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I nod my understanding and turn to Brooks. “See you on the other side.”
“Good luck.”
I follow the man through the side door to the chamber room, where I will wait until the other members are gathered in the ritual room. Since there are over three hundred members, it may take a moment.
The door closes behind me, leaving me to my thoughts.
Fuck.
This is really happening.
I’ve been in the Brotherhood since I was eighteen—almost twenty-five years now. In that time I’ve bled for them. I’ve killed for them. And now I join the Elite Members. I’d like to think that it’ll be an easy ride from here on out, but that would be foolish. And dangerous. These men have served together on the council for decades. They are perfectly content with the way things are, and DeLeon’s murder changes all of that. No, I don’t expect to be welcomed with open arms, especially if they think I had anything to do with DeLeon’s death. Which they do.
Three raps on the door let me know the ceremony is about to begin.
I exhale slowly.
The main door opens, and I walk into the ritual room.
No one would ever suspect there’s a place like this nestled inside a mansion in the middle of Dallas, Texas. The circular amphitheater starts on the main level of the house and goes several stories beneath the ground. Each row has individual hand-crafted marble seats for members that are uncomfortable as fuck. The newest members sit at the top and stand as I pass, dipping their heads in respect. More men stand as I descend, heading toward the lowest level. Faces blur as I focus on my destination.
At the bottom, the room is silent as I approach the altar where the Elite Members wait.
This ceremony is simple, nothing like the initial induction ceremony after completing the hazing. I had nightmares for months after the shit they put us through, but I made it. And now I’m here.
There are five Elite Members. Zhang and Blanc have served on the council the longest. They watch me with leery eyes, as if they can’t trust me. They have to be wondering when their time is up. Jones and Smith are newer in their roles and don’t have a flicker of fear in their eyes as they watch me approach the altar. In fact, Smith winks at me as I pass. Out of the four, he seems least bothered by the fact that DeLeon is dead. Something I’ll look into later.
Lowering to my knees, I hold out my left hand.
Blanc, being the eldest Elite Member, stands. “Brother Moretti. Destiny called upon you to fulfil your role as an Elite Member when Brother DeLeon died.”
He lifts the silver blade from the table and drags it across my palm. Blood blooms on my skin and the cut stings like a motherfucker, but I hold still, waiting for Blanc to finish.
“From this day forward, Brother Moretti will be known as Elite Member Moretti. Brothers, welcome your newest Elite Member.”
Murmurs of my name are spoken throughout the room.
“Elite Member Moretti, do you vow to protect the Brotherhood with your life?”
“I do.”
Something flickers in Blanc’s eyes as I accept the new oath. Something that looks a lot like fear.
“Elite Member Moretti, you now serve on a committee that has been around longer than this country. For centuries, we have done what it takes to protect what’s ours at any cost. Today, we continue our legacy.”
Zhang stands, reaching for the golden goblet used since the Brotherhood was founded. He takes a sip, passing it to Blanc. Each Elite Member does the same until it’s passed to me. I grip it with my left hand, letting my blood soak into the metal. When Blanc nods, I take a sip, letting the bitter drink settle on my tongue before swallowing.
And just like that, it’s done.
For the next few hours, I make my way around the room, speaking to different members. Most of them want to congratulate me, though a few duck out early. I meet Brooks’ gaze across the room, and he dips his head, letting me know he’s taking note of who’s leaving. Everyone is a suspect at this point and we both know it.
I’m speaking to Jones and Smith when Grant Carter walks up.
“Alessandro.”
“Good to see you, Grant.”
He says to Jones and Smith, “Gentlemen, can you give us a moment?”
