Sinners 01 - Branded by Abi Ketner, Missy Kalicicki Read Free Book Online

me.
    Boxes and broken furniture block our path, and we climb over piles of trash. The alley
     opens up to another street. Across from me looms the entrance to the hospital. Guards
     stand watch from the surrounding buildings and people flood the street. They part
     for Cole as we cross. Their faces show mixed expressions, ranging from fear to hatred.
     There’s older people and children without brands.
    They must’ve been born here.
    He opens the door and leads me into the lobby. It smells like crap mixed with flowers.
     The walls, made of cement blocks, are painted a dull gray that goes on endlessly.
     Drywall from the ceiling crumbles onto the cement floor, leaving a dusty powder that
     mixes with whatever else lies there. My feet stick to it. My slipper comes off and
     my foot touches something wet. I reach down to grab it when I realize I’m standing
     in a puddle of old vomit. Just when I think I’ve been through the worst, something
     else causes me to feel ill again. Then I puke right next to the pile I just stepped
     in.
    “Wow, that’s disgusting,” Cole says. “Your stomach sucks.”
    “Tell me about it. My throat’s killing me,” I say.
    A middle-aged woman with orange hair sits at a crooked table. She doesn’t look up
     while we stand there for what seems like forever, and I observe the violet brand on
     her slender neck. Pride.
    Cole clears his throat. She glances up as she shows me an ID tag with my name and
     picture on the left side.
    “Make sure it’s you,” she says in a squeaky voice. It’s labeled “8 West” on the right
     side with my photo and the name “Dr. Sutton” in the bottom left corner.
    Cole reaches over and yanks my tag out of her hand. “She’ll need to wear it, not stare
     at it.” The woman snaps to attention and glares at him, but he doesn’t seem to care.
    I don’t even have my tag on when he snaps, “You coming or you just going to stand
     there?”
    I lean against the sheet metal wall in the elevator while he pushes the number eight.
     From this angle, he looks more intimidating. I can’t see around his broad shoulders,
     so I look at the back of his head and notice a small patch of hair he missed while
     buzzing it.
    He taps his fingers on his thigh as we move upward but doesn’t speak. I wonder what
     he thinks about being my guard. I’m sure it’s not something he wanted or chose to
     do. And then there’s Zeus. It’s perplexing why Cole loves such a colossal doofus of
     a dog.
    We stand in front of a door with the name “Dr. Sutton” carved into the wood.
    “Who is it?” asks a deep voice. It’s low like a distant rumble.
    “It’s Cole, sir.” A beep follows a click and then the door swings open, revealing
     a well-lit room with a desk at the opposite end. Two chairs sit in front of it. Pictures
     of the ocean hang on the walls, and a sign hangs opposite.
     
    Treat everyone equal. We are all born the same and die the same.
     
    Hmmm. I didn’t expect to see that.
    “Lexi. Lexi Hamilton.” The way he says my name would make you think he knows me.
    My eyes snap to his face, but I don’t recognize him. He walks around the desk and
     reaches out his hand, enveloping mine with roughness and strength.
    “Yes, nice to meet you, sir.”
    He smiles and sits down at his desk, gesturing me to sit as well. He looks up at Cole.
     “You’re free to go. I’ll take it from here. Hey, just remember to be back by seven
     when she’s done with her shift.”
    “It’s just orientation. Page me when you’re done with her.” Cole whistles at Zeus,
     who pops his head out of the trash. Zeus looks up, and a piece of tape is stuck between
     his eyes.
    “Oh, dear God. Let’s go. You know that scary face you made earlier? Totally down the
     drain.” He talks to Zeus as if he understands every word that comes out of his mouth.
    “She’ll still be done at seven,” Sutton says.
    “I’ll be here,” Cole says.
    I shift my weight in the chair and glance up