Page 77 of Heartless Sinner

Now I got to spend my afternoon dealing with two assholes.

Eighteen

Brooks

Tonight was the night I’d been waiting for since Cory had tried to steal Daphne from me.

I could finally beat the shit out of him.

His Initiation.

As far as I knew, I was the first Son to walk into one, hoping the Prospect didn’t walk back out.

Normally, every Son voted yes before a Prospect ever reached Initiation. I’d voted for Cory before he got stupid, and there were no take-backs.

If I wanted him gone now, he’d have to fail.

Or die trying.

Either worked for me.

Part of me wanted to tell Cory I’d killed his brother. I wanted his rage to take over, but I couldn’t let that secret slip.

I cracked my neck inside Locker Hall. We had enough weapons stashed behind the lockers to start a fucking war.

No names were on the lockers, just our Son symbols. If anyone ever found the tunnels, good fucking luck figuring out who belonged here.

Initiations had two parts. First, fight a Son.

Lucky Cory. He got me.

Then kill someone.

I’d never forget my Initiation. My target had been a child molester. We didn’t kill innocent people. Every target had earned their place in that cage.

I’d spent an hour on mine. A rusted pair of pliers still lived in my memory more clearly than his face.

I’d never felt stronger at that moment.

Never felt more certain that this was where I belonged.

A locker slammed behind me.

“You ready for this?” Emeri asked, rubbing a scar across his jaw.

I nodded. Coming from Emeri, the question meant something.

Tape covered my knuckles. I bounced on my toes. I was more than fucking ready. If I had it my way, Cory wouldn’t survive the Initiation.

No Son had ever killed a Prospect during Initiation. Maybe I’d be the first.

I grabbed my mask from my locker and headed into the tunnels. My mask had my symbol—a saint’s halo.

Emeri went straight to the Initiation Chamber with the other Sons to watch from the sidelines. I entered a separate room, where I’d wait until it was time for me.

Waiting was the hardest part. I flicked a penny across the table until the Obie Trice song finally started. The first beat hit, and I lowered my mask and stepped into the Initiation Chamber.

Darkness swallowed everything, except the concrete slab under a single spotlight and the neon masks glowing from the tiers above. Those were the Elders.