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Lukecaught me as I walked up the basement stairs, my eyes adjusting to the light. “Did you find her?”
“I did.” If my answers were short enough, maybe he’d leave me alone, drop the situation altogether.
“Did you take care of her?” I frowned, looking away from him. “I took care of the situation.” He pulled me over to one side of the room, out of earshot from the other brothers. “But did you take care ofher?” I pressed my lips together.
The girls were making their way up from the basement now, tired and used. I refused to throw another one of the girls under the bus. Neither was I going to be the one signing Mila’s death order.
But I wasn’t sure how to get out of this situation.
“For fuck’s sake, Ray. I told you to take care of her. She’s a loose end.” Luke pushed back his hood, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “It was the new girl, wasn’t it? Mila. Your girl this month.” I didn’t want to give him the privilege of a response, but a muscle in my jaw ticked. I had only just got her back. Was the world really going to take her from me again?
“Shit, Ray. Wait right here. Don’t fucking move.” He stalked away from me, and I watched him pull Mila out of the line of girls. Her expression shifted from one of surprise, to anger, to resolve, all in the time it took for them to find their way back to me. By now the common room was empty, the brothers disappeared to make sure the girls were all tucked safely away upstairs. A pretense of protection.
Luke stared both of us down in the empty common room, as if expecting one of us to break. But together, neither of us could. “Who wants to explain the shitshow that just took place?” he asked. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out how best to explain what had happened without both of us ending up in backyard graves.
But Mila reached out, stopping just before she touched my hand, and spoke for both of us. “It was my fault, Brother Brutus. I wasn’t paying attention, and I got lost on the way to the basement. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Knowing Mila, I knew it was all an act. But to an outsider, it would seem as real and sincere as anything.
Luke’s sharp gaze softened, if only briefly. “You expect me to believe that you justgot lost?”
“Yes, sir. I stopped to tie my shoelace, and when I looked back up, everyone was gone. I tried to find my way, but I guess I took a wrong turn.” I watched her nod out of the corner of my eye. Well, she was committed to the lie. The least I could do was back her up.
“It’s true, brother. I caught her trying to find her way back to the basement. There were several open windows she could’ve escaped out of, but she didn’t. I think we have a true believer here.” Half a lie, half a truth. Both tasted bitter in my mouth. Mila had a chance to run, and stayed — for me.
But she’d never be atrue believerin the Kingsnakes. Not in a million fucking years. Luke stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching us both. He thought he knew when I was lying and when I was telling the truth, and once upon a time he did. But now he only saw what I wanted him to see. A devoted Kingsnake, loyal to his brothers and the cause. And a girl – a vessel – who had made a silly mistake.
“If it was only an accident, I can give you one more chance, Mila. But if I find out any part of what either of you told me was a lie, there will be serious consequences for all involved. Otherwise known as a bullet to the head.Ifwe had enough bullets to spare that month. “All true, Brother Brutus. I will take full responsibility for the girl until my month is up, and hopefully by then she will have proved her loyalty to the Kingsnakes.”
“Very well.” Luke turned, waving over a brother who stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Take Mila up to her room, and make sure she’s locked in for the evening. We can’t be too careful after today, can we?”
He turned back and grinned at me, but the underlying threat lacing his smile was easily apparent. Mila followed the brother up without a second glance backwards, her docile act enough to fool even me. I started to walk away, figuring I had pushed my luck enough today, but Luke spoke, stopping me before I got very far. “I know you want to protect the girls, Ray. But you need to remember they’re just property. Vessels for us to use and fill. The Kingsnakes have a purpose to protect and provide for each other. If you get in the way of that, I won’t hesitate to take you down.”
I turned slightly back toward Luke, and pressed my hand against my chest. Pushing against the black snake embroidered in ink on my heart. A reminder of my sins, forever on my skin. “I know. And I need you to know I’m fully committed to the Kingsnakes. The girl truly was lost, and I don’t see why she should be punished, when she might very well be a successful vessel.” God, I wanted to be sick talking about Mila like that. As if she was no better than a body to be taken advantage of. “I’ll do whatever it takes for the Kingsnakes to succeed.”
“Will you?”
I faced Luke fully, who still stood in the corner with his hands in his pockets. “What do you mean by that?”
“Will you do whatever it takes for the Kingsnakes to succeed?” he repeated, walking toward me.
“I do my job, Luke. I hope you aren’t questioning my loyalty.” I didn’t like the direction this conversation was headed, or the chill in Luke’s voice.
He shrugged.
“All I know is you’ve been here for a decent amount of time, and none of your girls have gotten pregnant.” My body went cold, my blood freezing in my veins. “Your point? Lots of the other brothers haven’t been successful either.”
“Lots of the other brothers haven’t been protective of the girls the way you have. You seem to have a… connection with them.” Luke sneered, as if the word was distasteful. “Most of your brothers treat the women as they should. Like empty vessels waiting to be blessed. You treat them as friends.”
“What are you asking me for,brother?” I pulled myself up to my full height, meeting Luke toe to toe. At this moment, we weren’t Kingsnake brothers, but high schoolers again.
“Proof.”
I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting him to say, but it wasn’t that. “I’m sorry? Have you lost yourmind?”
Luke’s blue eyes flashed with annoyance. “I know we were friends once, but watch your tone with me,brother. And if you’re really doing your job, proof shouldn’t be difficult.”
“I’m just baffled as to what kind of proof you’re looking for. You want the bedsheets when I’m done? Wearing a condom seems a bit contradictory to me.” Fuckingproof. I shook my head. I couldn’t understand Luke’s train of thought a lot of the time, but this was excessive, even for him.
“No.” His expression didn’t shift, telling me exactly how serious he was. “Your next shift with Mila is tomorrow. I’ll be joining you to make sure the Ceremony is carried out.” I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to sink any lower. And yet it did. “You can’t be serious.” Luke crossed his arms.
