Thirty-Three Tobias

"The fight you're training for is deadlier than you think," I began. There was no way to sugar-coat the news. I couldn't do that anyway, even if I tried. I'd preferred the painful truth my entire life. It hardened me, made me who I was.

"Deadlier how?" someone sitting on the bed asked.

"We fight till someone dies," Abel answered, crossing his arms. He turned his back to us and stared at the ceiling, then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What?!" The group erupted; a couple of the young men rising to their feet appeared dumbfounded by the bomb we dropped.

"We're gonna have to fucking kill each other?" one asked.

"Shhh," I hushed. My eyes darted to the entrance. "Keep it down." I headed to the door to check if any of the guards were within earshot. Satisfied, I continued, "No, you're not fighting each other. Orcus will bring other guys from the outside." My attention drifted to Abel, who was now standing among the trainees. "At least, we think they're from the outside."

"I think that's one of the reasons why we're chosen," Abel added.

Together, Abel and I relayed the scant information we knew about the motivation behind the selection of the guys and their preparation. We let the weight of it settle, allowing them to collect their thoughts.

The air was rife with tension. Fears were expressed with agonizing groans and muttered curses. I understood. I'd been in their shoes many times when I was uncertain whether I'd live another day. That uncertainty was the reason I joined The Firm. They offered stability and comfort, no matter how fucked up it was. Anger simmered within me at the reminder of the force that once controlled me. Justice would be served—but not until I ensured Abel's safety and I was done with Orcus. He needed to pay for his crimes.

Abel blew out a shaky breath. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes burned with anger. He mouthed "thank you" when our eyes connected.

I acknowledged him with a nod. A knot settled in the pit of my stomach about all the what-ifs running through my head. What if I hadn't come here? What if we fail to escape in time? What if Abel has to fight? What if he loses?

Fill your heart with revenge and anger so there is no room for anything else; I reminded myself of my mantra so I could focus.

"I don't wanna fuckin' die," the tallest guy from the group exclaimed, raking his buzzed hair with his fingers. "I'm gonna get killed," he kept repeating in time with his pacing.

"Hey," I called, but the guy seemed too distraught to hear me. I stood in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. "What's your name?"

"Huh?" he replied, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Tell me your name."

A wide range of reactions rippled through the group. Fury contorted some faces, while fear creased the brows of others. Except for Abel—he remained poised.

"Seven," the guy in front of me said. "They call me Seven."

"No." I shook my head before bringing my face closer to him. "I wanna know your real name. Not the bullshit number they call you." I was furious at the way these young men were treated, plucked from their families, for … what? So they could be a spectacle. "What does your family call you?"

"Tyler."

I nodded once. "You gotta keep it together, Tyler. Can you try to do that for me?" I knew what I was asking was unfair, especially moments after disclosing the truth.

"I guess." Tyler sat on a lower bunk, eyeing the rest of his friends.

"What about you?" I pointed to the young man with brown eyes that matched his rich skin. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the metal post of the bunk bed.

"Mateo," he answered, pulling his knees closer to his chest.

I turned to the guy sitting on Abel's right. "And you?"

"Theo." He hunched over and cradled his face with his palms.

Abel consoled his comrade, rubbing his back. "We're gonna get through this," he whispered to Theo.

"I'm Collin," the guy standing by the door, acting as our lookout, said.

"And I'm Franklin," the last one said.

Abel's eyes softened. "We're all gonna get through this," he repeated, scanning the room. His eyes begged for my agreement. "Right, Tobias?"

"We're gonna find a way to get outta here." I couldn't find the will to lie to these men, but offering a glimmer of hope was the best I could do.

Abel seemed satisfied when his face drew a tight smile.

I admired the way he held his composure, reassuring his friends that everything was going to be all right. It was false hope because only time would tell, but a sliver of assurance must have been what they needed to hear because the mood in the room shifted from frightened to a fraction more optimistic. I'd misjudged Abel, he deserved more credit than I'd given him. He might be young, but he had more emotional intelligence than people twice his age—something I didn't think I even had.

"What are we gonna do now?" Franklin asked Abel.

"We can't fight for shit. You've seen us train." Tyler was again on the verge of melting down.

"We're a lot better than we used to be," Abel assured him.

"Not by much though," Mateo chimed in.

He had a point. I'd seen their sessions, and they were no match for the outsider Sterling and I watched on tape—not by brute strength or skills. These guys would be eaten alive.

Six pairs of eyes were fixed on me, including Abel's. Their gazes were heavy with expectation. I felt the burden of their hope and reliance. This was exactly what I didn't want to happen. But when I met Abel's eyes, not a single fiber in my body doubted that I'd made the right decision. I never sought to be their hero or savior, yet they looked to me as if I held all the answers to their questions and the key to their escape. How ironic that I was once called The Savior in The Firm—but not for reasons they should ever know.

I resisted the urge to walk away, reminding myself of my promise to Abel. I vowed to protect him and get them out of this mess. I couldn't turn my back now, even if I tried. I wouldn't let Abel down the way I let his father down.

"What are we gonna do, Toby?" Franklin asked me.

"It's Tobias," I said.

"Huh?" The lines on Franklin's forehead deepened.

"Tobias is my name. And we'll pretend like nothing has changed," I said.

