieved a bottle from next to his foot. Zach had no idea what was in it, moonshine probably. “You know the drill. Bottle in your left hand. Ten seconds to drink as much as you can. Hold your arm out straight. I’ll mark ya. No dropping the bottle. No spilling. No screaming. No puking. Stay on your feet for two whole minutes. Then you’re a fuckin’ brother.”
Zach nodded. His chest rose and fell in a rapid rhythm as his breathing increased and the blood raced through his veins. After blowing out a breath, he grabbed the bottle and brought it to his lips, tilting his head back and opening his throat as much as he could.
Some of the nastiest hooch he’d ever tasted flooded his mouth and streamed down his throat, burning a path to his stomach. Fitting really, since he was about to be burned all to a crisp anyway. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear his soon to be brothers whooping like a horde of wild baboons, but he managed to drown out most of the noise. All but the sound of Copper counting down from ten.
“Three…two…one…arm!”
Zach tore the bottle from his lips and extended his arm. Unable to look away, he stared in fascinated horror as the glowing end of the iron made contact with the thin skin of his forearm. There was a fraction of a second where his eyes registered the flesh-to-iron connection, but the pain hadn’t yet reached his brain.
And then it did.
All-consuming, searing pain like he’d never experienced fired through his nerve endings. Though the spot being branded was no bigger than a silver dollar, agony seemed to encompass his entire being until he couldn’t recognize where it originated from. Then there was the audible singe accompanied by the stench of melting flesh. He wasn’t expecting that.
Blinding pain was a phrase he’d heard before, but in that moment, he lived it. Darkness clouded his vision, and he slammed his knees back, determined not to succumb to the blissful oblivion that hovered just out of reach.
All around him, men screamed and hollered, but he couldn’t make out their cries over the rushing in his ears. Nostrils flaring with each forceful inhalation and exhalation, he mashed his teeth together, probably pulverizing the enamel, as he fought to remain conscious.
Then, the nausea hit. Instead of helping to lessen the pain, the damn moonshine sloshed in his gut and started a trip back up his esophagus, just as disgusting the second time around.
His eyes locked with Copper’s. The grinning bastard was definitely enjoying it. All the more motivation to remain standing, quiet, and avoid vomiting the moonshine all over.
Copper pulled the iron away and tossed it to the ground, but it did nothing to diminish the agony. After what seemed like an eternity, Copper pulled his gaze away and checked his watch. Seconds ticked by slower than the thickest motor oil dripping from an engine. Finally, he looked at Zach again and this time his smile was genuine, welcoming. “Two minutes, brother.”
Brother. Sweeter fucking words had never been spoken.
Copper grabbed him by the elbow and lifted his throbbing arm. The pain was still there, but now the rush of excitement at achieving his two-year long goal overrode the worst of it. That, and the moonshine was kicking in.
With a loud cry of triumph, Copper held up Zach’s branded arm. “Say hello to your newest brother, men.” Cheers rose up all around.
Zach swayed on his feet as pain and nausea still warred for victory over his consciousness.
Copper whistled, reigning in the crazy. “He’s now to be shown the same respect any other brother receives. He’s going to make a damn fine addition to the club.”
Zach’s chest constricted as pride surged.
“Proud of you, brother,” Copper said, for Zach’s ears only. “You were one hell of a prospect, and you’ll be one hell of an addition to the club.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
Raising his voice again, Copper turned to the rowdy crowd. “Now someone get Zach a beer and some pussy. The man’s waited long enough.”
They wouldn’t be giving him any pain medication for the burn, but losing his dick in a club girl should take care of the last of the discomfort.
Brothers converged on him from all angles, slapping his back and welcoming him. Not only would the moment be burned into his skin forever, but it was seared into his brain as well.
