Silenced by Natasha Larry Page A

crowd. “The new world rests on their shoulders.” He points at Tripp. “Tripp Mason.” He stands with a gesture from Jax. “Kiwi Grunder.” Ditto. “And, the hope we’ve been waiting for… Pike Richards.”
    My eyes stretch open. It takes me a few seconds to stand with my new teammates. Colonel Jax starts the clapping, and my mind tunnels around that last remark.
    The hope they’ve been waiting for? Hell does that even mean? It takes several moments for the applause to still. Jaxass motions for us to sit, and I stumble backward, confused as a mofo. As I lower myself back into my chair, my arm brushes Kiwi’s.
    I know that you like to do it.
    My body tenses and my eyes dart around the room. I dig my hands into the sides of the chair.
    You like to sing. Like to kill. Want to kill now, don’t you?
    I try shaking the voice out of my head.
    I see you. You like it. Crave it.
    My fingers press into my temples, hard. Like the action will drive whatever the hell it is out.
    But—maybe you can’t live with yourself. Maybe you should kill--
    My jaw clenches.
    Yourself. Do it. Do it now. Do it. Now.
    A scream punches its way up from my gut and slams the walls. Blood red falls across my vision. I dig my nails into my face and start to rock. I must look like I’m up batshit nuts creek. And I try to stop, but something has put me under.
    In the back of my mind I know it’s an attack. With another pained howl, I grunt and push back, hard.
    And again. Until finally, the red floats away like droplets of blood.
    There is no way to tell how long everyone has been gaping at me. Clearing my throat, I lower my hands to my sides. Masks of horror paint all their faces, which I get. But I can’t think of shit to say so we sit in thick silence together.
    My gaze snaps over to Kiwi. She’s looking over at me. Then, her lips curl with a half-smile. My eyes narrow.
    Shit on a limp dick. It was her crazy ass. Light footsteps interrupt how much I was just about to hate her. I look up at Colonel Jax.
    “Are you okay, son?”
    Son, huh? That’s unnecessary. I manage a tight grin.
    “Yes, sir.” I keep my voice low, so that only we can hear. “Must be a little PTSD, ya know, from my time in the Pit.”
    Crinkles set in beside his narrow eyes when he smiles. Without a word, he nods and returns to his place in the center of the stage.
    I try not to glance at Kiwi as people set up trays in front of us. Hushed conversation fills the room, and Colonel Jax announces it’s time to eat.
    Biting the inside of my lip, I lean back and listen to the clatter of forks hit trays and gulps from people drinking. It fades into the background, and I just sit. And stare.
    My gaze settles on a tall, muscular dude. I notice the bulging tattoo on this throat. It bobs up and down on his Adam’s apple.
    It’s an equal armed cross.
    A symbol I know real well.
    A symbol of purity. A cross to separate us from them.
    My eyes slide up his beefy throat and lock onto his gray eyes. His eyes are locked on me too, burning like drugs injected into muscle. The longer our gazes meet, the harder the lines in his face get.
    Yeah, I know that look.
    Means he wants to step to me. Do something violent.
    A smile stretches my lips wide. I flash him all the teeth.
    His eyes turn to slits and I wink at him.
    It’s worth it. The fury on his face flushes him sunburned red. His mouth opens and closes like a fish that can’t figure out a bigger fish. I feel the emotion rolling off him. He can’t stand to look at me anymore. Finally, he looks away, leaps up and storms out of the cafeteria, not bothering to bus his tray.
    I chuckle until my eyes dart over to Sadie. She’s not eating, either. Her mouth is turned down in a frown, and she just stares. Then she shakes her head. I slump back into my chair. She’s right. Fuck am I doing here? The buzz of chitchat makes my head pound. I stare as Sadie makes a point of looking around at the crowd.
    And that’s when something clicks in my