A few hours later
7:05 p.m.
“You all know why you’re here, right?”
I had just finished my shift at the prison when my father summoned me and the rest of the gang for a major announcement.
If I could’ve avoided it, I would have. But with Khalid, there’s never a choice.
We’re all standing in this massive room that looks like an auditorium.
The only one seated is my father, up on the stage with Hakim by his side.
I thought I’d be able to blend in, but then he called me out:
“Inara, come up here.”
I roll my eyes—it’s the first time he’s ever included me in a meeting like this.
Usually, I’m just a faceless body in the crowd.
Especially after our fight yesterday and all my recent failures, this truly surprises me.
I walk toward the stage, feeling the heavy stares of the other men.
I
