“Icall this meeting of the RIP Alpha Club to order.”
My father hits his meat-tenderizing hammer down on the desk, making the camera wobble.
Sariah has her face covered by a hood with only the slightest curve of her lips smiling in the shadow.
“Ahhh, Mitchel, you are having too much fun.”
He grins. “Always, love,” he winks, and Meg slaps his arm.
“You never wink at me!”
“That’s because you’re a brat. Sarry is my good little killer. She’s a Doberman, all sleek elegance. You, on the other hand, are a little fox. Lucky to get in the occasional bite.”
Meg pouts. “My feels are crushed. Mama Sanderson is my favourite now.”
Dad laughs.
I swallow hard and look around the room.
“We need to vote to let them in or not,” I say, pushing the conversation that needs to be had.
“Cut straight to the chase,” Pix grumbles. “Where’s the foreplay?”
I stick my finger up at him.
“Are you sure they are killers? I mean, you managed to stop them every time.” Sariah says. “Don’t shoot the messenger; I’m just asking.”
“I did my research,” Mum says. “It’s interesting. I actually think they are a hell of a lot better than they are letting on. I think they might be Vengeance.”
We all sit up straighter. There is something gloriously elegant about Vengeance and his kills. He seems to target people who have committed crimes and gotten off, but there is no discernible pattern, no giveaways in how he does things. I’ve spent a lot of time with Dad thinking it’s an alpha and omega team, but it looks like I was wrong.
“Wow!” Meg whispers in awe. “You scored big time.”
While Meg and Desi don’t actually kill anyone, much like my siblings, they are in the club, and they know because they were both rescued from the clutches of serials who had been hunting in our territory. Meg, when she was only a little girl, and Desi as a teen.
Sariah was another rescue, whereas Pix just showed an amazing ability to massacre people, and Dad took him under his wing and taught the two of us together. Mark has never wanted this life, and no one is pushing him to join, but he’s one of us, trained like us, as deadly as us.
“I vote to induct them,” Meg says. “The dildos have earned their orgasms.”
“I do not need to know about Bonnie’s orgasms, Meg!” Dad growls.
“Yes from me,” Sariah says. “Bonnie would never bring anyone in unless she was certain.”
“I’m yes,” Pix mutters, but he seems distracted and down.
Dad hesitates. “All right. Go get them.”
I pad out of our basement office, but as soon as I open the front door, I find them standing there.
“Hey, Bonnie, want to go out?”
I shake my head. “Follow me.”
“What’s wrong?” Rory snarls. “Why are you tense?”
“Just follow me, and do not lie. If you lie, I can’t help you.”
I lead them down to the basement and stop when I find that everyone has their masks on. I take mine and swirl into them. We all shift, and I disappear from their view. Standing at the back, watching intently, no longer able to helpthem. We’re all wearing black robes, and I’ve pulled mine up over my hair, hiding everything about me. The light has been dimmed, making it difficult to see and leaving the ambience of thick tension. We’v practiced this far too much, but this is the first opportunity we’ve had to play.
