Page 24 of Sadistic Retribution (Rise of Phoenyxx #2)

Hunter

I can’t get inside The Retreat fast enough. I rush into my room, dumping my bag. I grab my regular phone, gripping it tightly. I run out into the courtyard, beelining for the medical building.

I almost trip and fall running to my office. The door is standing open. Fuck—it's trashed. Did Pretty Girl do this?

I pull up my normal phone screen, clicking into the group chat with the boys.

Me: I’m back, in my office.

Synn: Good. Stay put.

Frost: We’ll come to you.

Razor: About time, fucker!

Trikk: Bro. We have to talk. And I can’t find Ghost.

I breathe in a shaky breath, hoping the boy is coping with Pretty Girl’s return okay. Still, Pretty Girl is first priority. Then, the fucking Director.

I wait impatiently, picking up the few things I can. I upright the chair and put the scattered papers back onto the desk. I pace, waiting for The Six.

I hear a commotion in the hall, knowing it’s them.

“Move!” I hear Synn yell, then a “Hey, man! Watch it!” A pause, then Synn roars, “You dare speak to us?”

Uh-oh. I need to squash this immediately.

I move to the open doorway. “Boys,” I snap. “Inside—now!”

Once they all scoot inside, I close the door and lock it. “Okay, update me.”

They catch me up quickly. I pale when Trikk describes what she made him and Ghost do. “You all should probably prepare for her to come for the rest of you. She sounds like she’s on a mission.”

“I don’t blame her,” Frost mutters.

I do a double take when I look at his face. Emotions are clearly written all over him. “You can feel now, Frost?”

He just glares at me, not answering.

“Not using our real names, huh, Harris?” Razor points out.

I throw my hands up in the air. “What’s the point?”

“Anyway,” Synn interrupts. “What do we do about Pazessca?”

“Go find her and keep an eye on her. Don't approach her just yet. We need to see how she is acting.”

Synn salutes sarcastically, and they all file back out.

Phoenyxx

I'm stalking the grounds, looking for my other targets. That's all they are to me now—targets. I'm walking through the hall in the admin building, when someone grabs my arm. I shake them off, snapping my head to the side to see who dared to touch me.

“Solomon, come to my office. We have things to discuss.” Augustine. Great.

I follow him, and he shuts the door behind me. “I’ve been briefed on the situation here. I have a list of instructions you must follow to the letter.”

I nod. “Continue.”

He slides a paper across the desk. “These are in order they must be taken care of in. Start at one, then work your way down.”

I glance at the list, grinning at the approved chaos. The first two make me grin wider. The rest are basically kill-orders. I guess I’m The Retreat’s mercenary now. "It will be my pleasure, Director. But know; I have a few things I need to deal with first.”

“Fine, fine. Just do it quickly.”

I stand, folding the paper and shoving it in the pocket of my sweatpants.

Before I can go, he thrusts a bag and my phone toward me. “Here are the items the students will be asking for. You know what to do.”

I nod sharply, grabbing the bag, and leave his office. First stop—my old room. I need to change.

I let myself into my room, shutting the door behind me. I smile when I see the special keycard lying on the dresser. Good—I can get in anywhere now.

I shed the old clothes, trading them for a pair of black, tight jeans, a cropped tee, and my black combat boots. I guess Valley’s clothes were put in my closet, since I know these were hers. I'm glad I don’t feel. It's just a note to self.

I go in search of the other four assholes. I walk inside the cafeteria, looking for anyone. It must be mealtime. Students are packed in here.

I scan the room, not seeing anyone. Except Destiny and her bitches, who all glare at me. I ignore them, going to the kitchen.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here!” A staff member calls out.

“I have permission. Ask Augustine.”

They turn back around fast. I walk the perimeter, spying the food storage in the back. I slip into the aisles, seeing a familiar, silver-haired head. He's hunting for snacks, it looks like.

Whistling a tune, I walk right up behind him. “Frosty...”

He whips around, dropping the box he was holding. “Killer!”

I give him a fake smile. “Let’s talk. We need privacy, though.”

He pauses, then ushers me farther into the food aisles. I see a large, metal structure, and it clicks—the freezer.

Perfect.

I pretend not to notice it as I move closer. The door stands open, which is ideal for my plan. “After you,” I usher him right up to the doorway.

“Umm...” He tries to argue, but I push him forward anyway. I follow him inside, staying close to the door.

I walk up to Frost, toe-to-toe. I hold his gaze, seeing actual emotion swimming there. Even better. I slip out the hunting knife, bringing it up to my side.

He startles, then relaxes. “Whatever you have planned, Killer—go ahead. I won’t try to stop you.”

“Well then, take off your shirt, stripper boy.”

