Page 12 of Nyx

At a minimum, these new guys will probably think I'm antisocial, but some may lean closer to thinking I'm a sociopath or something.

Normally, I wouldn't care what others think, but I know how delicate my membership is with Cerberus at the moment. It's not like I'm going to change. The threat of losing my position with the club isn't going to turn me into a social butterfly or any of that shit, but it does make me more aware of how I act so differently from others in the club.

The second the door closes, the meeting comes to order, and I'm glad that everyone has their eyes turned to the front of the room instead of the chance that some have been looking in my direction.

"Let's get started," Kincaid says, every eye in the room now on him. "I'd like to introduce our newest members."

My eyes dart in the direction of the new guys, watching each one raise a hand in acknowledgment as Kincaid tells us their names.

"Signal, Recon, Holler, and Mischief," Kincaid says. "They'll be working alongside the other guys, getting their footing and learning about the daily ins and outs of the club."

"We're on a break from foreign missions right now," Shadow adds, confirming what I had already been thinking. "And I know everyone is chomping at the bit to get back to work and make a difference, but we have a lot of stuff going on this summer within the club. We've decided to keep things close to home for right now."

"As most of you know, Nyx has joined our team from Tennessee," Kincaid says, and I feel the weight of every eye in the room on me.

I raise my hand since the four new guys don't have a clue who I am.

"Be sure to make a point of welcoming all these guys," Shadow says.

"Now," Kincaid says. "Just because we aren't flying out of the country doesn't mean there isn't work to do. We still have security at the women's shelter. Nyx, Recon, Holler, and Mischief, we're going to be adding you to that rotation. Oracle can get you guys up to speed on how that works."

I make a mental note to access the new guys' dossiers so I can learn a little more about them. I know Cerberus has a more thorough vetting process than some federal agencies, so I don't doubt they'll be great additions to the team. But knowing who you're going into battle with is never a bad thing.

I glance at Oracle at the mention of his name, but his eyes are positioned toward the front of the room. Other than the information provided, I realize I don't know much about these guys as individuals.

I've spent my time since I arrived around them, but not really with them. I'm not the kind of guy who makes small talk or gets to know people better. If information isn't offered, observed, or overheard while others are talking, then I'm completely in the dark about it.

I don't know how I feel about getting to know any of them better.

It's not that it's a requirement, but I truly want to fit in with Cerberus.

The Marine Corps was a different beast. The men in my platoon were always open about their lives. I didn't tell them to go to hell if they asked me questions, but I never offered more than what they were looking for. They knew they could depend on me when we left the base, and maybe they realized that's all they needed from me. The questions eventually died down, and I was left to just fight alongside them, no less a brother to them than the ones who never shut up. I proved my value quickly, and it was enough for them.

Cerberus must have seen something in me that made them want to ask me to join, other than the requirement of being a Marine. Hundreds of Marines are discharging from the Corps each day. Maybe Slick was right, and there will come a time when my skill set will be needed, but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

I knew the guys were providing daily security at the women's shelter. Oracle spends a lot of time there because his wife, Beth, goes five days a week to help the kids there with school.

I'm not one to complain about work. I wouldn't have an issue with this assignment other than it feels more personal and less like business, considering my past, which Cerberus has been aware of since day one.

It didn't matter that the case concerning my father and my connection to his death when I was sixteen was sealed. Cerberus still managed to access it. I was questioned in depth about that situation during my vetting for the club. I didn't offer more information than they asked for. Hell, until I started my therapy sessions with Slick, I hadn't linked my urge to kill bad men back to witnessing my mother's abuse for years, but the association makes perfect sense now.

I wonder why they'd pick me, someone with a history of witnessing abuse, to work at the women's shelter.

The meeting continues, and although I hear what's being said, my attention threatens to head right back to my younger years and how I could've handled things differently.

I pull in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as I attempt to pull myself from those memories and get back to focusing on the present.

My happy place, the unpopulated island with the bunker, calms me enough so I can focus.

"We'll have one newer member coming in the next week or so," Kincaid says. "Landon, Kid's son, is discharging from the Corps and has decided to join the club."

A round of applause echoes around the room, and I find myself clapping right along with the other guys.

I feel like a complete psychopath, mirroring their behaviors since it's so foreign to me, and I look around the room to see if it's drawing too much attention, as if someone in the group might see it as a red flag. Everyone is smiling after hearing the news, but I don't let the corners of my mouth turn up. That would be going too far.

The meeting ends, and everyone lingers a little longer, chatting, while I wait, needing to talk to Kincaid.

When it seems like everyone is going to take their sweet time getting out of the room, I go ahead and stand, making my way to the front.