“What do you want?”
Lucius chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and arched his eyebrows.
“What do you think we want, Kaitlyn?”
The way he said that sickened me.
“I’m not going to do anything with you,” I snarled. “Kill me for all I care. I’m not going to let you have me.”
The three Saints looked at each other for a half-second before breaking into derisive, condescending laughter. It was like they had deliberately set up this moment.
“You think we want to fuck you?” Lucius said, treating the words like a stunned Sunday churchgoer. “Oh, heavens, no, we don’t want the sloppy seconds of the Black Reapers. We have girls that are far more attractive and far more submissive than you.”
I hated the Saints so much already that Lucius’ insults couldn’t have made me hate them anymore.
“What we don’t have, however, are enough medical professionals who can help quite like you can. So, we’re going to make this simple.”
He nodded to Jason. Jason smiled and walked toward Devon. I stood up and tried to kick him in the groin, but with disturbing ease, he moved me to the side. I heard Devon saying, “no, no, no,” as she back into the corner before she let out a scream that coincided with the sickening sound of a knife penetrating flesh. Devon cried, but Jason just laughed.
“The knife wound your friend has suffered is not fatal, provided, of course, proper treatment is administered in due time,” Lucius said. “You have my word on that. However, before you can treat her, we need your help.”
On that note, two more Saints walked inside. They sported what looked like nasty infections or wounds that had not healed properly. The wounds looked very recent.
“We do our best not to go to hospitals nearby for a variety of reasons,” Lucius said. “Your friend was supposed to help us last night, but because she instead chose to focus her attention on the Reapers, she has to pay the price. So, here’s the deal, Kaitlyn.”
He came over, grabbed my cheek, and whispered into my ear.
“You will treat these two Saints and give them the medical attention they need,” he said. “If you do not, then I will kill Devon. And I assure you, her death will not be quick. We do not kill rats slowly in our world.”
I shoved him away, but Lucius just snickered at me.
“I do not know why you would push me away when your friend’s life depends on it,” he said. “And, I should add, yours.”
I found myself turning to Jason, who had a wicked grin on his face. I understood then what Lucius meant—if I refused, Devon would die, but so would I. And the person who would kill me would be the same person that had killed my sister. God knew what else he would do before killing me.
“And let me just add one final detail,” Lucius said. “We expect you to treat these two men. Afterward, we will leave, and you are welcome to treat the rat. We want nothing more to do with her, we are finished with her. However, should you make the decision to see that Black Reaper again—and you know full well which one I refer to—I will kill both of you. I don’t care if he comes to you for medical attention. Do not test me on this, Kaitlyn. I will hunt you down, even if it means going out of state or out of the country.”
All of the mocking, all of the false lightheartedness, all of the evil playfulness in Lucius’ voice had faded at the end of his words. He had become the devil when he spoke, speaking with pure, cold venom and disgust.
I felt I had no choice. It was help the enemy or be killed. I knew that I had not seen Michael for the last time, but the only way I could do so was to help the enemy.
It was what I had to do.
The Saints already had a medical kit laid out before both men. I took a step to them and sighed.
“Good,” Lucius said, drawing out the word.
“She’s as submissive as her bitch of a sister,” Jason said with a laugh.
It took an awful lot of willpower not to turn around and try and kill Jason.
The only thing that held me back was the hope that Michael would sense something was wrong and figure out where I was.
It was my last, my only, hope.
Patriot
As soon as I pulled up to the Black Reapers’ HQ, I tried to call Kaitlyn. I knew I owed her a return phone call after she attempted to reach me this morning, but this was the first chance I’d had with a clear head.
