Page 8 of Filthy Few

An eerie feeling overcomes me as I step into my bedroom, I feel eyes on me. “Nexus, give me my phone and towel now or I will put my foot through your fucking windshield.” I step further into the room and my senses become heightened as fear begins to worm its way through me. I stop next to my bed and I brush my thigh against the comforter to better orient myself with the room. I slowly scan the room and try to see clearly but the fucker closed my blinds blocking out any light from the moon.

I inhale through my nose and slowly creep toward my wardrobe across the room, taking it slow so I don’t bang into anything. I feel the frame of the closet and exhale. Once inside, I reach blindly for a shirt or something, I refuse to turn any lights on to give the fucker a better view of my nakedness. As I reach out I still at the sound of the door clicking shut behind me. I feel him at my back and tense, my breaths turning ragged. I have two options, reach for the clothing or turn to face him head on.

My pride wins out, I drop my hand to my side and turn to face the fucker ready to tear him a new one but something is off. Nexus smells like fancy cologne and has an aura of arrogance that clings to him. The person before me smells like pine, cedarwood and… mint. I may not be able to make out any features but the dark shadow before me is definitely taller than my stepbrother. Dread pools in my belly, I am locked inside this tiny closet with a stranger. Fear urges me to curl into a ball and scream but my stupid fucking pride refuses to allow me to do either of those things.

“A favor is a debt owed.” His voice is low and distorted, I can tell he is using a machine of some sort so I won’t be able torecognize his voice. Still I begin to tremble with fear and to my utter disgust my body begins to heat. I have next to no sexual experience except Waylen. We both wanted to get rid of our V cards and decided to help each other out. It was awkward and we only did it a couple of times until we realized it wasn’t worth risking our friendship over. “TheFilthy Fewwill grant you one favor.”

“I don’t need anything from you, asshole. Get the fuck out of my room and house now before I scream.” The last word has barely left my mouth before a large hand is wrapping around my throat. I claw at the fuckers forearm when he squeezes, not cutting off my air supply but restricting it. He leans in and I tremble when I feel the rough texture of a… mask. I can’t make out what it is made of but his voice has dropped when he speaks against my ear.

“We are theFilthy Fewand will beforever filthy. A favor is granted to those who ask, should you need it all you must do is ask.” The bastard releases me with a hard shove. I stumble back and trip over my own feet, falling to my ass. I bat my hair out of my eyes as I gasp for air, the closet door is open and the bedroom light is on. My nakedness forgotten, I jump to my feet and race into my room, seeing the balcony doors are open and my room is empty.

He’s gone.

I spot my phone on the bedside table and rush to retrieve it, but what lays under it catches my eye. I gingerly pick up the post card looking thing—it’s matte black with the green writing.

Where they rest for eternal life is where a favor is asked.

The stone with the head is where you will be led.

Be certain of the favor you ask, no second is offered.

The debt will be collected when the favor is complete.

A favor asked is a debt owed.

A chill runs through me as I reread the words, I have no idea who the fuck that was but I am damn sure never asking anything of that creepy fuck. I toss the card into the drawer of my bedside table and force myself to forget about it as I lock my balcony doors and quickly get changed. There is no fucking way I am sleeping tonight. I’m tempted to call for my mom and force her to sleep with me but I won’t put her in danger if that fucker comes back. Instead, I facetime Waylen and make him stay on the phone with me until one of us falls asleep.

Chapter Six

Vox

The instant the witch steps foot outside her front door and she sees my car idling in her driveway I smirk. Her upper lip pulls back in a snarl, then she squares her shoulders as if she is ready to go into battle. She takes a few steps toward the car but pauses when Nexus brushes past her, causing her brows to draw in at the sight of her stepbrother. He spins around and walks backward toward us as he shouts.

“Catch the bus,Piggy, we got shit to do.” She doesn’t answer him with words, instead she flips him the bird and marches back inside the house, something tells me she is about to fuck shit up for Nexus. He climbs in the back beside Hayze who sits between Nexus and Archer. Ez is riding shotgun with me. “Why the fucking rush man?” he asks as I peel out of his driveway and plant my foot.

“We’ve all been summoned,” I say in response as I head across town, not even Nex seems happy about being summoned by The Brotherhood. We all try to avoid attending any of these things as much as we can—well, except for Nexus. He loves attending the galas and all the parties they throw at the surf and golf club. Unlike the four of us, he loves the limelight and being paraded around by his daddy. The music playing through the speakers becomes white noise as I get lost in my head. Since being inducted at eighteen, we have had no choice but to adhere to all the rules and make sure the school we attend conforms to the rules we set.

Never draw any attention to The Brotherhood.

All those inducted must remain in high standing with the community.

All school aged persons maintain an A average.

Only Ivy League colleges must be attended.

When the age of twenty-five is met, all must be called to serve.

None of us really know what we are expected to do once we reach twenty-five but all we know for sure is that The Brotherhood owns this place and most of the people in it. Politicians are a part of The Brotherhood and as decreed twenty years ago by Ezekiel’s father, the next leader to be chosen for our generation would be a woman. As the Lord of The Brotherhood at the time, he wasn’t able to be overruled.

Ez’s dad was killed a couple of years after he was born, at the time we thought it was just a car accident but when my dad died in a similar situation, we began digging into everything our father’s did and that is how we found out about The Brotherhood and the law Ez’s dad passed. We made sure we did everything to get inducted. From the inside we plan to find a way to find out who killed our fathers and change the law so my sister doesn’t ever have to be a part of this scum-infested society.

Every person has a part to play. We all have to pull together to ensure the survival of The Brotherhood and keep money rolling in to line the pockets of those before us. With mine and Ez’s dad out of the picture, Thomas is now the Lord of the Haven Saints, aka The Brotherhood. I know for a fact Thomas has been trying to get Vivian and Nexus together for years, even when we were all kids he would say and hint at them being cute together. No woman knows about The Brotherhood. Vivian is the only female in our family line and therefore the oldest so she will be called to serve when she is twenty-five. The past four lords, sans Thomas, have been murdered. I will not allow my sister to suffer the same fate. Being a woman she will become a target, every money hungry, power wanting bastard will come for her. Not only that, if the Haven Saints have a job for you, any job, and you are assigned it, you must complete it. If you disobey a direct order from the elders or the lord, the punishment is your life.

I put the car in park in front of the town hall. To the outside world it looks like a normal hall, one that can be hired out for functions and host kids birthday parties, but beneath the building is where everything takes place. The five of us make our way inside and head toward the back. Archer pulls the side door open for us and we continue down the hallway until we reach the last door on the left. Nexus pulls the key from his pocket and unlocks both locks. Before opening it, he looks around and makes sure no one is following before heading inside and going down the stairs.

For a pack of rich schmucks, they should have just sprung for a new location. At the bottom of the stairs everything changes. Gone is the peeling wallpaper from the hallways and in its place is freshly painted walls and wooden flooring with chandeliers that light your pathway. Pictures of members line the walls as you make your way toward the grand room. I never look at them because I hate seeing mine and my dad’s faces up there.

Hayze pushes the double wooden doors open and we all walk in—all eyes turn to us. The room is set up like a panel, a long table that spans the back of the room, each elder sits behind that table with Thomas Valerian sitting in the middle. He looks pissed off and annoyed about something when Nexus shifts so he is in the middle and standing a foot in front of us when we stop before them. I don’t protest.

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