Chapter 1 Emery #2
Nolan’s smile is sinister. “Of course, and if you perform how I expect you will in boot camp, you will be placed on a preassigned squad. Well, there is one little stop before you enter the Under, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
” There’s something in the way his eyes glimmer as he says that last part that puts me on edge.
He’s trying to scare me, waiting for a reaction. I’ve been training to kill since I could read, but I’ve also been trained to keep my emotions locked down.
My family wasn’t normal or warm by any standards.
The Mavestelli name is presented as an old money, high-profile family to the public, when in reality we are at the head of the illegal black-market technology and information dealings typically known as the “underworld.” It’s disturbing how much weight a few pieces of paper or an unsuspecting product can hold, what secrets they bear.
And it was my job to make sure that the men in suits were properly disposed of if they tried double-crossing us.
Of course, I’d rather have been reading one of the old books in my study or picking up the brushes I hadn’t used in years to paint the dark, somber thoughts in my mind, but whatever I wanted to do in my life always came second to being the executioner.
Gregory Mavestelli, my father, had me prepare not only to exterminate his targets quietly with silenced guns and knives, but also to operate boats, airplanes, and helicopters.
I think he was planning for me to become his getaway driver or pilot if shit hit the fan.
Well, that could have been the plan if he hadn’t handed me over to the feds for a plea deal after an informant notified him of their sting operation.
What was I expecting? For Greg to take the fall while his family lives a nice peaceful life? The Mavestellis have never known peace.
And he’ll die to make it stay that way.
Under the bus I went as a scapegoat.
As expected, I was the only one the authorities really wanted. They only needed one person to satisfy the public demand for justice. They don’t care to bring down the entire operation. The people with literal blood on their hands are the satisfying catch.
I level my gaze on the general sitting across from me.
“So what exactly is the point of being on this squad and doing the government’s dirty work?
What’s in it for me? I could just refuse and have you kill me right now.
It would save all of us a lot of trouble, don’t you think?
” I say with bored eyes, glancing at one of the guard’s rifles and thinking how swift it could be.
Nolan narrows his eyes thoughtfully before he pulls a note from his pocket and flicks it at me.
I unfold the paper and see the word rebirth typed in small-point font in the center. There’s also a barcode at the bottom.
“That’s what every single person in the underground forces strives for. Actually, I take that back. I think some of us like staying here in the shadows permanently, but most want their cards to freedom. A second chance at life and an opportunity to earn their way out of hell.”
A dry laugh bubbles up my throat, and I cover my lips to no avail. “Are you serious? If I get a stupid piece of paper, that’s it? I’m free?”
Nolan’s eyes are cold; his grin makes my skin crawl. “That’s it. Easy.”
I slide the paper to him and lean back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. I’m not sure he’s telling me everything, but I don’t really have a choice in the matter. “What’s the catch?”
“There is no catch. You serve—then you’re set free if you earn your cards.”
If.
I assess him carefully. From the controlled malice in his gaze to the intricate way he gives information, he reminds me of Reed. The thought of not seeing him again is perhaps the only regret I have.
Every well-salted, misunderstood villain has a mentor, right? Well, Reed is mine. He was the prodigy at our small academy out of all the underworld families. While we’re the same age, he’s always been at least five years ahead in everything. Too smart and wicked for his own good.
But Reed taught me how to make peace with my fate as the executioner.
He showed me how to craft the deaths into something lovely, to leave them with my own flare.
Sometimes I wonder if it was just to see how far he could manipulate my mind.
Reed always said he loved the monsters that live inside people.
He liked bringing them out the most. Which is precisely why Greg made Reed his right-hand man.
“And how many Dark Forces soldiers have earned their cards?” My leg bounces anxiously. He unsettles me in a way that feels like stones are being placed inside my coat pockets and I’m about to be thrown into the sea.
“None so far.” Nolan tuts and leans forward onto his elbows in a taunting motion. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, though, Cadet Maves. You might not even make it past your first night.”
“That’s reassuring,” I say smoothly, slightly put off by his lack of explanation of where exactly I’m going for one night before boot camp. Don’t show him you’re worried. I force a smooth expression and tilt my chin up.
His cruel smile tells me that he enjoys giving out little promises of freedom. But I’m not sure I have much left in me to reach for the tendrils of hope. I’ve already given the world everything I have.