I fought back a scream, and I felt Mae take my hand. It offered little comfort, so instead, I closed my eyes and began chanting out my prayers. I held steadfastly unto my faith. Vowed to the Lord that I would not lose my way and I began rocking back in forth on my hands and knees as I cemented my faith to the Lord, feeling the Holy Spirit fill me with its warmth.
A while later, the vehicle came to a stop, the wide doors opened and Mae led us up some stairs and into a small private quarters, only to leave us alone as she went to get us food. I would not be able to eat, fear churning my stomach so badly that it almost brought me to my knees. Maddie stood beside me as I drank in the strange room and her hand slowly slipped into mine, gripping it with an intensity that betrayed to me her fear too.
“Do you think we will be safe here, Lilah?” Maddie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Walking to the window, Maddie following behind, I stared at the faithless men who had murdered my brothers laughing and drinking in the yard, their menacing black garments and wicked demeanors sending unnerving shivers down my spine.
“Well, Lilah, do you?” Maddie pushed again.
Turning to face Maddie, I pulled her into my embrace and answered, “No, Maddie. I do not think we will be safe here. In fact, I think Mae has dropped us into the depths of Hell.”
Chapter One
One month later…
Ku Klux Klan Rally
Austin, Texas
Ky
What. The. Fuck???
Hunkered down on a patch of dirt next to my brothers, Styx to my left and Viking to my right, I watched, with my fuckin’ mouth gaping, as a bunch of backward rednecks paraded around in their lame-assed white robes deep in the forest of Johnny Landry’s farm. Like something you’d see in a movie, flamed torches were held up in the air as the jacked up Klan moved into a circle, one by one, chanting “White Power” toward a huge wooden cross doused in kerosene—fuckin’ Klan cologne—in the dead center of a clearing.
A guy in a red robe stepped forward, his torch in the air.
“Johnny Landry, Grand Wizard,” Tank whispered from a few places over, his teeth gritted with rage.
Landry punched his torch high and shouted, “For God!”
The Klansmen followed his actions and chanted back. “For God!”
“For Country! For Race! For Klan! Klansmen of the fiery cross!” Landry bellowed and the Klansmen screamed it back.
Lowering their torches in sync, the Klansmen all threw them to the base of the cross, and in seconds, the thing ignited like wildfire, and the symbol that made these cunts famous stood blazing on the highest hill of Johnny Landry’s land.
Their Grand Wizard was finally out of the slammer.
And they were holding a huge fucking rally to celebrate—but they forgot to send us the invite!
The Hangmen were crashing, hidden from view under some trees south of the hill. We needed to know if Landry being back out of prison, meant retribution on the Hangmen. Styx killed a number of their guys a while back when the fuckers killed Lois and shot at Mae, nearly ending her too. Styx got a swastika scar out the deal and we needed to know if Landry was gonna put out a hit on our club because of it.
The Klansmen moved back away from the flames, their arms spread out wide making a cross with their bodies. Then they came to a stop, all staring up at the burning cross.
“Fuckin’ assholes,” Tank hissed from a few places down and I looked over to see him clenching his fists at his old Klan brothers, now reinforced with fresh meat, his face showing every bit of the hatred that was burning him up inside.
Bull slapped Tank on the back, Tank took a long breath and we all went back to watching the fucked up scene.
“Jesus!” Vike said from beside me, “Anyone else sweating like a group’a nuns at a cucumber farm? How those Nazi Coneheads stand that close to that cross without melting is beyond me!” Vike grabbed at the collar of his shirt, but then, distracted, looked over to AK and Flame and asked, “You guys got any marshmallows? With this heat we could have made a real fuckin’ time of it and had smores!” Vike looked off into the distance and whispered to himself, “I fuckin’ love smores…”