I jerk my head up, offering a tight smile as I glance at the guys around the table. “Sup.”
A chorus of greetings whips around the table from all but a couple of guys, who sit near the end, eyeing me warily. And I get it. Most probably don’t want women in the organization; however, they’ve no choice but to suck it up, because it’s the president’s order.
A few more bodies filter into the room as Saint sits down beside me, at the end of the table, and Galen takes the seat across from me. Theo slides in next to me with Caz claiming the seat beside Galen.
Footsteps thud across the room, claiming my attention, and I smile as Bry walks toward us.
“Hey.” He nods at the guys. “Lo.”
“Bry.”
He sits in the empty chair beside Theo, surreptitiously handing him a folded note. Theo passes it to me, and I slip it into Saint’s waiting palm. Saint dips his head, reading the details of The Arrows next shipment. He jerks his head at Bry, in a barely there acknowledgment, and I kick him in the shin. Saint narrows his eyes at me, and I pin him with a look that tells him not to fuck around. Bry has come through for us, and this hostile shit ends now. He needs to start treating him with more respect.
“Thanks, man,” Saint says, and he almost sounds sincere.
I’m about to kick him again when the doors burst open, heralding Satan’s arrival.
“Welcome, my little cherubs,” Sinner says, stalking into the room with the bald creep I hate. He’s rubbing at his shoulder, and it gives me immense pleasure to know I inflicted pain. Sinner occupies the seat at the head of the table, and the creep sits on his right-hand side. “I see we have our new female initiate with us today,” Sinner adds, smiling like the cat that got the cream when his eyes land on me.
It hasn’t escaped my notice I’m the only female here, confirming what I’ve suspected all along—Sinner’s “we’re letting women into the ranks” statement is a load of bull. It was a ploy to trap me, to control me, and nothing more.
The creep’s mouth curls in a sneer, and he levels me with a look suffused with venom, making an obscene gesture with his fingers, which I ignore, despite the distaste flooding my mouth.
Another man enters the room, sitting down on Sinner’s other side. I recognize the scraggly beard and disinterested scowl from the initiation meeting. He’s another board member and another asshole probably salivating at the prospect of raping me.
I can’t wait until they find out they can’t touch me.
“Everyone welcome Harlow Westbrook,” Sinner says. Fists pound on top of the table in some weird supposedly manly ritual.
I barely avoid an eye roll.
“Let’s get down to business,” Sinner says. “I’d like to wrap this meeting up earlier than usual.” A nasty shudder works its way through me when he fixes me with a loaded look. “Because I’ve an important engagement after this.”
Saint clenches his fists on top of his thighs, and I reach over, uncurling his fingers.
Sinner concentrates on business, talking about shipments due in and some new clients. He mentions plans to attack The Arrows, warning junior members to be extra vigilant, but he’s deliberately hazy on the details. Then Saint gives a roundup of distributions for the next week, and he confirms the supply pipeline is up and running in Lowell Academy.
Sinner resumes talking when Saint has finished his update. “Some of you may be aware that we’re diversifying our business interests, and I want to bring everyone up to speed. Smart businessmen know that spreading risk across various entities is a shrewd strategy, and we’re no different. Developing different income streams is a smart play, and it’s been our main focus this past year, but we need to do more to protect our interests and safeguard the future of this club. If one of our income revenues is hit, we want to ensure we’re not crippled because we have other income to fall back on. That is why the board has taken the decision to enter the sex trafficking trade.”
Deathly silence greets his statement, initially, and then a few guys shift uneasily in their seats. Some wary expressions are traded around the table. It’s clear this is news to a lot of junior members.
The hesitant reaction greatly displeases Sinner. He slams his fist down on the tabletop, and a few guys jump. Sinner leans forward, glaring at everyone seated around the table. “This is a good thing for The Sainthood.” He slams his fist down again. “A great thing, and we expect every member to fully support our initiative.”
I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop the snort dying to break free. Sinner’s as delusional as ever. Saint squeezes my hand under the table in warning, but I’ve got this. I’m bottling up all my frustration to unleash on him after we make our big revelation.
Sinner straightens up, running his hands through his hair. His features even out, and he smiles, leaning back in his chair, as if he didn’t just throw a hissy fit like a toddler. He lets his gaze roam the table. “An opportunity opened up, and we jumped at the chance to expand our business interests. Right now, we’re testing the waters. We suffered a minor setback recently, but a new shipment will be arriving in a couple of weeks, and we expect demand to grow from there.”
“How will this impact us?” a guy with multiple facial piercings asks.
“It won’t impact you in the short-term,” Sinner says. “But when you become full members, you’ll be expected to help with deliveries.” A revolting smile slips over his mouth. “You’ll get an opportunity to sample the goods, so it’s far from a thankless task. Although no one is permitted to hurt the merchandise. Clients want them young, innocent, and unmarked.” Sinner licks his lips, leaning back in his chair, as he stares straight at me, daring me to challenge him.
I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from throwing my knife into his cold, cruel heart.
The meeting ends then, and chairs scrape as junior members exit the room. Bry stands, ready to leave. “Stay there,” Saint commands, eyeing Bry.
Bry reclaims his seat without question, and we share a look. I straighten my shoulders and hold my head up, preparing for the showdown. The other three board members come into the room, blatantly leering at me, and my skin crawls. I gulp over the bile gathering at the back of my throat and grip Saint’s hand harder.
“You can leave,” Sinner says, peering into Saint’s eyes. “We have some chores for your whore to attend to.”
“Or they can watch,” Baldy says. “Might pick up a few tips.”
I snort, unable to hold stuff inside any longer. “Trust me, my guys need no instruction on how to please a woman. They score an A-plus every time.” I let my full derision show on my face as I look Baldy over from head to toe. “Yeah, there’s definitely nothing they could learn from you. Unless you want to teach them how to be a spineless ugly fuck who rapes women to get his rocks off.”
His chair falls to the floor as he jumps up. “You need to be taught a lesson. Cunt.” He spits on the floor, and I lean back in my chair, grinning. Bry is looking at me like I have a death wish, and I suppose that’s how it must look.
“She will be taught a valuable lesson,” Sinner says, and his clinical tone raises goose bumps on my arms. “Get the fuck out,” he adds, jabbing his finger at Saint. “Lessons start now. You can update me on our other business after we’ve disciplined your whore.” A laugh rumbles from his chest, and the others join him.