Hiding my disgust, and trying to avoid the stench that is Corbin Malum, I rummage through the cupboards for a sheet which I use to wrap the wings in. Once they’re wrapped, I lug them over my shoulder and head out the door.
Corbin follows me through the tunnels until we reach the rear entrance of the garage where the Commander stores his vehicles. I pop the trunk of the black Mustang and shove the wings inside. They’ll stay there until the engagement party. The night I will get to see Autumn one last time before I’m killed by the Fallons.
Fuck my life.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
Back in the Warehouse, Corbin goes straight to his room, and I go to the kitchen to find some food. Skylar and Alec are busy rushing back and forth preparing the meals for dinner. This is the same Skylar who was kidnapped by Neal and brought to the torture chamber to satisfy Corbin’s sick needs. Only he figured out Skylar wasn’t going to play nice, and when she bit his cock after he tried— “shoving it down her throat”—as he calls it, he tried to kill her, and she beat the absolute crap out of him.
Later, we found out she has a black belt in karate. He hasn’t touched her since, and the Commander, impressed with her ability to knock him out, offered her a place with the Fray. At number three, she’s safe for now, but intent on working her way up the ranks. She’s definitely no quitter.
The other girl, Claire, ended up dead. Strangled by Corbin and dumped in the river. A week later her body was found and one of the new recruits, I think his name was Tony, took the fall.
Skylar and Alec have become close since she was recruited, he likes her, and she seems to understand him. I wish I could say I miss him and his stupid complaining, but I don’t. No attachments. I never came here to make friends. Alec and I were friends by circumstance that’s all. We don’t need each other to function. I don’t need anyone.
Alec looks up from where he’s washing dishes in the sink.
“How’s it going?” I ask.
He gives me a thumbs up and a nod before he moves to the other side of the counter where he chops up fruit and throws it into a large bowl.
Skylar’s at the stove, stirring a pot of pasta. She wipes her brow with her sleeve. “What do you want, Eleven?”
I grab a piece of garlic bread and take a bite. “Food. What have you been doing?”
She narrows her eyes and her brow creases. One hand is planted on her hip while the other is still stirring the pasta. “Since when do you give a fuck about what I’m doing?”
I roll my eyes. “You know, Skylar, if you toned down the cursing and smiled occasionally, you might make some friends.”
“Fuck you.” She flicks off the stove and grabs the pot handles to carry it to the sink. I step back, watching her. “I’ve got Alec,” she says while draining the pasta.
Part of me wants to tell her she needs at least one person here she can talk to, other than Alec. Another part of me wants to forget about her and let her work it out for herself. If the Commander or Corbin finds out about their relationship, they’ll both be fucked.
“Well, good luck then. I’ll see you around.”
I turn to walk away, and she calls out to me. “Eleven. I heard you’re going to the Fallons.”
Behind her, Alec stops chopping the fruit and comes closer. He shakes his head.
I ignore him and focus on Skylar. “How do you know?”
She pours the pasta into the tray. “I heard the guys talking earlier. They say you’re not coming back.”
“Maybe they’re right.”
She comes closer and lowers her voice, “Eleven, I never hated you. I know it wasn’t you who hurt Claire. You couldn’t have stopped it even if you wanted to.”
I remain silent and shove my hands in my pockets. I don’t know what she’s getting at. I don’t even know why I’m still standing here, talking to a female. There’s only one female I’ll ever be interested in, and it’s not Skylar.
She places a hand on my arm. “Alec misses you.”
No emotion. No reply. I only nod.
She continues, “Try to come back, okay.”
I cock my head, confused.
Skylar looks over my shoulder. “Here comes your BFF.”
I roll my eyes, and she laughs. When I turn, Corbin’s standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. “Eleven, I’ve been lookin’ for ya’.”
I extend my arms. “Surprise, here I am.”
He glares at me with his lips pursed into a tight line. Behind me, Skylar giggles.
“Shut up, fuckin’ bitch,” Corbin curses. “Hey, mute, get me a beer.”
Alec does what he’s told while Skylar pushes Corbin’s buttons. “Can’t get your own beer, Twelve? Too heavy for you?”
“Fuck off, filthy whore.”
“Ah, Twelve, that hurts.” Skylar plants her hand over her heart. “You should be careful with your words, they could come back to bite you on the ass... or the dick.”
Alec returns with the beer for Corbin, and hands me one too. I thank him before I end up laughing.
When I walk past Corbin, he follows me out of the kitchen. “What the hell were you doing here?”
“Getting something to eat.”
He huffs, pissed off he’s been talked down to by a female, especially in front of me.
“The Commander wants you to train, he’s got some new recruits lined up, and you get to beat the shit out of them.”
“I can’t wait.”
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
After five rounds, I’m already bored out of my mind. These new recruits are weak as piss and don’t know the first thing about blocking a punch or throwing one.
The Commander’s new rules include recruits being put through rigorous training before they’re considered for initiation. Right now, we have one recruit ready, much to the Commander’s disgust.
I down a bottle of water then get back on the mat ready for another round. Three punches, and he’s down. The next one goes down with one punch.
From the corner of my eye I catch two of the new recruits talking. “Got something to say?”
They both shake their heads. I walk over, knowing they’re hiding something. “Spit it out, or it’s three rounds with Twelve. Your choice.”
One of them, Pete, a Three, finally answers. “We was just talkin’ about the guy we found in the forest.”
The other guy, I don’t remember ever seeing, nudges Pete with his elbow. “Tell him.”
“What’s your name and number?”
“Ah... I’m um, Two, me name’s Trevor.”
“And?”
“We thought we found one of them angels the Commander’s always talkin’ about.”
Corbin grabs Two by the arm and pulls him close to his face. “What the fuck? And you didn’t tell anyone?”
Two starts shaking and stuttering. “We... we didn’t know, n-not for sure. Another one showed up and they let us go. We came straight back.”
I scrub my hands down my face. Weak ass recruits. The Commander needs to find real guys. Men, not boys.
“Did you get a name?”
“Nah.” Three shakes his head. “They didn’t say, just called each other brother.”