Chapter 8

• After I locked the door, threw the wet clothes on the floor, and warmed the water in the tub, I let my body relax in it. I exhaled. I knew the world out there was scary and sick, but to fall right into it after I cut ties with my family… It was too much. But all the derisive faces of these men, their voices, and their attitude… They were engraved in my mind for the rest of my life. And someday, somehow, I was going to expose them. They thought they were the rulers of the world, huh…
• I sucked in a furious breath and shot out of the bathtub, nearly falling on the tiles. Pulling the big towel around my body, I slammed the door open and glared at Etienne.
• He was sitting in front of the desk, staring at something on his laptop.
• “Your clothes are next to the bed,” he uttered, but I stormed to him and panted.
• He turned his head to me, and I noticed the black-framed glasses on his face. Studying me for a moment, he removed them. “What?”
• “What was this all about, Supervisor?” I hissed, and he stilled.
• “Nothing.” He lifted his shoulders, giving me a keen look. I stopped myself from flinching.
• “Come on, you said we need to be a team. Keep your word!” I insisted, and his nostrils widened for a second.
• “You’re so eager to know everything. Even if that knowledge threatens your life?”
• This time I flinched and held tighter onto my towel.
• “I need to know,” I said and cleared my throat, praying he hadn’t heard the palpitating vulnerability in me.
• “This is just a title that doesn’t mean anything.” His voice came out even, and fire spread through my body. Pure fury.
• “Really? And here I thought the cult leaders were supposed to be charismatic, influential, and perfect manipulators. And which one of these are you? Except the title.” A thought hit me. “Or you’re not the leader? You’re just the one licking his ass. A supervisor that does things in the dark and you never have to prove your power over the rest of the group.”
• “Lick his ass?” He stood up, and the intensity around him rose, making it hard to breathe. I took a step back, and every part of my being struggled not to feel threatened. But with everything that happened, how could I not? “Don’t be rash to make assumptions when you don’t even know anything. What gives you the right to look down on me?”
• I bit the inside of my lip. I wasn’t going to give in to him. “What gives you the right to decide my fate?”
• “I’m not! I’m trying to help you! But you keep making it harder by not listening to me!”
• I crossed my arms and frowned, lowering my gaze.
• “I told you, I’m not a cat.”
• “I know,” he said after a few seconds. “Tiger.” I whirled my eyes to him just as he took a step to the side and propped his back on the chair. “This position means nothing to me, and if I could choose—” He took a moment to erase the darkness from his expression. “And, to be honest, it doesn’t concern you.”
• “Of course, it does! Especially if I’m supposed to be under your power?” I scoffed at the bitter reminder. “I’m a free person who lives in a democratic country. You can’t just—”
• “I won’t,” he cut me off, and I squinted. “You’re free. At least, you’ll be. Just let me take care of that.”
• I glared at him, checking my possibilities. I was on the fence, not sure if I should put my life in his hands and trust him, but did I have a choice? I had always been a wild card in other people’s eyes, but this time, I had to think with my brain. Think before act. I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. I had seen the people outside.
• “Were they all a part of your cult?” I demanded after a veil of silence.
• Etienne tilted his head to the side and then massaged his eyes. “Yes. Most of the people in this university are. Except the few scholarship students, but it’s one of the reasons they are ostracized and bullied.”
• I gasped. A whole rich-kids university ruled by a secret cult. My chest slammed into my ribcage and curled in on itself, shuddering. How hadn’t Jude’s parents noticed what was going on? I wasn’t going to believe they were a part of this. They couldn’t be.
• Neither could he.
• Jude was such a good person who cared about justice and hated violence. I was sure he was trying to find a way to stop this madness. Was that the reason I’d barely heard from him for a year? Because he was fighting the cult?
• If the news about a dangerous group of people who thought they could take slaves whenever they wanted to reached the media, the Watkinsons were going to be ruined. Jude and his parents were probably going to lose everything and even go to jail. So, that was why they were fighting this in secret.
• All the more reason to find him.
• I gritted my teeth. And to think I had wanted to become a part of this university before my parents stopped me and enrolled me in Harvard.
• “What is this cult’s purpose?” I asked.
• He cocked an eyebrow and went to the dresser, lifting a plastic box with food.
• “I took this from the cafeteria. It’s for you.”
• I narrowed my eyes and shortened the distance between us once more.
• “What is your purpose?” I gritted out, and his jaw tensed.
• “To exist.”
• I pulled back, surprised by his statement. Exist? This didn’t make any sense.
• “And what do you do while existing?”
• “None of your business. The lesser you know, the better.” His light eyes narrowed, and his expression morphed into something so angry and closed-off that my heart stumbled in alarm.
• “Ha, I thought I was supposed to trust you,” I challenged and put my hands on my hips.
• “You are, but there are some things I cannot tell you,” he returned, and I snorted.
• “Right,” drawling, I intentionally approached the duffel bag on the ground and fixed my stare on it. He needed some space. I wasn’t going to get anything by pushing. I knew when to fight for more and when to relax the hook around someone’s neck. And, this now, was the second option.
• “Why weren’t there any other girls here besides me?” I continued with the interrogation, trying not to look that desperate about it.
• “Because they are in the girls’ dorms,” Etienne answered in a ‘duh’ tone.
• My chest clenched at my next question. I knew the answer, but I still wanted the confirmation.
• “And they are all a part of this culto-pulto bullshit?”
• “I told you already.”
• Of course. They were. If I couldn’t get any help from the men here, seeing how they behaved, then my hope I’d be able to ask some of the girls diminished too. My whole body felt heavy and cold, but I wasn’t going to let the tears spill out.
• “How do you intend to give me my freedom back?” Returning my eyes to him, I caught him drinking water from a bottle. God, I was so thirsty. And hungry. And tired.
• “Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to show some patience until I figure things out.”
• I whirled up on my feet, on the edge of hyperventilating, and shot daggers at him. He calmly looked at me.
• “I can’t do it on my own, so I’ll have to ask someone I know for help. I bet she’d be glad to help you.”
• “What?” I sardonically hissed. “You can’t just grab a car or a cab and help me leave this place?”
• He shot me a hard look. “I can’t just leave whenever I want. I need to ask for permission. There are eyes on us at all times. And cabs are not allowed here.”
• A scowl appeared on my face. “Aren’t you important here? Why are they tracking you?”
• Etienne shook his head. “It’s not as simple as that. I believe you realize this is far more serious than a fraternity or whatever you think this is.”
• I parted my lips to shout but fisted my hands and restrained my temper. “I’m pretty sure I realize that. Would a fraternity bathe their members in blood?” Or would a supernatural beast appear during the ritual? I shivered and closed my eyes. It must’ve been my imagination.
• Letting my tongue explore my mouth for a moment, I tried to taste the words that begged me to come out.
• “I might also have someone here in the boys’ dorms.”
• Etienne blinked at me, seemingly a bit calmer than before. Now, surprise and skepticism colored his expression.
• “Who?”
• “Jude Watkinson.”