Page 11 of The Rise

“Not bad. The kids were pretty good. Got them fed and washed, changed, and everything. Lydia came by and helped out,” I tell him.

“Good. I’m glad that’s handled,” he says. Me too. It’s been a long, exhausting day that doesn’t seem to want to end anytime soon.

“Hey, Hunter. Help me with this table,” Hoax yells. I nod and walk over, helping him set up the table and chairs so everyone can sit down together to eat. When I’m done, I turn back to see the girl staring at the dead dude’s body, still hanging and leaking blood.

She doesn’t say anything at first, just smiles like she’s glad he’s dead. When she finally does speak, her voice makes my cock respond.

“You got less than you deserved.”

Fuck me, I’m fucked.

Chapter 6

Lana

I can’t believe Troy is dead. I can’t believe I’m the one who killed him. Maybe it was a little too quick, but I couldn’t stop myself. It felt good to take his miserable life. It felt good, too, to let go of some of the hate I felt inside.

Hunter, that’s his name; he walks back toward me, grabbing my wrist in his hand. I think about jerking away, but I don’t. He leads me down the hall and into another room. A bedroom.

He doesn’t stop as he leads me into the bathroom.

“Wash up,” he says, nodding toward the sink. Then he leaves the room. I can hear him rummaging around in the bedroom as I turn the water on and clean myself up. I need a shower and maybe later I’ll get one.

Once I’m cleaned up as best I can Hunter walks back in with some clothes.

“You can wear these until I get someone to bring you some. They’re going to be too big,” he says, nodding toward the t-shirt and sweatpants he brought in. “I don’t keep women’s shit around, only children.” I nod my head as I stare up at him. He’s very good-looking. Tall, muscular. Dark hair hangs over his eyes, and I can even make out some old scars on his face.

“You going to change?”

“Are you going to watch me?” I ask him. I shouldn’t talk to him. I shouldn’t say a fucking word because I’m here for a reason.

“I don’t know you, little rebel. And if I don’t know someone who comes in unannounced to my home, I watch them. I keep them close.” He’s smart; I’ll give him that. I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head when he hisses. “Jesus.”

I look down and see the angry bruises left there by Ray, and I’m sure he has questions, but he isn’t getting answers. Before I know what’s happening, he reaches out and runs his fingers along the ones on my ribs, and I suck in a breath. His touch isn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before. There’s electricity, a shock.

“I don’t mind a woman wearing my marks, but this isn’t the kind of marks you should have, little rebel.”

“Why are you calling me that?”

“Little rebel?” he asks, looking up at me but keeping his fingers on my flesh. I nod. “I see it in your eyes. I saw it out there. You might not want to talk to me about things right now, but you killed him for a reason. I can only assume you know each other, and you’re rebelling against him.” I narrow my eyes on him, not sure how to take that, how he could see that.

I don’t say anything as his fingers keep moving over my bruise. Then he suddenly pulls away, and I feel myself deflate a little.

“We’re going to eat, and then you can shower,” he tells me. I nod my head as I pull the shirt on before changing into the pants. When I pull them up and they’re too big, Hunter grabs the side and pulls them into a knot quickly before nodding for me to go. I walk out of the bathroom and out of the room back into the hallway, where he leads me back to the main room we were in.

There are now three girls gathered around the table, setting food and drinks out. They all look up when they hear us coming.

“Look at you three. It’s nice to see you when you’re not all busted up,” Hunter teases them, and they all laugh.

“It’s always nice to see us anyway,” one of the girls says. They introduce everyone to me and when it’s my turn, I don’t know what to say. Guess it couldn’t hurt to tell them my first name.

“I’m Lana.” I see Hunter lick his lips next to me, and fuck, does he make it look good.

“Well, let’s eat,” Angel says as everyone sits down and grabs a plate except me. Hunter makes a plate and sets it in front of me, nodding at it. I don’t know what to make of all this. This isn’t how I expected them to be. When Ray said I was to get in with them and find out all that I could, this wasn’t what I had in mind.

I pick up the fork and listen as everyone talks. They talk about a little of anything and everything but nothing that’s doing me any good.

Then, it hits me. What the hell am I doing? I’m here to get information, not sit and have dinner with them! If Ray finds out I was even talking to them, he’s going to kill me. Of course, he’s going to make me suffer first, but then he’ll kill me.

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