Page 22 of Princes of Sin
There’s a bite to the way he says my name, and my pulse speeds up as I swallow. “My parents died in a car accident when I was a teenager. I stayed with some family friends until I went to Uni.”
“And these family friends of yours… who are they?”
I clear my throat. “Like I said in my application, they’ve since passed away.”
His eyes study my face, and I have to hope beyond belief that he doesn’t see the way my heart is faltering, or the way my pulse is throbbing against my neck. I lay my hands flat on my thighs so that he can’t see the way they’re shaking.
“I meant what I said earlier, you know. If you’re not one-hundred and ten percent on board with the Lords of Darkness, now is your only chance to walk away. Once you’re initiated, there is no going back. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” I tell him confidently, despite the slight quiver in my voice.
There’s something in his gaze that unsettles me–that makes me feel like I’m being held under an X-ray machine and scrutinized within an inch of my life. I hold my ground, though, and stand up a bit taller as he assesses me. When he sees that I’m not going to back down, his nostrils flare and his lips go thin–like he’s about to strike.
“I should also mention that betrayal warrants a slow, painful death.”
Goosebumps erupt along the back of my neck. “Understood,” I say firmly.
“Your hair color…” he trails off, eyes wandering over my silver hair. “It’s not very often that you see a twenty-five year old woman with grey hair. Is it natural?”
The words he’s speaking are more playful, but the tone in his voice is dark and threatening.
Like he’s trying to catch me in a lie.
“It is,” I tell him, chin high. “I had a lot of trauma as a teenager, and my hairdresser thinks the stress caused it,” I answer, my voice just as hard as his.
Because of you,I think.Because you all ruined my life and took everything from me.
“Do you mean your parents’... car accident?”
No.
Not just that.
The homelessness.
The begging for money in Brixton.
The hunger.
Bloody hell… I was hungry for three years straight.
Despite it all–despite being utterly alone in the world, I managed to get into Uni on a full scholarship. Once I was there, I regrouped and put my all into my education, graduating with high marks and making a name for myself in the world of hacking, working on the dark web for three years until rumors began to trickle in about how the infamousLords of Darknesswould be hiring new Lords and Ladies.
I’d almost given up on getting my revenge.
I’d almost come to terms with my parents’ brutal murders.
I had a well-paying job doing what I loved. For a couple of years, I had no desire to seek the vengeance I sought for so long.
But when the opportunity dropped into my lap, I couldn’t say no.
I had no fucking desire to be a Lady.
Ionlywanted to slaughter them all for what they did.
And until now, I was sure they had no idea about my past. How could they? I died that night in the fire. That’s what all the articles said.
Tragic fire kills prominent family of three in Berkshire.
