Page 327 of Knox Academy Omnibus
He mumbles under his breath, and I don’t miss him grumbling that it’s true.
“Fine,” he huffs. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
“I have Elsie and Adrianne, obviously.”
“I could think of better candidates... No offence Elsie.”
“Baxter, back on track. They’re here to stay. Show me some of your top choices.”
He picks up a folder and opens it. “Belle Lucas from Westchester Prep. She isn’t much to look at but her family is extremely affluent. She graduates soon, and on track to do it with very good grades. She’s sharp and smart, but obviously having wealthy connections is important to The Order.”
He closes her file and opens another. “From St. Julian’s.”
St. Julian’s is the rich, elite school not far from here. We have Adrianne's brother enrolled in their junior school campus. “Emmerson Bailey, she runs in the same circle as Chester and Taco, which is a stupid name if you ask me. She’s a bit scrappy, but her skills in the ring could be an asset.”
“So that’s four. What about Debbie?”
Baxter is quick to throw back “No, absolutely not. We don’t know anything about her or who she’s been associating with, we can’t be sure that she’s trustworthy.”
“What about Bex then?”
“Your brother’s weird girlfriend?”
“She isn’t his girlfriend, they hate each other.”
Elsie and Adrianne just watch Baxter and I go back and forth.
“They fuck enough to be something,” he states.
“Eww, I don’t want to know that.”
“Well, we can’t initiate anyone from Australia without your grandmother's permission, and we currently don’t know her agenda either. It isn’t a pressing matter to figure out.”
“Fine, not Bex yet then.” I sigh, wondering why Sawyer didn’t mention the Australia rule when I ran the idea of Bex joining past him. Surely it’s something he would have known. Did he forget, or was he just humouring me?
“What about Maggie?” I ask.
“Ms Davis?” Elsie gasps.
“Yeah.”
“Monty would hate that.” Baxter points out. I’m about to argue why it’s still a good idea but he surprises me by saying, “It’s a good idea. Ask her. Here are some other options.”
Baxter hands out folders to everyone and we all read through them. He says they all have some good connections and could be useful in their own ways, but right now it is more about just picking so that we have some women to bring in. He thinks we can be more specific and picky next year when we do a dual initiation, but I feel like my first selections are most important. It’s a defining moment for both The Order and my leadership.
He hands me a folder and watches as I open it. A picture of Maggie is clipped to the side. I look over at him and he nods. I’m actually impressed that he was already on the same page as me. I smile. I guess we’re besties for a reason.
I read over her file, wondering if her sons know her skillset. I wonder again if she would even be interested, and Baxter answers as if he can hear my thoughts.
“She would join just to get back at Monty and Laura, but at what cost? Will your boyfriends be pissed?”
“I doubt it. She already knows enough that Monty has to be responsible for her and she can’t go off and be free of him. If she was to join, she would be able to live her life without the watchful eye of her ex-husband.”
Baxter nods again, settling it. We’re in agreement then, Maggie is a definite pledge, if she wants to be.
“What about this girl?” Adrianne asks, holding out her folder. “She’s poor as dirt, but look at her rap sheet. She hacked into a government facility and is deemed too dangerous to be in the community.”
I take the folder and have a read through. Mackenzie Kennedy. I wonder if she would even be trainable…if she’s too rogue it might not be worth it. But then again, Monty handpicks his recruits from Knox Academy and they all have dubious pasts.
