“I have a feeling we all have to iron out our… kinks… a bit, yes?”
When he walks off, I see Lachlan watching us with a frown.
Oh yes. We most certainly have to iron out some kinks.
CHAPTER 17
Otto
The bridge of my nose is still throbbing when the five of us all walk into the old barn. The outside is brick, but it seems a bit more modernized inside. Tall, dark beams hold up the tall ceiling, but juxtaposed against the age of the beams are new windows, doors, and cement floors. There’s a single chair in the middle, and the old Lords are sitting at a table in the corner of the barn.
“Welcome,” Alaric says, standing up. “Any volunteers want to go first?”
“That’s it?” Lachlan asks, still pumped up with testosterone from oursexually chargedscuffle. “You’re going to brand us and send us on our way? I was envisioning something a bit more… ritualistic.”
Fucking idiot.
Alaric arches a brow. “Did you? Well then… I was going to save this for after, but I suppose we can get cracking now.”
My skin pebbles as the other Lords stand up. Sterling walks over to us and holds out five manila-colored folders.
“I have five folders here. Each one contains a secret you’ve all kept from us–from your fellow Lords. I’ve been working nonstop for days to gather evidence.”
Astern shifts uncomfortably next to me, and Sterling continues.
“I suppose we should go into the initiation with all of the skeletons in our closets bared for all to see, don’t you think?” he asks, sounding almost excited as his eyes find Astern’s. “Each of you has lied. Each of you walked through that door to be initiated harboring those very lies. One thing you should know is that the Lords of Darkness donottolerate liars. We do not tolerate betrayal. The consequence is death.”
Everyone is quiet, and Max looks at me over his shoulder.
Fuck.
What could Sterling possibly have on us? It certainly couldn’t be the one thing we’ve kept between us since we were eighteen… could it?
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Because I’m a nice guy,” Sterling starts, and Harlow snorts. “I’m going to give you each the chance toconfess.Five minutes in that chair. If you don’t–or if you confess the wrong thing–I will kill you.”
Astern inhales sharply. “How do we know what information you have on us?” she asks, her voice steady.
“I suppose you’ll just have to confess your deepest,darkestsecret to be sure, Astern Hackbolt.”
I hear her swallow as Sterling pulls one of the folders out. “Maximillian Thorn, you’re first.”
Max nods once before he walks to the chair. Being his younger brother, I know all of his nervous tells–like the way he wipes his palms on his thighs, or the way he curls his hands at his side. I’ll bet when he turns around, he’ll have little beads of sweat along his hairline.
Don’t tell them,I think, silently begging him to read my mind.
“You have five minutes,” Sterling tells him.
“I only need thirty seconds,” he retorts, his voice hard.
No–
“Ten years ago, my brother and I killed someone. It was an accident, and we buried the body. We couldn’t be charged with murder–despite being seventh in line, our eldest brother was due to get married the next day. It would’ve pulled all the attention away from the nuptials, and every single person in Denmark would’ve hated us for taking that away from them. A royal wedding is… the event of the century. Especially since he was next in line to be King. No one else knows, and the man we hit has been officially missing since that night.”
Fuck.
I break out into a cold sweat as Sterling laughs. It’s not a kind laugh, either. Walking up to Max, he holds a knife with a white handle to his throat.
