Page 25 of Sinister
“Stay put, or else.” Rome points at me before he makes his way through the crowd to take his seat beside Sinisa.
My gaze roams the room and I see Hudson in the far corner making small talk with another guy. Their gazes lock with mine for a heartbeat before they both glance away quickly, acting like they weren’t just eyeballing the elephant in the room. This year is going to be fucking great.
Sinisa stands and the chatter amongst the guys dies down until silence fills the room. “Evening, gentleman.” His eyes pin me to the spot, making me feel like I don’t belong as per fucking usual. “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives.”
Cheering erupts and echoes around the cold room, the guys all fist bump and slap each other on the backs before Sin claps twice to silence the room again. I watch on in amusement at the way they all obey him.
“It is both a day of grievance and a day of celebration. Let us have a moment of silence for our fallen King, Queen and Jack.” He bows his head but not before I catch a wicked smirk taint his lips.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, I have a perfect viewpoint to see all the men bow their heads, giving a moment of respect to who knows what. What does Sin mean by fallen?
Literally, ten seconds pass before Sin clears his throat. “That’s enough seconds out of my life for those fuckers. Now, time to celebrate the new King, Queen and Jacks of the Spades Fraternity. May I present to you our two new Jacks, Rome and Chaser, please step forward.”
Both Chaser and Rome stand up and face Sin, who proceeds to pin something on to their jacket lapels. Rome and Chaser step back behind Sin, proudly displaying their new badges. The crowd stays silent as they all watch this weird as fuck ceremony.
“I know we all have been eager to see who our new Queen is, so it is with great pleasure I announce Miss Charlotte Rathesbury.” Sin’s gaze lands on me and I can feel the burning hatred from across the room.
Everyone turns toward me, watching the top of the stairs as their cheering and wolf whistling gets louder. I twist to look behind me when I spot her descending the staircase in her matching suit jacket she’s wearing as a dress. Her black heels with their red soles click clack as she makes her way down toward the rest of the fraternity members. Legs that go on for days is all I can see and the envy I feel in that moment makes me want to slap myself. She’s absolutely stunning in that supermodel with perfect hair kind of way, and I would be lying if the green eyed monster wasn’t poking me from the inside. Her beautiful smile turns into a scowl as her gaze catches mine and the look of abhorrent hatred washes over her features as she breezes past me and through the parting crowd of guys.
Well, I guess we aren’t going to be besties then. Her instant dislike toward me means she knows who I am and why I am here. I wish I could tell her I don’t want anything to do with any of this hierarchy bullshit and I most definitely don’t even want to be here. Period.
A dormant jealousy gnaws at my insides when she stands face to face with Sin, a feeling I shouldn’t be entertaining. But watching the way he soaks her in, the way his gaze rakes over her perfect body hungrily makes me irrationally angry. Sin grips the lapels of her jacket in his fists and yanks her into him, their noses inches apart. It’s raw and sensual and I feel like I should look away. A wide grin spreads over her beautiful face as she places her palms on his chest and allows him to place her pin on her lapel while she pins one to his jacket. Her sultry stare makes me want to rip her face off.
“My brothers, you have all survived the hazing rituals and come out the other side mostly in one piece. I’m proud. I put you all through literal hell and not one of you gave up. Please pledge your allegiance by repeating after me. I pledge my oath of silence and of my loyalty to the Spades.”
“I pledge my oath of silence and of my loyalty to the Spades.” Their voices echo as one throughout the room.
After they all repeat the fraternity pledge, the eager and rowdy crowd disperse into their own little groups to drink and party the night away. My eyes dart between Chaser and Rome happily chatting to the Queen. Chaser’s gaze collects mine as he sweeps the room looking for something, giving me a cheeky wink in the process. At this point all I want to do is retreat upstairs into my room and hide until I have to find my first class in the morning. Turning, I make it up three stairs when I hear Sin calling my name, making me freeze and question whether I should walk away or face off with him in front of his new friends.
“What’s the rush, Mono?” The fabric of his jacket grazes against my arm, making my skin prickle.
The scent of his expensive cologne wafts up under my nose and I notice he’s much closer than I first thought. I turn on my heels to come face to face with him. We’re eye to eye with me being three steps above where he’s standing, and his large form shields me from the rest of the fraternity behind him. Scowling at me, his chagrin paints his features perfectly making it abundantly clear that me being here is ruining his existence.
“Figured I’d leave all you juveniles to your fraternity bonding shit.” My eyes slip and land on his mouth just as his tongue darts out to moisten his bottom lip.
“Are you butt hurt you weren’t invited and won’t be a part of the Spades family?”
“If you think that I care about joining your little group, you don’t know me at all.” I glare at him because his words, although not true in the slightest, do evoke a small part of me that makes me feel like I don’t belong anywhere.
“Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t think about you at all, Monroe.”
“Touche, dickhead.”
He cocks a brow and smirks, grabs my arm roughly in his large hand and pulls me into him. “Stay the fuck out of my way. You don’t exist here unless I say so. Understand?” There’s something detached and unhinged about him and the way he stares at me.
“Perfectly.” I spit at him, putting extra emphasis on my p.
“You have no idea what you’ve got yourself into, do you? I have plans for you and I don’t think your prudish little self will enjoy them.” He shoves me off him and I nearly fall flat on my ass but I manage to catch myself on the railing as he storms away into the crowd of tailcoats. I notice the curious glances of a few of the guys nearby, ignoring them, I escape up the stairs and close myself into my room, locking the door after me.
Chapter thirteen
Sinisa
Darkness coats my skin and excitement paints my veins like an artist creates their canvas, in rough and uneven strokes, painting a masterpiece. My mind is idle, bored fucking shitless after tonight’s gathering. Every minute painful and mind numbingly tedious. I don’t like to entertain crowds but I know my place in this fraternity and who am I to deny my brothers a manipulative and perverse leader.
The finality of the loud click as it locks in place, securing me inside her room, has my heart racing. Little does she know that I installed the lock high up on the inside of her door for this very reason, to keep the freaks out and lock the monster in. My tongue slides across my lower lip, anticipating the feel of her skin against my mouth and the inhale and exhale of her moans as she comes undone.
It’s been days since I’ve had the pleasure of touching and tasting her. My inner monster claws at my edges needing to be fed and satiated before my desires turn to something more sinister.