Page 112 of Crown of Thorns
The man steps forward. No cloak. No mask. Just a face I don’t recognize—until I do.
My stomach lurches.
The eyes are the same. Hollow. Always watching.
“You,” I whisper, throat going dry. “You were the cleaner. The one who never spoke…”
He smiles, slow and lecherous. “Please. Call me Zachary.”
And I know deep in my gut that if he was the one scrubbing the floors, Noah never stood a chance.
The ground tilts.
He gives me a leery once-over. “My my, aren’t you a fine specimen without your cover? And that mouth…” He grins when I shudder, remembering how I was once on my knees for him in junior year.
My gut clenches, a cold sweat breaking across my skin. It’s like the air thickens around me, charged with memory and disgust. The humiliation seeps into my bones, rewiring my posture, making me feel smaller despite the fury rising in my throat.
And now, I’m alone with him. No protocol. No mask. No protection. No witnesses. No one to pull him back if he crosses a line.
The air feels loaded, like something awful is about to happen, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop it.
“What the fuck’s going on? Is there a gathering planned? And where’s Noah?”
“Noah will be here shortly,” he says. “I was hoping you’d come down for the final blow. And look here.” Another filthy grin. “It seems like my prayers were heard.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
When he takes a step toward me, I fist my hands.
“Don’t you get close to me, you filthy motherfucker.”
“Language, young man. Sit.”
I huff, crossing my arms. “No fucking way. Where is he?”
Zachary’s grin widens. “You know, I thought he was the one pursuing you. But that isn’t true, is it? You wanted him. Did he also show you the bench where he slept on?”
An icy shudder runs through my spine. “How the hell do you know that?”
Zachary shrugs. “I don’t have to tell you that the Brotherhood knows everything. We are everywhere, our power knows no limits. Though I admit, he turned into a fine young man. Very clever, yet fucked up in the head.”
“I asked you a question, you filthy fuck. How do you know all that?”
“You already know the answer, brother.”
"Don't call me brother. This is not a gathering.”
“Yet here you are.” He cocks his head, making me feel vulnerable without my disguise. I've never seen him without his mask. None of us has. It never mattered. But then, I've never been with him in one space without the others.
Up close, he's even more intimidating.
“No need to come to his rescue, Louis. You can’t tame a rogue animal. They bite you when you least expect it.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“It’s quite the contrary, in fact. I know everything, especially about those I control. Noah’s always been mine. He just didn’t know it. Sit down.”
“Fuck you.”
