Crescendo, Hush 2 - Webnode

Black Hand.”
“Too late. He killed my dad.”
“Your dad isn’t the only one the Black Hand wants dead. He
wants me dead, Nora. I need the ring.” Suddenly he was on the
fifth step.
Dead? The Black Hand couldn’t kill Scott. He was immortal.
Did Scott think I didn’t know? And why was he so intent on
getting the ring back? I thought he despised his branding. A
new piece of information rose to the surface of my mind. “The
Black Hand didn’t force you to get the branding mark, did he?” I
said. “You wanted it. You wanted to join the society. You wanted
to swear allegiance. That’s why you kept the ring. It’s a sacred
token, isn’t it? Did the Black Hand give it to you after he finished
branding you?”
His hand flexed around the banister. “No. I was forced.”
“I don’t believe you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you think I’d let some psychopath
grind a burning hot ring into my chest? If I’m so proud of the
branding, why am I always covering it up?”
“Because it’s a secret society. I’m sure you thought a
branding was a small price to pay for the benefits that come
with being part of a powerful society.”
“Benefits? You think the Black Hand has done a single thing
for me?” His tone was cut with anger. “He’s the Grim Reaper. I
can’t escape him, and trust me, I’ve tried. More times than I can
count.”
I absorbed this, catching Scott in another lie. “He came