Lust (The Elite Seven #1)(29)

“We worry about that after. For now, we need to get rid of him,” Envy says.

Can I do this? Let gators eat his body?

“There’s tarp in the study,” I announce, pointing in that direction.

Pride follows my line of sight. “Do we want to know why there’s tarp in your study?”

“No, you really don’t. It has his piss on it, so be careful picking it up.”

Curious stares all aim at me.

“Golden shower.”




In and out, in and out. I focus on my breathing as Envy and Pride wrap my dad in the tarp used for his sex games. I bet he never expected this outcome when he bought it for their perversions.

“What car do we use?” Wrath asks, patroling around the room.

“His,” I offer up. “It’s in the garage. No one will see us loading his body into it.”

“Good.” Pride nods his head manically.

“I’ll stay and clean up the blood,” Wrath offers. “I’ll help with that, watch to make sure he gets it all,” Sloth says without moving. Wrath marches out of the room. Cupboards opening and closing sound from the kitchen.

“The rest of us will dispose of the body,” Pride commands.

Dispose of the body.

Dispose of the body.

Dispose of the body.

Rushing out of the room, I sprint up the stairs to vomit where they can’t hear me.




Trapped like sardines in the car, I feel like I’m floating above the scene and not actually a part of it. It’s surreal, If I couldn’t feel an elbow in my ribcage and have no sign of Robbie, I’d swear I was dreaming.

Night has claimed the sky, giving us the cloak of darkness we need.

Pride drives while God directs him to some marshlands beyond God’s property line. He told us they didn’t buy it because it’s uninhabitable and no one goes there so it was pointless. It’s a perfect dumping ground for serial killers.

Or teen boys playing grown men.

“Thank you,” I blurt out from the backseat. I don’t need to elaborate. They all know what I’m thankful for. They’re risking their entire futures for me: a stranger.

“We’re a brotherhood,” Pride grunts, and silence follows.

Turning onto a dirt road that becomes just dirt and shrubbery after a minute, Pride pulls the car to a stop.

“The car won’t go much farther. We can’t risk it getting stuck.”

“We can walk the rest of the way,” Envy says, almost too normal. He throws the door open and jumps out of the car like we’re on a road trip.

Greed’s eyes clash with mine, his brow raised at Envy’s upbeat attitude in the situation, We crowd the trunk like we don’t know if the body is still going to actually be there, all praying we dreamed this night. But it’s not a dream. His body is exactly where it was placed.

Reaching in, Pride hoofs it over his shoulder like it’s weightless. Not even a grunt. He’s a beast.

“Let’s get this done,” he grumbles, taking off through the trees.

“Not what I thought we’d be doing tonight.” God slaps a hand on my back.

Before I can answer, Pride jumps back, tossing the tarp-wrapped body to the ground with a thud. It rolls across the ground, unravelling, and my father’s body springs free—and moves.

He’s fucking moving.

With sluggish movements he lifts up onto his knees, groaning in pain. Shit.

“What the hell?” He groans lifting himself up further and making it to his feet. Holding a hand to the back of his head he winces and checks his palm for blood.

I need to pick my jaw up that’s slack and say something but words won’t form past the stone in my throat.

Swaying on unsteady feet he looks around until he sees me. Blinking as if to clear his thoughts he groans out. “What’s going on, Rhett?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Pride turns his angry glare on me. “Did you check him for a fucking pulse?”

Well, shit.

“I…erm…”

“Did anyone?” Pride fumes.

A cackle of laughter roars through the air, and Envy bends over to slap at his knee.

“Classic.” He swipes tears from his eyes. “I’ve got this,” he finishes. Pulling a blade from a strap on his ankle, he waltzes toward my dad, making him stammer backwards and trip on the uneven terrain in fear of his life.

I’m solidified, the roots of the wilderness binding me to my spot as heat flushes up my spine and sprouts spores all over my body.

He’s not dead.

“Dude,” God snaps at Envy.

Pride stops his advance with a tug on his arm and a shake of his head.

“What?” Envy asks, confused.

“Dude?” God says again, shaking his head. “Put the knife away.”

“Where the fuck did you get the knife?” Greed screws his face up, judging Envy’s crazy.

“Rhett, what’s going on?” my dad asks, a quake in his voice. Bugs bite at all our skin, and the whispering of the trees makes the place feel haunted as fuck. I inhale the first real breath since taking his ass down earlier tonight. Sucking at the air to fill my lungs, it feels like I’ve been in a choke hold, the devil breathing down my neck, hell climbing into my soul.