AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He looks visibly distressed hearing his name being spoken out loud but brushes it away with a snort.
“You see, I know all about you too,” theInitiatorcontinues. “About every single one of you.” His eyes bore into mine and I swallow the lump of discomfort away. “You and I, we’re not so different. I protect my family, every day. I give them a home,brothers, a rhythm, respect, and freedom. Because after all, I’m also protectingmyfamily. I’ll accept your conditions, but I need mybrotherto die according to our methods. With hypnosis.”
My brows knit together as my eyes widen. “What?”
“Deal,” Austin rumbles.
“What?” I repeat, turning my gaze to Austin.
The sound of Xavier writhing in his restraints brings me back. His face has gone pale and he shakes his head violently. “Non, s’il te plait!Please! I brought us to them!”
“You didn’t,” theInitiatorcounters, his voice smooth and soft again. “But you did help me find my brother and I’m thankful for that. This is a very difficult decision, but I’ve made up my mind.”
Xavier turns into a sobbing wreck as he slowly accepts his gruesome fate, slumping in his chair as he crawls inside his mind.
“Je le ferai,” Théo breathes.I’ll do it. The light in his eyes shine with a strange combination of softness and heat, with a definite touch of madness.
“Théo,” Xavier lets out a sigh, filled with desperation, “I came here for you. I’d always come for you.”
Austin clears his throat, then rumbles, “Before we do anything, we need to know that you’re keeping your end of the bargain.” TheInitiatorbrings his eyes to my man, raking them slowly over his strong body, his intense stare sending a shiver of jealousy through my system. Then that diabolical, lazy smile returns. “I have a thing for families, but you already knew that. I run a large one. And I have a soft spot for big, good-looking guys.” He gives Austin a wink and a rumbling sound escapes my throat.
Mine.
He shifts his eyes from Austin to me, his grin turning into a full smile that doesn’t reach his dark eyes. “Now, until we meet again, I expect my brother back by tomorrow evening. We’ll be waiting for him at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. We’ll find you,frère.” Brother.
And just like that, the connection’s lost.
Austin doesn’t hesitate but takes his phone straight out of his pocket while he takes the noose off of Théo’s neck, instructing his clean-up crew to come to our location. His dark eyes land on mine, phone against his ear, as he continues, “And I need a security team to bring someone to the airport.”
And then we wait, lingering in the heaviest silence I’ve ever experienced in my life. Xavier just sits there, visibly in shock. After what feels like hours have passed, the door opens and a team of six guys comes in, fully equipped with flashlights and tools. Without a word, they start rolling out a thick plastic covering on the wooden flooring. Once they’re done, they give Austin a short nod, who then starts untying Xavier before he pushes him toward the plastic.
“Over there, on your knees,” he barks. Xavier hesitates only briefly but then does as he’s told. Once he’s placed his body on the plastic, he tilts his gaze toward me and I can’t help but ask, “Did Manuel ask you to help me?”
His lips curl into a wicked smile and it’s at that moment I realize that he’s as batshit crazy as the rest of them. “Thank god he did.” His eyes dart toThéo, who’s approaching us slowly. “Anything to get back to you.”
“What happened to Manuel?” I press.
He shrugged. “He was hanged, he was not loyal.”
“Well, you can be relieved, because that’s not how you’ll die,” Austin grunts, then takes his Glock out of his pocket.
“I’ll begin,”Théomumbles.
“Knock yourself out,” Austin grumbles in reply, then he shoots me a wink as he puts in his earbuds, that for some silly reason makes my heart flutter.
The soft voice starts to float through the room like a gentle melody and I squeeze my eyes shut as the last piece of the puzzle finds its spot. Because it’s this voice, with its gentle, dreamy tone, that I’ve heard on the recordings of all our victims.
“Notre famille arrive. Soyez prêts.”
And did they come. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure if they’ve truly left. But I do know that this is the best outcome we could have hoped for.
I giveThéoa last look, still painfully surprised that this young, frail guy with his curls and his big, innocent eyes, is indeed our killer. Because he is.
And all that to make his brother proud. TheInitiator.
This guy could be me. The right hand of the leader of his cult wanting to prove his worth by coming to the US and murdering his way through the organizations he’d chosen, needing to accomplish what his brother had tried doing before, but failed. Despite the terror, I can’t help but feel a sliver of admiration for his boldness.
“I can’t watch this,” I whisper, and as if in agreement, my stomach clenches. Without looking back, I leave the room, heart leaping in my chest, and close the door behind me. While my back is still leaning against the wall, I hear the loud discharge of the gun, making the foundations of the building tremble to its core.
