Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Gray nodded and stepped forward, intent to take all the blows prepared for them. Shadow had no fault in this. He just did as he’d been told. “It’s all on me.”
Vars tsked and shook his head in disapproval, and everyone else seemed to agree with him, judging by all the rolling eyes and scowling faces.
Knight cleared his throat. “He can rip people’s limbs off, so I doubt anyone could force him to swallow.”
Jake snorted, but when he realized no one else found it funny, he quickly composed himself, going tomato red.
Shadow nodded, standing in front of the jury with his head hung. “It’s true. I could have rejected it, but I selfishly agreed.” Seeing him so beaten-down pulled on Gray’s heartstrings, but he couldn’t show the others just how far his weakness for Shadow went. They knew too much already.
“He is a non-member who stole from us. The only reason why our decision is not more severe is because he’s your partner and you pushed him toward that bad decision,” Beast said to Gray. “But because he is your partner, you are responsible for his conduct, so you will have to teach him a lesson.”
Gray barely held back a flinch when Beast picked up a large knife and held it out to him.
The cold steel reflected the light from the lamp above, and just the glow seared though Gray when he realized what was going on. Clenching his teeth, he leaned forward, meeting Beast’s gaze head-on. “I was the one to give it to him. I told him to take it.”
Knight crossed his arms on his chest. “We’ve agreed that you’ve already lost an arm trying to protect club property during the fire, so it’s only Shadow who will lose a finger today. It’s not either-or. It was a question of both, or just him.” He frowned at Shadow. “I’m sorry, but if you ever want to be part of this, you better learn, and quick.”
Shadow remained silent, but his breathing sped up. So did Gray’s when Beast once again tried to hand him the knife. His lips went completely dry, as if there were many suns shining down on him and vaporizing the fluids in his body.
He wanted to ask if they were for real, but there was no point. He knew they were. A decision had been made, and he was the one to go through with its execution.
Shadow let out a nervous laugh but was pale as a sheet. "It's okay. I've got three hands after all, right?"
Just as he said that, Gray’s sleeve filled with the shadow arm. Gray swallowed, paralyzed by the need to protect his lover. In comparison to means of discipline some other clubs used, this was minor, but his brothers, the people closest to him still demanded that he hurt the man he loved.
Maybe staying really wasn’t worth it?
No one laughed at Shadow’s joke, and the atmosphere remained sombre. Gray’s broken nose throbbed with heat again, but when Gray got lost in thoughts, the shadowy arm accepted the knife on its own. Shadow’s way of telling Gray this was fine. But was it? Shadow wasn’t good at handling pain, or his emotions for that matter. But then again, he’d been changing so fast since he first crawled out of that chest from the lake. Maybe he really wanted to make that sacrifice so that they could stay.
Shadow dropped the fake smile and put his hand on the table. The same hand that had stroked Gray so gently just moments ago, and when the knife reflected light on the back of it, nausea crawled up his throat.
Everyone watched him, waiting for yet another act of disobedience. That would have been the end for him. If he failed them once more, none of those men would be his friend anymore. He would never see them again, his past wiped out, and his future dependent on actions that weren’t his own.
No longer looking into Shadow’s face, afraid of the fear he might see there, he took hold of Shadow’s wrist with his right hand and hovered the blade above the digits that for once seemed so fragile.
He wasn’t an angel, and he’d done things like this before, but violating Shadow was the pinnacle of wrong choices. Like kicking a puppy or drowning a kitten.
He lowered the knife above Shadow’s pinky. Because he would go for the smallest finger, the one that was least useful, but he got nauseated the moment the sharp kitchen knife grazed Shadow’s skin and drew blood.
Gray’s eyes itched, and he was beginning to realize going through with this might not be possible. And what then? They hadn’t left. They’d decided to stay and bear the consequences. If he failed to go through with this, would someone else hurt Shadow even more?
Gray pressed the tip of the knife between the pinky and the ring finger to make the ordeal as quick as possible. The silence was unbearable, but he was grateful for it. No one was rushing him or taunting Shadow. This was about justice. Without rules, the club would fall apart with members like Joker running amok without consequences.