“Sinners,” Elias bellows, his voice scaring off a flock of birds resting in the woods for the night.
“What are you doing?” I ask, hating how small my voice is. I’ve gotten into trouble before while on the hunt for a story, but… I think this might top all of that. Elias is clearly unhinged.
Trailer doors open, tall men surround me, and my limbs tremble as I try and fail to get to my feet.
“What’s going on, Boss?” one of them asks. I turn in the direction of the voice and recognize the knife thrower, his slanted eyes narrowed in confusion. “Why’s your date on the ground?”
“She’s a Fed,” Elias says.
I finally find my voice. “I am not a Fed!” I scream, the last word echoing eerily in the quiet night. “Fuck, you’re not even listening to me.”
“You were going through my personal files,” Elias snarls. “Got a good excuse for doing that?”
I chew on my bottom lip, looking at the men surrounding me like wolves circling wounded prey. I recognize most from the main act, a couple of other carnival workers in the back. Thankfully, I don’t see Jack, the nice mechanic from earlier.
“I’m a freelance reporter,” I finally say, closing my eyes. “I’m chasing a lead into small-town disappearances of older men. They’re not the typical serial killer target, so I thought it was interesting.”
I open my eyes when no one speaks to find the men eyeing each other.
“You fucked my brother for a story?” the illusionist asks, his eyebrows raised.
“No!” I deny, my fists clenching with outrage. “I’m not a whore! I didn’t mean for that to happen, I just…”
“Want to suck my dick, baby, see what you uncover?” the knife thrower says sleazily. “I’ll warn you, though… I like a bit of blood with my cum.”
Elias growls under his breath, a sound that makes the hair on my arms stand on end.
“Cole,” the fortune teller warns quietly. “Don’t say things you might regret later.”
“Why would he regret it?” the one who plays with fire asks. “She’ll be dead.”
My stomach churns from the casual way they talk aboutusing me, killing me. I lean forward and retch, but nothing comes out.
“What did she see?” the magician asks Elias, ignoring my struggles.
“The files on the Sanctum. The map.”
“Shit,” the strongman grumbles. “We don’t have a choice…”
“No,” the magician agrees.
“What’s wrong with you people?” My words come out with a sickly rasp. “You’re talking about killing me because I saw some files on a… on some cult?”
The veins in Elias’s neck strain as he grinds his teeth. His eyes go between the magician and me.
“I’ll take care of it,” he says after a moment of silence.
“Take—take care ofit? You fed me steak a couple of hours ago, now I’m not even human to you anymore?”
Elias ignores me, looking instead at the men he works with. Men he referred to asbrothersduring our meal.
“I’m doing this my way,” he tells them.
“You’re all fucking crazy,” I mutter, finally getting up to my feet. I realize then that I’m barefoot and wearing only panties and a top.Shit.
“You have no idea, little parrot,” the animal tamer says. My eyes go to the elevated scars on his forearms, shiny in the silver moonlight.
“Whatever, I’m out of here,” I mutter, feigning bravery I don’t feel.
