Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Ray holds up a hand. “Stay calm, brother. It’s nothing that the three of us haven’t gone through and survived.” He pushes his hand in my face. “Take a look for yourself.”
I squint, and sure enough, there’s a pale pink X across Ray’s palm. Corey and Max display theirs as well.
“Brother Corey, will you hold the candle?”
“Yes, Brother Ray.” Corey stands up and grabs the candle from the center of the circle.
Ray turns back to me. “Brother Harry, your left hand, please.”
I swallow. “Is it going to hurt?”
Ray snorts. “It’s a knife. It’s not going to feel pleasant.”
“But it’s just a little sting,” Max says. “Worth it for a lifetime of brotherhood with The Club.”
I press my lips together. “Okay…” I give Ray my hand.
Ray holds the knife over my palm. “The first cut represents loyalty to your Brothers above all else. Do you agree to remain loyal to the Brotherhood as long as you live, Brother Harry?”
I nod.
“Verbal answer, please.”
“Y-Yes, I d-do.”
He brings the knife to my flesh and drags across it, leaving a shallow gash.
I grit my teeth against the sting, but it’s not too bad.
Ray repositions the knife. “The second cut represents respect to your Brothers above all others. Do you agree to show respect and deference to your Brothers—in return for the same—for as long as you shall live, Brother Harry?”
“Yes,” I say, my voice stronger this time.
Ray makes another quick cut perpendicular to the first. It hurts less this time, maybe because I’m used to the sting from the first cut.
“Brother Corey, the candle.”
“Yes, Brother Ray.”
Ray gives Corey the knife and takes the candle. He holds it over my palm. “And now we seal your oath with the Candle of Promise.” He drips the hot wax onto the cuts on my palm.
I cry out as the hot wax touches my sensitive flesh, and Max immediately clamps a hand over my mouth. Ray continues to drip the candle wax over my palm, outlining the X the entire way.
Finally, he finishes and he puts the candle back on the ground. Max lets go of my mouth and reaches into Ray’s bag, pulling out a roll of gauze. As he wraps it around my hand, he mutters, “All honor to The Club, all glory to The Club.”
Once my hand is fully wrapped, Ray wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Welcome, Brother Harry, to The Club. Corey, please present the vestments.”
Corey grabs Ray’s bag and pulls out a black trench coat. He hands it to Ray.
Ray holds out the coat. “Brother Harry, this coat and the mark on your hand sealed in wax represent your loyalty and respect to The Club. Please wear it whenever possible.”
I take the coat. It’s heavy. Leather, I think. “This must have cost you a fortune, Ray.”
“Never mind that. It’s yours.”
I take the coat and put it on. It’s not really my style, but it does cut against the autumn breeze nicely. I’m no longer shivering.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Thank you, Brother Harry,” Ray says. He grabs my hands. “And now that you are an official member of The Club, we’ll get to business.”
“Business?” I ask.
Ray nods solemnly. “Hector Dimpsey, to be specific.”
I widen my eyes. “What about him?”
Ray’s eyes glow with malice in the candlelight. “What would you do to him if he were here right now? Just him, all alone? No Kingsmen in sight?”
“I’d beat the shit out of him with my brothers.”
Corey and Max laugh, but Ray silences them. “Good answer.” He grins and strokes his chin. “But beating him up, even within an inch of his life, would only cause him pain temporarily. A few days, maybe a week if we really do a good job. You have to think bigger.”
“What do you mean?”
Ray’s grin widens, and the glint in his eye bursts into flames. “What can we do to Hector Dimpsey to ensure he endures a lifetime of pain?”
Fuck, I missed my turn-off back onto I-290.
I never let myself think about The Club. About what we did to Hector Dimpsey. He was a dick, but he didn’t deserve—
No. I shut the thought out.
Right now, my only focus is getting home. I keep getting lost in thought. First about Bianca, and then about Ray…
Where even am I right now?
It’s a rougher neighborhood. Lots of rundown buildings lit up by flashing police lights.
I can handle myself, but I don’t like being here in the dead of night. I’m not sure where the best place to pull a U-turn would be.
It’s starting to rain, and visibility is shit.
I’m completely turned around.
I’m going to have to pull over and plug the address into my GPS.
A seedy-looking motel—The Caterpillar Hotel, it’s called—with a parking lot is half a block down the road.
Funny, the lot is empty, but I see lights on in the rooms. Must be people who couldn’t afford to rent a car. You don’t really need one in Chicago anyway with the L.