53. Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Two

Asher

W e went straight home last night despite how much Giselle and Jonathan wanted us to stay the night. I think they just wanted one more night with Skyla, should the worst happen. We weren’t going to let that happen, though, not for anything.

Tonight is Hutchinson’s initiation, and it gives us the perfect opening to do what needs to be done. First, we have to convince the others.

I’m standing in my kitchen, Skyla and Liam snuggling on the couch, when a knock comes from the door. They move apart an appropriate distance when Andrew Hutchinson steps inside, followed by Dane Lewis and Jeremy Stroughton. Lewis limps, braces holding his legs straight as he does his best to stand tall. Shit. Vincent really did fuck his life up. Good. Piece of shit should have died, in my opinion. Maybe he will by the end of this conversation.

“What the fuck is this?” Stroughton snarls.

“A discussion, welcome. The most important part is you shut the fuck up,” I say before looking to the others.

My eyes roam over them in a calculated way. It’s a move I’ve seen my father make a million times. It puts your opponent on edge, forces them to pay attention, and it seems to work for me now.

“The Brethren must fall. The Elders must be eliminated.”

Concerned looks move through the room as Hutchinson, Stroughton and Lewis all glance at each other, while we all stare at them with a hardened certainty.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Stroughton demands as I hold eye contact with him.

“I’m talking about starting over. Burning this society to the ground and building a new one in its ashes. I think we are all brainwashed enough to actually believe that there are advantages and benefits to being a part of the Brethren,” I say as the three stooges nod.

“I think we can also all agree, our ancestors were evil, our heads of the family are evil, and in order to truly rebuild, we have to start from scratch.”

“Meaning?” Hutchinson asks nervously.

“Meaning we are going to kill them all, tonight,” Vincent says sharply.

Hutchinson’s eyes bulge at that and I watch as he takes a nervous step backwards. I make eye contact with Wesley, who nods and stands behind Hutchinson, keeping him in place as I continue.

“Andrew, let’s not pretend that your dad doesn’t embezzle millions from the Brethren a year. It’s only a matter of time before my father finds out and slaughters your whole family.”

His face blanches as he looks to the ground.

Wesley found out that piece of information a few weeks ago, and we’ve been sitting on it for the opportune moment. Guess what, it’s here.

“Stroughton, your father beats your entire family black and blue and has been assaulting your half-sister since her seventh birthday, has he not?” I ask.

Jeremy has the decency to wince, throwing his eyes to the ground as he gives me a terse nod.

“Lewis,” I say, his eyes filled with far too much hate. He’s going to be our wild card for sure.

“Your uncle, the one who took over when your father passed away,” I say, sharing a brief look with Vincent and Ronan. “Tell me you wouldn’t love to gut him like a pig.”

We didn’t actually have anything on the Lewis family, but they are hotheads. They feel their emotions in sharp peaks, and I can tell by one look at Dane, that I hit the nail on the head.

“Then what?” Dane asks. “We become the new Elders? You rule us like your father?” he scoffs.

“I’m nothing like my father,” I say, “But yes. We will rebuild, not with a centered focus on our past but our future. We will stop the abusive fucking rituals, the degrading hierarchy, and we will treat this as it always should have been. A brotherhood.”

Dane seems surprisingly pleased with that, though none of them speak.

“If we say no, you’re going to kill us, aren’t you?” Andrew asks.

I lift a brow to him. “Is that an actual question, or hypothetical, Hutchinson?”

He looks ready to shit his fucking pants as his eyes drop to the ground.

“Hypothetical.”

Shit, maybe he’s the wild card.

“Andrew,” Liam says, appealing to him the way only Liam could. “You haven’t been inducted yet, none of you have,” he says as he runs his eyes over the other two. “You don’t know what it’s like…what they make you do.” Liam winces with a shake of his head. “If we don’t stop them tonight, you will, and you’ll never be the same. Trust me.”

My heart twinges at his words. I hate that his induction has affected him so much. He tries not to let anyone see it, but his spark has dimmed. His joy, muffled. He’s not the same Liam, and I’m terrified he never will be again. That is why we have to stop them, that is why we have to take a stand.

“I’m in,” Lewis says.

“Me too,” Stroughton agrees.

All eyes come to Andrew, a fearful look in his eyes as he glances around the room. His gaze falls on Skyla, and she gives him a compassionate yet earnest nod that has him nodding his agreement.

“Me too.”

After the last three legacies agreed, we weren’t stupid enough to just let them go. The temptation to burn us all and save their own asses would be too great. So, each got an escort to the tunnels.

Ronan went with Andrew, like he would have anyways for his induction night. Wesley went with Stroughton and Liam went with Lewis. I’m double checking that I have everything when Skyla steps into the room, Vincent right behind her.

“I’m scared,” she admits.

I stop what I’m doing and hold her in my arms. I don’t want to tell her that I am too. That I can feel that we are on the verge of…something. I just can’t tell if it’s our demise or our salvation.

“Don’t be,” I say. “We will be fine. Vincent will be with you the entire time, and if you’ve changed your mind, you don’t have to come. Fuck, I’d rather you didn’t,” I say with a rough chuckle that is not at all humorous.

She frowns. “I have to be there, Asher. This is my life, too. The Brethren took everything from me, they’ll continue to. My fathe— Henry,” she corrects. “He needs to suffer, and I won’t miss it for the world.”

I sigh, knowing we’ve already been round and round with this decision before. I was on the losing end of the argument, unfortunately. Nodding, I grip the back of her neck, pressing my lips to hers as I do.

“I’ll see you soon, and this will be all over, okay?” I say.

