Glancing at the crowd, I spot Exodus members blending in with the others. Unsuspecting people are clueless about the presence of wolves hiding in sheep’s skin amongst them. Only a few regular people know about the secret society. They’ve lived here all their lives and have been through a few Reckonings. It’s bound to happen that someone pieces things together.
The crowds have thinned over the last few days. People have skipped out of town so they won’t be around when the Reckoning happens. For ten hours, the laws won’t apply to us and we can do whatever we want without consequences—killing, stealing, kidnapping, and so much more.
Ten years ago, I joined Dad during the Reckoning to learn more about the secret society and to prepare for this one as an adult. That’s the same night Dahlia kissed me. It was then that I realized she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
By that time, my feelings for her had already taken root and grown into a need. I’d claimed her as mine not long after by beating the shit out of Mickey for the first time.
Dahlia had been bold that night. She’d faced her fears and run from me, thinking I’d get upset over my sister kissing me. The only thing that pissed me off was her bolting awayfrom me. If she can take what she wants from me, then I can do the same. I want her. She wants me. So why let laws and societal expectations stop us from being together?
During my last errand, I walk past a sex shop and pause. Lingerie displays stand in the large window. Spider-web designs run through the lace of one set, and it has Dahlia’s name written all over it. My mind creates an image of her wearing the skimpy outfit with a garter belt I want to pull down with my teeth. My cock twitches, and I curl my fingers into a tight fist. It’ll give me an eyeful of her large breasts, the curve of her round stomach, and all that ass begging for my teeth marks.
I’m walking through the door before I realize what I’m doing. A bell chimes, announcing my presence to the pink-haired girl behind the counter.
She pops her gum and looks up at me. “Hey. Do you need help finding anything?”
“The outfit in the display case.”
She leaves her spot behind the counter and leads me to the back, where all the clothes are. “Do you know her size?”
With a nod, I give her Dahlia’s size. I’ve gone through her clothes enough to memorize her size in pants, dresses, shirts, and underwear.
She goes through the rack, then pulls out Dahlia’s size. “She’s a lucky girl.”
I raise an eyebrow.
The young woman shifts nervously and looks anywhere but at me. “Are you wanting to get anything else?”
I point at a pink vibrator. “This too.”
Jealousy fills her gaze as she grabs it and hands it to me. “Anything else, Jaxon?”
I narrow my eyes. “You know my name.”
She nods, a nervous smile lifting the corners of her lips. “Yeah. We went to school together.”
It’s a small town and I’m surprised that I don’t remember her, since I have an excellent memory.
She clears her throat when all I do is stare at her. I refuse to ask how she’s doing or try some small talk with her when I really don’t give a fuck. “It’s nice to see you dating. Like I said, the girl is lucky.”
I say nothing.
“How’s Dahlia doing?”
She’s fucking me. That’s how she’s doing.“Fine.”
After striding to the counter, I wait for the girl to scan my items. I don’t wait for her to ask another question. I’m ready to get the hell out of here and get back to my sister.
She goes to the register and rings in the items with a sour attitude. “Last I saw Dahlia, we were a few days from graduating. Kyle cornered her when you weren’t around.” She gives me a pointed look. “I wanted to make sure she’s okay after what he did.”
My spine straightens, and I focus on her.
“What he did?” I drawl.
She nods and takes my bank card. “I don’t want to say more since it’s not my story to tell. But I’m guessing she never told you, and maybe for a good reason.”
Red fills my vision, and I cling to the present. I don’t want to lose my shit while I’m here, and Dahlia isn’t around to bring me back. I hate that I have to depend on her like this, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
Then the girl folds like a deck of cards when she meets my harsh gaze. “He and his friends had her in the boy’s changing room. They...” She hands the card back to me with a trembling hand. “They undressed her and took pics to put on the internet. It’s been floating around since.”
