Page 8 of The Stallion
“Where to then?”
“The basement.” Two simple words. The smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips was sinister, malicious intent radiating off of him like a dark aura.
As a sponsor, you can assist with the tests assigned to your protégé. The only thing a sponsor couldn’t do was deliver the killing blow.
“I take it by the look on your face that this test will be more fun than my first?” I questioned, arching my brow and pressing the call button for the elevator.
“You could say that. Being here as long as I have, you pay close attention to repeat offenders, and this motherfucker has been on my shit list for years. I’ve been waiting for him to fuck up one last time, just so that I could get a piece of him.” Alec crooned with satisfaction.
“Repeat offenders?” Did that mean that all of our targets hadmultiplechances before being sentenced to death? “Are you telling me that this entire operation isn’t just a ‘fuck up once and you’re dead’kind of deal?”
“And the boy finally gets it. I’m surprised Cole didn’t tell you that in training.”
“He was more concerned with my ability to use a gun and a knife to take a life than explaining the reasoning behind the kill.”
“Better late than never, I suppose. But to answer your question, yes. While the MUR is never explicitly revealed as the issuer of every warning, each offender is offered an ultimatum: correct their violations or we take matters into our own hands… If that’s enough clarification, are you ready to meet your next target?”
It made sense, and I wasn’t about to argue the logic.
“By all means, lead the way, Alec. I’m ready to get this over and done with just as much as you are.”
“Atta, boy. Just like your father.” He laughed while patting me hard on my shoulder as we stepped into the elevator cab.
Alec held a white card up to the scanner, letting it turn green with a chirp before pressing the only button without an identifying label, sending us down to a place I never knew existed before tonight.
“Thereheis,thebiggest pain in my fucking ass,” Alec announced as we stepped out of the elevator and crossed the room to where a man was strapped to a chair.
The only other piece of furniture in the space was a long metal table. The air smelled damp with death and decay, as if this place was used for one thing and one thing only.
The bound man cocked his head to the side with a menacing glare, seemingly not giving a single fuck that he was the one restrained right next to a drain that was stained with the blood of every poor fucker that had sat there before him.
“I see you brought a much younger version of you this time. What—can’t fight your own battles anymore, Alec?” He spat his words with a deep-throated growl.
“Tell me, Avery. Do you get off by constantly violating our rules? How many warnings did you need?” Alec scowled as he swaggered over to the man, hands relaxed in the pockets of his black slacks. “And I’m using the past tense because this is no longer a warning. You’re done here, and I’m fuckingelatedto be the one who gets to see you burn in hell.”
“You know as well as I do that you’ll be burning right along with me, Alec.”
Unimpressed by his weightless words, Alec continued.
“Perhaps, but not for alongfucking time. Dallas, get over here.”
Keeping my mouth shut, I followed Alec’s order, staying close on his heels as he stopped beside the table, which, to my surprise, was empty.
There were no torture tools or anything you’d expect to see in a typicalbasement murder dungeon.
That’s all I thought from the second those elevator doors opened—a space designed for slaughter.
Avery cackled, his gaze following our every move with a feral sneer.
“They just keep getting younger and younger, don’t they? Soon, you’ll be recruiting teenagers into your twisted ranks—”
“Shut the fuck up, Avery.” Alec barked, his patience no longer existent. I hadn’t seen this side of Alec in all my years of knowing him. “Dallas, take the gun.”
He held the handgun out to me by holding the barrel, and I took it without further question, ready to pull the trigger on his command, shutting Avery up for good.
“You think you’re one to talk? Why don’t you tell my protégé here precisely what the fuck landed you in this situation in the first place? Or would you like me to do the honors instead, you sad sack of shit.”
“I’m here because—”
