Page 100 of King of the Cage

A man’s life should mean something.This mission wasn’t a game for him. He wanted to do something good, after a lifetime of bad. I couldn’t stop him. It was his choice.

“Kneel if you are ready to receive your punishment. Physical punishment washes your soul clean and forgives your error in judgment. It will never be mentioned again after we leave this room.”

Holding my gaze, Bran lowered himself to his knees. His dark-blond hair glowed under the lights like a burnished crown.

Aldo stepped up. He’d donned his thick black cloak.

He held a long leather rope with knots dotting the length at intervals.

A cat-o’-nine-tails. We’d studied them in history at school, and apparently, they hurt like a bitch. I felt sick.

“It’ll be okay,” Regina murmured, taking my hand.

I flinched away from her touch. I didn’t want her cold comfort. Instead, I held Bran’s eyes and gave him a place to look. A refuge.

“Let us begin,” Archibald said.

The first lash struck his back, and the crowd craned their necks to see.

I squeezed my hands into tight fists, my nails breaking the skin.Good.It was only right that I should bleed, too. I’d caused this, after all. The guilt was suffocating.

The first ten strikes weren’t too terrible. Bran bore them unflinchingly. He never swayed nor broke my gaze.

After that, however, Aldo seemed to realize that his chance to hurt him was slipping away, and he really needed to put his back into it.

A sickening wet sound came with every lash, and some of the women turned away. Blood dripped down Bran’s sides, but he still didn’t flinch when the lash flew toward him.

Tears dripped down my cheeks, but still I held his gaze.

I was his witness, and I wouldn’t turn away.

Finally, when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore, the last lash was delivered, and Aldo stepped back, panting.

“Brandon O’Connor, your punishment is served, and you are washed clean of your sin. It is finished,” Archibald announced.

The crowd burst into excited murmurs.

“My God, that was something else,” Regina said. Her tone was odd. Dreamy, almost.

I glanced at her.

She stared at Bran with appreciation. “Such strength of body and mind,” she murmured and then seemed to collect herself. She blinked and looked at me. “You’re bleeding!” She pointed to my hands.

I stood abruptly and rubbed my hands together, smearing my bloody palms. “I’m fine. I have to go and take care of him,” I said, turning away.

Regina gripped my arm. “Wait, I feel terrible, we’ve gotten off to such a bad start.”

Bran was up, and a man in a white coat inspected his back. The least they could do was provide medical help if they were going to flog people.

“I swear, it isn’t always like this. I don’t get involved much in the more traditional parts of the society. I hope you don’t judge us too harshly. We’ve just gotten used to our little rituals.”

I stared at her.

“I mean, if I had enough like-minded women in my corner, maybe we could make some changes for the better.”

“Do you know anything about the drugs The Enclave deal in?” I asked her bluntly.

She wanted to show me she was a better person than her husband? Here was her chance.

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