She nods her head. “Promise me we will all make it out of this. That when we do, we’ll go back to the cabin in New Hampshire. That we’ll stay there for two weeks at least just the six of us?”

It’s a promise I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep, but I make it anyways, because how fucking perfect would it be if I could?

“I promise,” I say.

Her shoulders seem to lighten at that, a true smile spreading across her face.

“I love you,” she says.

“I love you more, princess.” My eyes move to Vincent. “Keep her safe.”

“Always.”

I pause on my words for a moment before I drop our eye contact.

“Uhm, keep yourself safe too. Don’t go dying again.”

Vincent lifts a single eyebrow, almost in amusement, if I thought the guy was ever capable of the emotion.

“Will do.”

Nodding to myself, I grab the bag I packed and head for my car, throwing it into the passenger seat before taking off for the university. When I get there, I park as usual, slip on my robe as usual, and walk in as usual. What isn’t usual is the dagger I have strapped to my leg. The one that’s been specially selected for my father. Maybe I should be feeling regret or something akin to sadness, but I don’t. All I feel is anger, vengeance and a need to set things right. For everyone.

Because Lewis and Stroughton still technically aren’t inducted, they won’t be expected to be at the ceremony. And Vincent is considered dead to the Brethren, they definitely won’t be expecting him.

The plan is to have Wesley wait with them outside the tunnels until Vincent and Skyla arrive, which should be, if we timed it right, only minutes after me. We didn’t want us all to arrive at once, should anyone see and ask questions.

So, I move through the church, opening the secret door and making my way through the tunnels like everything is normal. Like it’s any other induction night. Except it isn’t.

I check in, smearing my bloodied fingerprint for the last time. Once I’m let through, I step into the room where the table is in the center of the room. Odd seeing as mine and Liam’s ceremony was an empty room. Maybe they don’t have something as…physical planned for Andrew.

I know tonight will be a struggle for him. I know he loves his father despite the shitty things he does. We can’t go forth like this any longer, though. The Brethren has to be completely gutted. It’s the only way to ensure old practices and old ideals don’t continue.

My father meets my eyes, and I give him a respectful nod as I take my place behind him. It’s the last goddamn time I’ll be giving him a respectful anything. I can guarantee that. Carefully, I assess all who are in attendance tonight.

Wesley told us that Christopher did not expect his attendance for these matters. I’m unsure why, though, seeing as all Elders are required to attend despite whether or not they are the seat holder for the family. His father is currently on his phone, texting rapidly before tucking it away discreetly. Not sure my dad would like to know he snuck a phone in here. I don’t know much about Matthew Preston, I don’t need to know his background to know he is just like the rest of them.

The Ingersoll family seat holder is staring up at the ceiling, a bored look on his face. Vincent told me the other day he thinks he had a part to play in Nathan’s father’s death. He’s already double claimed him tonight, and I had no problem agreeing to that.

The only extra Elder besides Ronan, me, and any of the guys is Charles Stroughton. He’s Will’s younger brother and completely uninterested in the Brethren. Kinda feel bad to kill him, he could be as disgusted with the Brethren as we are. But he’s been alive for twenty years longer than us. He had so many chances to do what we are tonight, and he didn’t, which makes him as guilty as the rest of them.

Liam slips in at the last minute, keeping his eyes on the ground as he slips behind his father. He gives me an encouraging nod and I do the same.

The door opens again and the man at the door allows Ronan and Andrew to walk in. Andrew is physically shaking as my father stands from his seat at the table. Glancing down at my watch, I notice that we are exactly on time. My eyes meet Ronan’s, and he gives me the slightest of nods, confirming that Wesley, Sky, Vincent and the others are all inside the tunnels.

Perfect.

“Welcome, brother,” my dad smiles at Andrew. “Tonight, you will be graduating from Legacy to Elder. Are you prepared?”

Andrew stutters, his shaking becoming more intense.

“Y-yes,” he says.

I can see my father’s smile fall for a moment before he nods.

“Andrew Hutchinson, do you swear your allegiance to the Brethren? Do you swear to honor our ways, fulfill our practices and protect our secrets?”

“I-I sw-wear,” he stutters.

“Do you swear to slay our enemy when given the chance and keep our people safe?” my father continues.

“I swear,” Andrew says, blowing out a ragged breath.

“Do you swear to enforce all law whenever deemed necessary, no matter the task?”

“I sw—”

A commotion sounds from outside the room, my eyes meeting Ronan’s and Liam’s before I nod. Pulling the dagger from under my robe, I jab it into my father’s back.

“Sit down!” I snarl.

Members all around look at us in shock as Liam does the same, holding his dagger to his father’s back.

“What is the meaning of this?” William Walcott fumes.

“Shut the fuck up!” Liam snaps.

Andrew moves, taking his position behind his father as Ronan stands behind Henry Parris. We all know that if someone was going to try something, it would be that slimy bastard.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, hm?” my father taunts like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

The door opens in the next moment and Stroughton, Lewis, Wesley, and Vincent file in. Skyla is noticeably missing, but that’s okay. She’ll be here soon. Each person takes up residence behind their family, Vincent standing behind Ingersoll with a smile that makes even my skin crawl.

Charles Stroughton predictably looks ready to piss himself. Good. Let’s hope he stays that way.

“You all have just made the biggest mistake of your lives,” my father says, meeting the eyes of every one of us around the long table.

“Yeah?” I goad as another figure steps in through the doorway.

Wait, not one figure. Three.

I literally hear all the air sucked out of my father’s lungs as he sets his eyes on our newcomers.

“N-no. It can’t…how?”