Miscreants: Next Generation (Badlands 8)

This wasn’t anything unusual to hear around here, but I didn’t like that they were coming from the direction we were heading.

Couldn’t be a coincidence.

The stench of burnt flesh was evident as well. I assumed this had come from Jim’s body being disposed of. There was no way he made it through last night alive.

“I can only imagine what we’re about to see,” Takara said.

“With Mal, one can never be sure.”

We took the same path I had the night before. The area was known as the ‘pits’ because of the shallow ditches dug beneath every bonfire set up.

“Looks like the whole crew is here,” Takara noted as we came around the final bend.

“I guess it’s our lucky day.” My eyes skimmed over Aurora, Dawn, and Samael.

Three other proselytes were all a respectable distance away from the scene currently playing out.

“Isn’t that the new guy?”

I didn’t answer her. I charged across the clearing and got right in Amo’s face before he could swing the sledgehammer held tightly within his hands. I shoved his chest hard enough that he was forced to take a step away from Mack.

I’d been so focused on us piecing together an efficient exit strategy, I’d nearly forgotten all about this guy. He wasn’t at the top of my list of things to worry about. Still, I should’ve known something like this would happen. Seeing him on the ground, helpless, his hands held up to ward Amo off, was infuriating.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Amo grinned, showing two rows of teeth I was seconds away from knocking down his throat.

His gaze moved to the person now standing behind me.

I didn’t need to turn and look.

I knew the feel of him anywhere.

“I told you she’d be ungrateful, no?” Amo spoke over me.

“Am I supposed to thank you for being a raging psychopath?”

“No, but you could thank us for giving a shit about you.”

Us? Who was this us he spoke of?

He winked like the arrogant ass he was. Just as I was about to lunge at him, a strong arm slipped around my middle and hauled me backward, right over Mack’s body.

He cried out as my boot collided with something bloody and white. I took a good look at him. His left leg was bent at an awkward angle. The right had a sharp piece of bone sticking clean out of it.

That had to be what my foot had just connected with. Blood dripped from the open wound to the dirt.

He lowered his head to the ground and shut his eyes. His complexion was ashen, and heavy pants came from his chest. I gave Amo a look that let him know exactly what I thought of him.

“Why would you do this? He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“He looked at you as if you were the elixir to life,” Samael replied flippantly, his cool breath fanning the back of my neck.

“So, you break his legs? Is that going to help clear his vision?”

“I didn’t do anything. Yet.”

Unable to see his face, I tried to remove myself from the hold he had me in. His response was much like it had been the night before. He secured me to him, pulling my back against his front.

“Everyone here knows the rules, Lil.” Aurora spoke in a soothing tone, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum. I rarely acknowledged her. She was the half-sister I had no idea existed until we were brought face to face. I was eighty percent sure my parents didn’t know about her, either.

At least, they hadn’t four years ago. They probably did now, since she’d gone and introduced herself to Cam. Samael had known about her, though. She was one of the many secrets he conveniently forgot to share with me.

She was the spitting image of our father and brothers. Same red hair and expressive silver eyes. I know that wasn’t her fault, but it hurt to look at her. When Samael made it clear I was more prisoner than partner, she legitimately tried to step into the big sister role, like we would bond over my captivity.

As freaking if.

“The rules are bullshit,” I snapped.

“They keep you safe,” Amo reasoned.

“They keep Samael’s ego intact, you mean?” Takara leapt in defensively. “God forbid a man think she’s beautiful, right?”

“No one thinks that,” Samael rebutted. “Everyone knows she’s beautiful. A blind man can see that. But beauty doesn’t stop her from making bad choices.”

Was that a backhanded compliment? Wasn’t he basically saying I was all looks and no brains?

“That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard you say,” Takara huffed, planting her hands on her hips. “He didn’t deserve to have his legs broken over something so simple.”

“You know what, Toria? You’re absolutely right. To kill him over something that trivial would be very tyrannical of me.”

“It’s Takara,” she bit out.