The young men mumbled among themselves. It probably wasn't what they hoped to hear, but we had to be thoughtful and deliberate about our next steps. One miscalculated move and the game was over. "Never let your enemies anticipate your moves," El Jefe once told me. How I wished he was still alive to guide me through this. He didn't deserve to die the way he did. He paid the ultimate price when he risked his life so The Reaper and I could finish what we started.

"Just for the next few days," I quickly added, hoping to placate their unease. "I have friends outside who can help us." My thoughts drifted to Archer and Heath. Maybe Zero could hack into The Creed's system and cause a disruption to aid our escape. I really need to charge my phone.

"I trust Tobias," Abel said. "We gotta believe in him."

Fuck if that statement didn't make me feel good, but I didn't have time to dwell on the spark his words ignited.

"What about the others?" Theo asked.

"We'll sneak into the North Compound and tell the others tonight," Abel answered.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, jolting us from our conversation. Like startled birds, they scattered around the room, while I slipped into the bathroom.

"Is he here?" Sterling's hushed voice carried into the bathroom. Thank god it was him and not the others making an unwelcome appearance.

"Who?" Abel asked.

"Toby," Sterling replied, his voice tinged with urgency.

I grabbed Sterling's attention with a soft whistle, prompting him to dart in my direction.

"We gotta go, man," Sterling gasped, his breath ragged, as if he had sprinted to get here.

"Go where?"

"Out of here."

"Why?" I asked.

"Orcus is coming. Here. Now." Sterling grabbed my wrist and began ushering me out.

Abel blocked our way, halting Sterling and me. He hesitated briefly before wrapping his arms around me. I could feel his heart racing. "Meet me—" I began.

My words were cut short when Abel finished my sentence. "At midnight," he whispered in the crook of my neck.

"At midnight."

***

The cult was livelier than usual tonight. Chatter bounced around the hallways while guards came in and out of our building. What are these fuckers doing up this late? Impatiently, I glanced at the wall clock and cursed. I had fifteen minutes before seeing Abel. I tucked my phone in my boot and peeked through the door to see if it was safe to go.

"Hey," I called when Sterling entered the barracks from the back door—the same door Abel and I used last night. He was staring at the floor and rubbing his lower back. He grimaced when he pressed a spot on his right side. "Sterling!" I hollered when he didn't respond.

He avoided meeting my gaze and walked right past me.

"What the fuck is going on?" I grabbed his hand when he passed by, stopping him in his tracks. My jaw clenched when I saw his bloody face. "Who the fuck did that to you?" I tilted his chin and examined his face. His left eye was bruised, and his left eyebrow had a small cut, the source of the blood dripping down to his cheek.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "Who cares anyway."

Old me wouldn't have cared and let him go on his merry way, but I needed Sterling to get the Marshalls out of here and, as much as I hated to admit, I worried about him. "I care," I declared and ushered him to my room. "Now, tell me what happened."

Sterling took a deep breath before answering. "I tried to escape but they caught me." He shuddered. "I wanna get outta here, Toby. I can't take it anymore."

"Can't take what anymore?" I glanced at the clock: eleven fifty p.m.

"They had me watch more of those fights." He shut his eyes, shaking his head repeatedly as if trying to erase the gory images. "They told me that the first fight is in two days." His bloodshot eyes opened and met mine.

"What?" My stomach dropped at his words. "Fuck!" Abel and the guys were nowhere near ready to face any of the men Orcus would match them with. "Did they tell you why?"

"No."

Time is of the essence. I headed to the bathroom and grabbed a wet hand towel. "I gotta go somewhere, man." I wiped the blood off his face. "You can stay here if you want, but I have to tell Abel and the rest of the guys."

"Go," he said, taking the towel from my hand. "Don't worry about me."

I wanted to ask more questions, but I needed to get going. Besides, I doubted Sterling knew the information I needed. I hurried toward the door, determined to get to Abel so we could sneak to the North Compound to warn the others. "Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," I said as I exited.

"I won't," Sterling said. "Just hurry."

I moved carefully along the corridors with guards, walking as if I had a purpose for being out this late. I paused before entering the trainees' room. Unlike the few times Abel and I had met this late, all six of them were awake, expecting my arrival. I closed the door behind me when I entered their dorm.

"What's going on out there?" Abel asked. "Why are there so many guards?"

"Yeah. Fucking Napoleon checked on us four times," Tyler said.

"Napoleon?" I raised an eyebrow.

"The short, creepy guard," Abel answered. "The one you hate."

That was fitting—short, loud, and obnoxious.

"Is it safe to go out?" Abel studied my face with worry.

I wanted to tell him everything would be all right, but I didn't want to lie to him. "No." I sighed. "But we have to go now."

Able must've sensed my agitation. "Why?"

"They moved the fight forward to a couple of days from now."

A collective whisper of "oh shit" filled the room, with the exception of Abel, who had zeroed in on me. "Let's go," he said, determined.

I peeked through the door, waiting for an opportunity to make our exit. "Not quite," I warned. Abel's body was pressed against my back. He smelled fresh and clean, like he'd just gotten out of the shower. My body reacted to his closeness, my dick filling with excitement. It was a shame that last night was the last time I'd ever let myself cave in to my desire for him. "Now," I said when the last guard left his station, clearing the path to the exit.