The Ritual

“Son of a bitch,” Matt yells, chasing after her.

I roll my eyes. This is why I prefer to work alone. I follow them into the hallway to find Matt standing at the banister. I come up beside him, placing my gun down at my side with one hand while the other grips the railing. Looking down over it, I see the woman facedown on the first floor with blood slowly pooling around her onto the white marble floor.

I turn to look at him, and demand, “Did she fall over, or did you throw her?”

“She fucking fell,” he snaps, immediately defensive.

I shake my head, teeth grinding. “Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of here and call it in to be cleaned up.”

CHAPTER FOUR

INITIATION

RYAT

ONE OF THEM

SENIOR YEAR AT BARRINGTON UNIVERSITY

THE BACKS OF my knees are hit, knocking me down onto them. I grind my teeth to keep from making a sound when they impact the concrete. Blood rushes in my ears, and my heart beats wildly in my chest.

This is what I live for!

The adrenaline rush is unlike anything I’ve ever known—an addiction. Something that can’t be bought off the streets or drank from a bottle.

The hood is ripped off my head, and I blink, looking around to adjust my eyesight. I’m in the center of a room. Seats filled with men dressed in thousand-dollar suits circle the large space. You wouldn’t know they’re all killers if you saw them on the street. The room is filled with power. Some are senators, while others are CEOs of multibillion dollar companies. A Lord is made to feed off another. It’s like anything else—someone has to be at the top, and another has to hold up the bottom. But still, powerful nonetheless. After graduation, we’re each strategically placed where we fit best in the world.

My eyes fall to what looks to be a birdbath sitting in the middle with a small fire going, and my breathing picks up.

“Restrain him,” someone calls out.

I’m shoved face-first to the floor. My arms are yanked behind my back and handcuffed. I growl as I’m jerked back to a kneeling position. A belt is wrapped around my neck and is pulled from behind while a boot presses into my back right between my shoulder blades.

I bare my teeth, trying to breathe with what little air I have.

“Ryat Alexander Archer, you have completed all trials of initiation. Do you wish to proceed?”

“Yes, sir,” I manage to growl out.

He nods, placing his hands behind his back. “Remove his shirt.”

Another man comes up to me and cuts the collar of my shirt, then rips it down the center. He leaves it hanging off my shoulders and walks away.

Instinct has me fighting the restraints, and the man behind me pulls tighter on the belt, shoving his boot farther into my back, cutting off my air in the process. I fist my cuffed hands and watch the man place a hot iron into the fire.

“A Lord must be willing to go above and beyond for his title. He must show strength and have what it takes.” He pulls the hot iron from the flames and turns to face me, the end burning red. “If you shall fail your position as a Lord, we will take what was earned.” He looks over to his right and adds, “Silence him.”

A hand fists my hair, yanking my head back to stare up at the black ceiling. If I was able to breathe, I’d growl at the motherfucker who is touching me. A small cloth is shoved into my mouth, and I bite down on it, knowing what’s coming.

“Ryat Alexander Archer, welcome to the Lords. For you shall reap the benefits of your sacrifice.” Then the hot iron is pressed to my chest, searing the crest to my body.

CHAPTER FIVE

RYAT

I WALK INTO the empty office, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind a set of couches. The city lights illuminate the night. It’s one in the morning and my first time here.

Making my way down the hallway, I knock on the last door.

“Come in,” a man calls out.

Entering, I close it behind me. A man sits behind a desk in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. A single lamp glows from the corner of his desk, and I wonder if this is so people won’t know he’s in his office at this time of night. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Have a seat, Ryat.” He gestures to the chair across from him.

Doing as I’m told, I cross my arms over my chest. My senior Lord ceremony was three weeks ago. Classes at Barrington University start in two. For three long years, I’ve proven myself to the Lords. And now I’m one of them. But this morning, I got a call to be seen by a fellow Lord. It’s not uncommon but definitely had me curious as to what the fuck he wants.