Page 35 of The Cult

I snuck out of the decaying building, my senses on high alert. The guards would notice my work soon, creating an opening to get Abel out of this section of the compound so he could do whatever he needed to do. I hope it’s not too late.

I glanced over my shoulder. The ivy must have carried the flames, because the entire building was engulfed.

“Fire!” someone yelled.

As expected, guards ran from every direction, spilling out of buildings and from the gate. Their distant calls and shouts became louder, proving they were oblivious to my presence. I hoped they’d be distracted long enough for me to keep my promise to Abel.

I crept through the empty labyrinthine hallways. The fire outside had turned into a full-on inferno, the orange and yellow flickering glow reflected on the glass windowpanes. Midnight was fast approaching, and my desire to reach Abel intensified.

Sixteen: Abel

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock’s second hand worked overtime to match my pulse. I’d spent the last thirty minutes with my back against the wall, staring at the mounted clock. Tobias would come. I didn’t have a reason to believe in him, but my instinct told me he’d follow through. Dad believes in him, so I should too, I reminded myself as I checked the time once again. It was five minutes before midnight. Where the hell are you?

I had two options: trust Tobias or not. We didn’t have the luxury of choosing anything but the former. Involving Tobias in our plan wasn’t the smartest decision, but we were out of ideas. We needed to let the guys know what we’d been up to these past few days, and we had to know if the original plan we’d formulated was still on. Had they changed anything since we were taken away? The cards were stacked against us, and planning our course of action as meticulously as possible was our only advantage. A spark of doubt ignited within me as the hands pointed to midnight. Did I overestimate Tobias’s words? Damn it. He was our last hope.

“Hey, Nine,” Seven called. “Did he bail on us?” The guys had been on edge since Tobias’s visit earlier, and I couldn’t blame them. We were banking on him. It was him or nothing.

“And why did he want us to trust him?” Two asked.

I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped when footsteps—loud, fast, and purposeful—echoed from the hallways. Did someone say fire?

I stood, and the guys hopped off their bunks to inspect the cause of the commotion. We’d been in the cult long enough to know that nothing ever happened around here this late in the evening. It was usually lights out for everyone after nine p.m.

“Fire!” More guards dashed in front of our room, screaming. An open door they left behind them framed a blazing image outside. I turned to the guys, my jaw wide.

A sudden boom amplified the night, rattling the walls. “Holy shit!” Two exclaimed. “What the hell was that?” He craned his neck out the door for a better view.

“Hey,” I called to a passing guard. He didn’t respond, just whipped through our quarters instead. “What’s going on?” I asked another who was dashing toward the exit, and, just like the man in front of him, he acted as if we didn’t exist.

Are we under attack? From whom?

“The old barn!” someone yelled.

I returned my attention to the guys; their heads were bouncing left and right, watching more of the cult’s guards sprinting in front of us.

“Should we help them?” I asked. “Should we run outside?” I didn’t exactly want to be burned alive if the fire made it to our building.

No one responded, so I trailed the last guard to appraise the situation outside.

The guards were too distracted to notice my presence, but my eyes zeroed in on a familiar shape. Even in the dark, I could pick out Tobias. In an instant, he was in front of me.

“We need to go,” Tobias said. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, as if he’d sprinted here. His mouth opened, and his pierced tongue darted up to lick the sweat on his upper lip. Although it was brief, the simple action was hypnotizing.

“Okay,” I muttered. I wondered how that small, shiny ball would feel exploring my mouth or rolling around the head of my dick.

God, Tobias was handsome. Not in a traditional sense, but in an irresistibly disheveled kind of way; messy hair that looked like it was done on purpose, small scars scattered around his cheeks and neck, and a perfect set of full lips interrupted by a small cut. And those tattoos of his. Who knew I was into them? He brought his face closer to mine, his eyes glued on my lips. He smelled like sweat and soap, a perfect combination. He swallowed hard, his muscular neck tempting me to lick it. The space between us narrowed; his warm breath was intoxicating. “Abel, now!”

His harsh tone sobered me from my trance. “Right,” I said, clearing my throat. He was here to help me sneak out. I wondered if his cock was pierced too. That would be so fucking hot.

“Follow me this way,” Tobias said, ushering me to the hallway away from the fire.

“Can I go—” Seven spoke.

“No!” Tobias and I said in unison before Seven had a chance to finish his question.

I glanced at Tobias and raised an eyebrow. I had a selfish reason why I wanted to be alone with him, but what was his motivation? Did he want to be alone with me? Maybe. He’d been sending mixed signals since we met. Does he … Nah. He couldn’t be. He was straight. And married.

“It’s better if we go by ourselves,” Tobias said. “Lessen the risk of being caught.” He had a point, but my mind—or maybe it was my dick—hoped otherwise. Dreaming was free, after all.

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