Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
I peer up at Evie, who cocks her head to the side, looking between me and the guy. There have been two times in my life where Evie has found herself in a position to ask questions. She always chooses not to. I’ll wait for the day when she finally does, and then I’ll allow her to decide what she wants to do. I can handle that later. Right now, I need to find my fucking brother.
“I’m going to need you to get up. Are you hurt anywhere else besides your ribs?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
I place my hand under his head. “Ev? Help?”
“Ah…” She shuffles on her shoes, looking back to the car. “This a good idea? Halen, we don’t know him, and I get that you’re this big dog and your families are all untouchable, for whatever reason, but they’re not here right now and he could be a killer!”
The guy chokes on his laugh. “That’s fucking rich.”
“Okay, buddy. Shut the fuck up and get up.” I jerk him forcefully, and he finally lets me move him off the road, shuffling onto his feet. I wrap his arm over my shoulder and direct him to the passenger side of the car. “Ev, get in the back with the girls.”
“Halen…”
“Evie!” I widen my eyes at her, opening the passenger door with the hand I’m not holding the bleeding stranger with.
“Fine.” She moves past us both, jumping into the back seat. I lean down and move the passenger chair back farther, dumping the boy down and leaving his mask on his lap. I shut his door and round the front of the car, pausing when I reach my side. Laughter and more howls tear through the forest, and for a moment, I think I see shadows move behind the trees.
I roll my eyes, sliding into the driver’s seat and turning the key over. “Sadists.”
“What’s going on?” Evie leans forward, and with her literally breathing down my neck, I know there’s no way out.
“This was our brothers.”
“Yeah, I know they do that weird—whatever—thing it’s called every Friday night.”
That’s about as far as her knowledge will go, the same as everyone else who attends. The poor idiot bleeding out in my passenger seat included.
“But isn’t it just, like, a hunting game or something?”
“Or something…” River snickers.
The more time passes, the more we are all on edge about the ritual. I know the boys are more involved in the world than we are right now, but that wasn’t by choice. I tried to fight for more position, but it didn’t work. Mom broke the way for girls, or as we used to be rudely named, Swans, but the way paved is clearly only for the men of the EKC.
Am I mad? Not really. Our time will come, but in the meantime, their hobbies have become reckless. It’s only a matter of time before it lands in the Fathers’ hands, or they become a worldwide issue.
The guy beside me shuffles around to face me, his body sliding down the seat.
“If you get blood on my custom Recaro seats, oh lost one, I might have to finish what my dear brother started.”
“Oh this?” He gestures down to his side, lifting my jacket from his wound. “Wasn’t Priest.”
“Of course, it wasn’t.” I bat my lashes down at him. “My brother doesn’t let the evidence run free.” I turn back to the road, rolling my eyes when I see the Welcome to Riverside sign. This was a game. The high of a chase. They all love the chase, but this one has War all over it.
Just as we pass the sign, I hook a sharp right and drive us down the familiar road. Void of lights and asphalt, we jolt in our seats through the bumps. It’s nothing but a narrow dirt road in the middle of a forest.
“Fuck. Can you slow it?” The guy beside me groans, shuffling further up his seat, and I press the accelerator more, smirking.
He blanches. “Or not.”
It feels like the road goes on forever, until we reach the clearance and see the wide field. The water rushes fiercely down the mountain and into the renowned water hole below, the natural pool surrounded by large trees. A bonfire rages nearby in the darkness, where cars are parked and lined around the edge, marking the start of Devil's Cockpit track.
People spill out around the space, drinking and laughing amongst each other, but I ignore them all and drive directly forward, breaking up a circle of jocks.
When they see my car, none of them complain.
“I can’t believe you’re bringing me here. What a setup…”
“Hey.” I leave the engine idling and remove my belt. “No one told you to jump out in front of my car and ruin our night.” I reach for my phone and open Snapchat, sending out a message in the group chat that was for the meetup in Bayonet Falls.