Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I slam into Valen’s body, and his arms wrap around me. He doesn’t say anything. For a long while, he merely stands there, holding me as if I’m a wounded bird. His hand circles my back as I sob, and I realise just how afraid I was. As much as I like him, Judah still fucking scares me. And I don’t think he’ll ever not scare me.
“It’s…” I choke out. “It’s not right. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know,” he says softly as he steps back. “Judah’s angry because we found a few students doing background checks on you. One of them is in the room down the hall.” Valen gestures with his head towards the darker part of the dungeon we’re standing in.
“But I don’t understand,” I say. “Why would he lock me in here. I don’t—”
Then, Valen chuckles, which catches me off guard.
“We’ve all had our time in these cells. It’s part of your initiation—the start of you becoming one of us.”
“What?”
“Step one, spend some time in that shithole.” Valen’s voice lowers as he speaks. “Step two, Judah’s going to want to see what you’re made of, so whatever he demands, just obey him. His orders are law here.”
“I don’t like playing games,” I tell Valen. “If he’s bringing me into the family, into the organisation, he can do it without messing with my head.”
I tug away from him in anger. I don’t want to be pushed around by any of them. I won’t be the pawn in their twisted game.
“Are you ready to get some blood on your hands, princess?” Judah’s voice stops me short. I want nothing more than to slap him, but it will probably land me back in the cell, so all I do is offer him a nod.
I don’t want to talk to him. Or be near him. But for now, I’ll play along with this fucked up game he’s decided is an initiation into this family unit.
I’m led by Judah down the hall and into the darkest depths of the dungeon. He takes me to a room that’s much larger than the cell I was in, and there, sitting bound to a chair, is the guy who tried to attack me at university last week.
“What is going on?” I ask, my gaze flicking to Judah.
Judah stops in front of the man. “This is Marco DiMario,” he announces.
The man looking back at me causes me to shiver. It could all be over now.
“What is he doing here?” I whisper.
“Your little boyfriends think I’m some kind of spy,” Marco spits in anger as he pins me with a glare. It’s the same look he gave me that day on campus. “Did you go squealing to them, about me wanting to talk to you? I don’t appreciate being treated like a criminal when I’m here to learn, just like everyone else.”
“Then explain why we found photos of Brielle Saviatti, from when she was living in the UK, and a copy of her medical file in your possession?”
Shock slams right into my chest when I cast a glance at Judah. If this bastard has my medical file, that means Judah’s seen it. That means they’ve all seen it. They know what happened.
My head spins with the possibilities of them knowing the most intimate details of my life. I didn’t expect my secret to come out like this, but now that it so clearly has, I’m not sure how to react.
“I haven’t told anyone her secrets, yet,” Marco says as he sneers at me, making my body quake with the thought of everyone on this island knowing I’m broken.
“And you won’t be telling anyone,” Valen says before he steps up to the side of the chair. His eyes are on me.
Now I know why they were so angry, it wasn’t that I was out late, it wasn’t because I didn’t call them to ask for a ride home, it’s because they know.
“It’s time for you to earn your place, princess,” Judah tells me as he hands me a blade far larger than the ones I’ve been training with.
He wants me to hurt Marco. No, not just hurt him. Judah wants me to torture, possibly kill, the man in front of me.
I snap my gaze to Judah’s, and I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t find the words I need. My throat closes as panic takes over. I’ve never hurt someone for the sake of it, but when Judah looks at me, I realise this is more about keeping secrets than it is about anything else.
“There’s no choice in this life,” he tells me, as if he can read my mind.
I have no doubt he probably can read my mind. That’s one thing about Judah Venier, he’s perceptive. Kai steps up behind me, his hands landing on my hips as he holds me steady. I’m swaying, dizziness hitting me full force now, and I wish I could run away. I don’t want to do this, but when I look back at Marco, I know he’s not someone who can be trusted to keep a secret.