Branded (Sinners, #1)

“Sure, man. Come in,” Cole says.

A parade of feet shuffles into his room, followed by laughter and the sound of cans popping open. I press my back against the wall and pull in my knees. My chest heaves with the agony of the unknown.

What if they see I drew on my walls? What if they come into my room and beat me… or worse?

Then his door creaks open and a sliver of light trails across my room. I freeze.

“Lexi, come in here and serve the men,” Cole says.

I stand cautiously, staring at his silhouette in the doorway, unsure of his demanding voice.

“Did you not hear me? I’m ordering you to come and serve them. Now!”

I skitter nervously into his room. Four guards and Cole sit around the table, playing cards, drinking beer, and laughing. Their eyes all lift to mine in expectation and they smile in unison.

“Grab them another beer,” Cole says.

I breathe deeply and retrieve four beers. Cracking them open, I set the drinks on the table. I look at Cole, waiting for him to say something. He raises his eyebrow.

“Did you forget something? Where’s mine?” he asks.

The others roar with laughter.

“She’s real smart, buddy,” the dark-haired boy says. A part of his right ear is missing like something or someone bit it off.

Gross.

“Aww, come on. If she was smart, she wouldn’t be here now, would she?” Cole says.

“How’d she manage to escape red-light duty? What makes her so damn special?” one asks. “Sucks to be you, dude. If she were my assignment, I’d go nuts not thumping her.”

Their comments make me dizzy. I give myself a mental slap, pull myself together, and pop open Cole’s drink. I want to run from the room, but it would only make things worse.

“Why are we ordering our entertainment when we have her?” Cole asks while raising his beer. The others tap their cans against his and down their beers in thirsty, sloppy gulps. Setting down their drinks, they get back to their game.

I stand against the wall, heat rising up my neck from the humiliation. Every time they need a new beer, they motion for me, and I scramble to get one.

“Sit on my lap, sweetheart. I don’t bite,” one says.

“He might not, but I do,” Cole says.

The one chokes, spewing beer all over Cole’s shirt, and smacks his back like a good ol’ boy.

I roll my eyes. Drunk, dirty, and disgusting.

“Naw, seriously, go back to your room. Our girls will be here in three, two, on—”

A knock on his door brings cheers from the others and barking from Zeus. Cole opens the door and prostitutes pour inside. They’re tall, leggy, painted ladies wearing clothing that leaves almost nothing to the imagination. One of them immediately sits on a guard’s lap. He runs his hands up her back and fondles her beneath her clothing.

Slinking away, I fumble for the doorknob. Cole steps in my path, blocking my exit. He’s so close I can almost taste the beer on his breath. His eyes are glazed over but dark as ever. Unsure of what to do, I wait.

Please don’t make me stay.

He turns the knob, opens the door, and follows me out. His hand catches my wrist, jerking me back.

“It’s not what you think,” he gruffly whispers.

Then he slams the door.

What?

Walking back to my bed, feeling defeated, I trip over my own feet and crash onto my knees. I don’t have the strength to rise. All the goodness I so desperately clung to doesn’t exist here. I bang my fists on the bed in anger, pain, and suffering.

I just don’t understand anyone or anything.

With gaudy music playing in the background, I fall asleep, pleading with God to make tomorrow bearable.





CHAPTER 6


Dawn breaks through my window in one glorious streak of white light. My head aches from lack of sleep and the pounding music last night. I must’ve clenched my teeth while I was sleeping because it hurts to open my mouth.

I rub my eyes and drag myself out of bed. As I get dressed, Cole’s statement—“It’s not what you think”—keeps playing over and over in my head. I want to ask him about it, but I doubt I will… at least not now. But it frustrates me because he could be referring to so many different things. My thoughts swim laps in my head, trying to make sense of his words.

The hospital does nothing to dull the now-roaring scream in my mind, and the noise sets off a constant ringing in my ears. The smells are too putrid to block. So all around, I feel like a disaster.

And today of all days, they give me my first assignment—other than folding laundry. Lovely.

The charge nurse pulls me aside immediately upon Cole’s departure to let me know she has work lined up for me.

“What do I do?” I ask.

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