Page 81 of Barinov

I don’t argue.

DING.

“It’s him,” I whisper.

Nate snatches my phone from my grip and plugs it into his laptop. The room goes quiet as Luca’s message takes over the screens on the walls.

@LucaWasHere

Well Lexie, seems like this time you won’t need a clue.

Thanks to the little pink crow’s loose-lipped debut.

Same game, new rules. Only one way to win.

I’ll see you bleed, again and again.

No gallery walls, no spotlighted frame.

Just chains, and teeth, and a bloodstained name.

The Red Hour begins… no white knight to save thee.

Only forty-eight hours ‘til we meet in sunny Miami.

Marisol breaks the silence. “Well that was creepy.”

“What exactly is this Red Hour, Barinov?” Tex asks. “What the hell does he mean?”

I fumble for the words, so Rez answers for me.

“There are three phases in the Hollow Kings’ initiation,” Rez says, his deep voice steady. “The Red Hour. The Blackout. And The Naming.”

“Sounds fun,” Marisol says through a smirk.

“It’s not,” Roman snaps, taking over the conversation. “The Hollow Kings were formed to be a brotherhood of the strongest. Daniel and I wanted it pure. So years ago, with the help of Rez’s father, the three of us created the initiation to ensure only the elite survived the cut.”

“Did you say cut or cult?” Marisol asks.

“Knock it off, Mar,” Tex warns.

“It was a way to filter out the weak,” Dad adds, ignoring Marisol completely. “For The Red hour, we threw new recruits into three back-to-back fights at The Pit. One against a Northvale football star. One against another recruit. And the third…” His gaze cuts to me, heavy with history we’ve barely discussed. “A masked Hollow King.”

“You win all three, you move on to The Blackout,” I finish, my voice finally deciding to work.

“So Luca’s copying your initiation?” Knox frowns, rubbing at his jaw.

“Seems like it,” I admit.

“Shit,” Rez grumbles, yanking out his phone. “Pick up, fucker.”

“Who are you calling?” I ask.

“DeShawn! Hey man, you with Chase?” Rez blurts into his phone.

“Damn it,” I mutter to Cade. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“What?” Cade asks, his voice shaking a little.