Allof these people are predators.
When my eyes roam down further, tears instantly burn the backs of my eyes when I see the names at the bottom.
West. Maxwell. (Ruth: out-of-pocket / turnout / drug controlled)
West. Mike. (ex. Con. Category 1 risk)
No.
Shit… Lexi’s dad and her half-brother. They were evil men, but knowing my grandfather was a part of who they became makes me feel sick to my stomach.
“What does this mean?” I whisper to Jols, pointing to the words next to Ruth’s name, and Jols leans closer to read it.
“Oh, ummm… Out-of-pocket means disobedient or not accepting of the rules,” she explains quietly next to my ear. “Turnout means forced into prostitution, and drug controlled means pretty much what it says. She was controlled with drugs. Probably had her so out of it she couldn’t fight, and maybe didn’t even know what was happening.”
My breath hitches, and I feel like throwing up.
Lexi… her mum… she’d told me a bit about stuff that came out, but not that. Does she even know?
“I’ll take them, Abs. You don’t need to worry about that list right now.” Jols eases the papers from my grip, and I nod, fighting back tears as I try to refocus, the sounds of thumping fists over chests gaining my attention.
“The club has voted,” Ringo calls. “I hereby strip Spud and Tups of their membership, and punishment will take place in the dungeon at sundown.”
I don’t know what that means, but Tups starts begging as he gets dragged off in the direction of the dungeon, while Spud remains quiet like he’s already accepted his fate.
I’m not entirely sure what just happened, but now that all eyes fall on my grandfather, I focus on my husband, trying to get all thoughts of Lexi’s mum out of my head for now.
I have my own mother to deal with. And grandfather. And sister.
“You really are a bunch of barbarians,” Banes mutters, and the Sadist standing behind him whips his gun across the side of his head, nearly making him tumble sideways.
My mother cries out to her father, and I realise her gag has been removed, but Ringo speaks again, stealing my attention.
“See that wall over there?” He points to the memorial wall over by the tree. “You are responsible for every man that died.”
Banes scoffs, using the back of his wrist to wipe off the blood trickling from above his ear.
“Their deaths were an obvious sacrifice to make room for pure vessels.”
“You’re so delusional!” I blurt, stepping forward, my gaze flicking to my mother, who curls her lip at me, and then to my sister, who is still crying, even though her glare is cutting.
When I glance back at my grandfather, he is wearing a smirk.
“I amnotdelusional, Abigail. I have faith that all will work in the favour of Symme. Your daughter will be mine, and pure life will flourish.”
“She’ll never be yours!” I scream, and his smirk gets wider as he stares up at me, before his lids flutter closed, and he starts chanting.
“In fire we trust. In blood we bind. In silence, we serve. In wombs, we rise. Let the vessel yield. Let the line endure. Let Symme look down and find us worthy.”
“Shut up!” I yell, recognising the chant I never understood until now. “She’s not yours!”
“She is the new vessel,” he says with more confidence than he should have, and a chill ripples up my spine.
Is Bobbi safe right now? She has to be. Devon has her hidden away.
“I thought I was the vessel,” I snap, needing him to stop talking about my daughter that way. “Isn’t that what you wanted me for?”
“I did once, yes.” He nods, still so goddamn poised even kneeling in the dirt with a gun to his head. “You’re too tainted now. You’re only good as a sacrifice to bless the new yield.”