He complies, pulling it over his head, and dropping it to the floor. Goosebumps erupt over his exposed skin, his nipples hardening. I trace my finger down his chest. “Right here, I think,” I murmur, tapping the center of his chest.

I place the sharp blade to his skin, pushing down to break skin.

I trace a straight line, digging in deep without making it life-threatening.

I just want it to scar. I grin at the sight of his blood.

He winces as I trace the ‘P’ onto his skin.

I move on, carving the rest of my name into his chest in small letters, so it will all fit.

His jaw is clenched, but he stands still, letting me scar him with my name. Once I’m finished, I take a step back to admire my handiwork. “My name is on you forever now. A permanent reminder of who made you feel for the first time.”

He looks down, uncertainty on his face. “Well-played, Killer.”

I dart out the door before he can react, slamming it shut. It locks in place. I spy the temperature control panel next to it and crank it as low as it will go. He bangs on the door, shouting my name. I just turn and leave.

Three down, three to go.

Purge

“Hey, has anyone talked to Frost?” I hear Synn ask from the living room. I frown, poking my head out.

“He said he was going to the kitchen to get a snack, but that was...” I check the time. “Over an hour ago.”

“That’s weird,” Razor chimes in.

I get up, walking out to join them. “I agree. Let's go look for him.”

The three of us head out, going to the cafeteria. The kitchen is through it. I stop and ask a couple of students in there if they’ve seen him, they say no.

We move into the kitchen, checking the food aisles. The staff pretends not to see us, as they are trained to do. We split up, each going to a different section. I’m toward the back, scanning around, when I hear a pounding sound. The hell?

I realize it’s coming from the freezer. I wait, and it sounds again. Now accompanied by, “Hey, let me out!” Frost’s voice.

‘Guys! He's in the freezer!” I yell, opening the door with a hard yank. “Oh fuck—holy shit!” I rush to him, yanking the shirt off my back to pull over him. Before it’s over his torso, the others burst through.

Synn curses loudly. “She carved her name into you? Fuck, man!”

Razor takes off his shirt, too, handing it to Frost to hold over the bleeding cuts. He holds it firmly once the shirt covers him. He’s so pale, his lips trembling and blue.

“We’ve got to get him warmed up. Back to the apartment, quickly.”

We help him walk, going as fast as we can. He’s so cold, once we hit the outside, he shakes even more.

We get him up the stairs and into the apartment. I run ahead to the bathroom, starting a hot shower. “Go shower, man, but don’t linger. I'll help clean that up after,” I tell him.

He strips off his clothes, and stumbles into the bathroom. I crank up the heat on the thermostat for him.

While he’s showering, my phone dings with a text.

Iskra: Meet me at your spot. Bring Razor. P

P?

I elbow Razor, nodding at my screen.

His brows shoot up to his hairline. “Think it’s our turn?”

“I would bet on it,” I reply, shaking my head.

We manage to discreetly skirt out the front door, Synn off in his room. We stride to the forest, to my Rage Out spot.

Iskra is standing by the tree. I hear a familiar snicking sound, and she smirks at us. I notice a Zippo lighter in her hand, her flicking it open and closed.

“Both of you, stand over here. And lose your pants,” she says.

We glance at each other, uneasy.

“Iskra...” I try.

“No... do not call me that! Do it!”

I hesitate, but decide to listen. I drop my pants. Razor does the same next to me. We’re both commando. We stand there awkwardly, our dicks out and wagging.

Iskra steps up closely, looking us in the eye. “An eye for an eye. Well, a burn for a burn,” she mutters with a laugh. She lights the flame, bringing it to my groin. I flinch instinctively. Surely, she won’t—

A shrill scream leaves my lips when she sets my fucking pubes on fire! I flail, trying to pat it out. I manage to extinguish it, but now have scorch marks and burned balls.

Razor pales but stands and waits. She moves to do the same to him, but this time, she orders me to, “Grab his hands!” before flicking the flame to life on the Zippo.

Oh fuck. I do, softly apologizing under my breath. She lights him up, and he’s helpless to watch it rise, and when it hits his skin, he starts to yowl.

She cackles. “Let him go. Put it out.”

I smack at his groin, extinguishing the flames. Razor’s balls look worse-off than mine. I go to pull up my pants, and she stops me. “I’m not done yet.” She looks toward Razor. “Get your blade.”

He fumbles it out, handing it over.

“Hmmm... What can we do with this?” She grins wickedly. “You take turns cutting each other. On your dicks. No shallow ones, either.”

Why are we complying with this?

We owe her, plain and simple.

Razor raises his arm, bringing it down across my shaft. I stumble; knees buckling. I manage to stay standing, but the blood running off my dick is terrifying.

He hands it to me, and I quickly mirror his move. He doesn’t yell, but his jaw is rigid.

She nods. “Good enough.” Then she just turns and walks away.