Page 42 of Sick Bargain

“He wants to know why I’m in The Misfits if I’m a Vile Boy. He’s got a lot of questions.”

“And we have a lot of answers,” I say. “Let me know when you’re ready to tell him.” When he nods, I head up the stairs, but he calls me back.

“Krypt?”

I pause.

“Let me know when you’re dealing with Reeven Matterson. I want in on that one.”

I grin at the stairs and nod without looking back. “Look in the cells,” I tell him, nodding down at the basement I just came from. “Matterson and his cult are already here.”

“We doing it tonight?” he asks. He’s missed out on all the fun today. While he’s been staying with his brother, the Vile Boyswho were free have been capturing the Matter Cult. They’re here, and I’m itching to get to them. But first, Remiel.

“Tonight. Get ready.”

Ghost has just as much of a reason to hate Matterson as Remiel does. Might be a nice brotherly bonding experience.

“I’ll fucking kill you for today, Ghost,” Riot says, coming down the stairs ahead of me. It gets me moving, and when I hear Ghost taunt him right back about whatever happened at the asylum, I walk faster.

I ignore everyone in the cafeteria, grabbing a plate full of food for Remiel. On my way to Ghost’s room, I pause in the hallway when I find Remiel sitting on the floor outside my locked door. He’s tuning a guitar, focused on the work, completely oblivious to being watched. It pleases something within me that he didn’t wait in his brother’s room. He’s mine, and he’s finally realizing it.

“Whose is that?” I ask, startling him.

He stands, looking at me like he’s relieved to see me. “I don’t know. Came with this.” He holds up a Vile calling card. An orange one. Seven’s. My anger ramps up. “And this.” He flips it over, and instead of a message written on the back, there’s a bunch of money taped there. He flips the money up, and written underneath it is Seven’s pretty handwriting.

Relax, Krypt. It’s just a job.

Remiel smiles at the look on my face, but he pockets the card and sighs. “Is that for me?” He nods at the plate.

I unlock my door and let him in, handing him the plate. He takes it, wincing as he sits at the desk in the corner.

“Tender,” he explains.

I turn warm. I want him tender twenty-four-seven, battered and bruised from my obsession. Marked as mine and aching with the remnants of my cock, never able to forget about me for long. Ghost was right when he said it was only the third timeI’ve fucked someone, but being with Remiel wasn’t like being with the first two. I’m engrossed now. And when I fixate on something, it’s damn near impossible to pull me out of it.

“Eat,” I tell him, walking to my dresser to light a joint. I need to calm my mind because it’s been spinning ever since Director’s tone of voice changed when he told Remiel about his scan results.

I don’t know anything about this chip, or wires, or whatever the fuck they are, and up until Remiel became mine, I didn’t really care. I mean, I want to protect Moros from Dr. Axel Graves and stop him from turning our people into his minions, but I’ve never given much thought to it beyond that. Now Remiel has been injured by his mother, and above that, he became my responsibility. His life is in my hands, and maybe I’m realizing that I want to do more with him than just own him.

I glance at him from the corner of my eye, wondering what he learned when he spent two years as a psychology student. Would he know what makes me sick? Would he be able to help me understand myself? Do I even have the right to ask after everything I’ve done to him? He’s a morbid person, and I know he hasn’t dropped his goal to entice me into killing him to end the family curse, so I don’t know where we stand. All I know is that he’s changing me.

For better or for worse?

“Are you bleeding?” he asks.

When I turn, my lungs full of smoke, he nods at my pant leg. The blood isn’t visible on the black material, but it marks the dresser where I leaned. Gregory Malone’s finger is still in my pocket.

“When Reeven Matterson dies, someone is going to have to take over his following. They aren’t levelheaded enough to think for themselves right now.” I reach into my pocket to make sure the finger is still there. “We’re going to see if Abigail from DeathFor Life will take them in.” It’s a lie because the entire cult is already in the basement, but I want to know what Remiel thinks about it.

Remiel drops his fork and frowns at me. “They don’t fucking deserve it. They deserve to flounder! Reeven Matterson has been killing my mom’s family for years, and they’re the ones who do it!” He stands, trying to challenge me.

My blood rushes faster. “They’re brainwashed idiots who do what their master tells them to do.”

“So you think they need a new master?” he barks at me.

“Why not? At least Death For Life doesn’t kill innocents. Just each other.”

“Innocents,” Remiel scoffs. “Arethere innocents in Moros?”

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