Page 186 of House of Pain
Alecto’s boat hit the shore, and they all rushed towards her to pull her in and far away from the lake.
The sirens stopped, not daring to climb to the shore, and reared back to watch from the water.
Alecto was shivering all over, from the cold and probably from the shock.
“Oh, you’re alive,” Val’s voice came from behind them, and they whirled.
She was jogging down the hill, the Book under her arm.
There was also a battered body dragging after her, heavy iron chains wrapped around its wrists and neck.
It was Jack Riverblood being dragged by the enchanted chains towards them.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Andro said. “Tell me that’s therealBook?”
Val snorted. “Yes, it’s the real fucking thing, asshole. And I even brought the man behind all of this with me.”
When she finally approached them, Blaze noticed the black smears over her face and outfit.
“What happened to you?” Blaze asked, looking her up and down.
“They sent the Grothics,” Alecto answered, wrapping her arms around herself. “They never intended for us to get the Book back, did they?”
Val shook her head. “They carefully planned it so that the Inner Circle would be cut tonight. And without the Inner Circle and the Book, the rest of the House would crumble. Isn’t that right, Jacky-boy?”
Val flicked her wrist, the chains tugging Jack forwards so hard he lost his footing and fell on his knees.
“Motherfuckers,” Andro said.
“Now, the question is—what are we gonna do about it?” Jolene asked, throwing a glance at the other two guys on the ground.
“We have to make sure that the Tigers know they fucked up,” Val said. “And we also need to make sure that the other Houses understand what happens when you follow in their footsteps.”
“They die,” Alecto said, her voice hoarse. “I don’t care what we do about the other members or Riverblood. But those two are not leaving here alive.”
“I like the way you’re thinking, Black,” Val said. “I really am glad you’re alive.”
“I’m glad you’re alive too, Lang.”
“So,” Val said, turning her attention back to Gabe and Matias. “I say we give them the taste of their own medicine.”
“I’m in,” Jolene agreed.
Andro nodded. “Count me in.”
“Let’s not make it quick or easy,” Blaze added.
Without another word, the girls gathered the rope, and they tied their legs and hands. Alecto even shoved rope into their mouths, just in case they screamed for help.
Then, they dragged them over to the pier, dumping each into a separate boat.
Gabe and Matias were both twice as big as Alecto, so they took up almost all the space in the small boats.
It would make it easier for creatures to devour them.
Then Blaze and Andro pushed the boats into the water, ignoring Gabe and Matias thrashing.
“If you keep moving, the boat will tip,” Blaze shouted before curling his fingers into a small wave goodbye as the boat floated further away from the shore.
