Their Vicious Games(88)

Security guards finally spill through the door, and I press my own fist into my mouth and bite down hard to keep from making a sound as I catalog their rifles and Kevlar.

“Jesus,” the man in front says, looking down at Esme’s form.

“Get out of my way—”

“Oh no,” I hiss into my fist. Security is shoved aside, revealing Leighton Remington, and at her side… Hawthorne.

Leighton’s mouth pinches and she sighs. “Oh my,”

Hawthorne doesn’t make a single sound. She stares down at Esme and then slowly sinks to her knees, head tilting like she can’t quite make sense of what she’s seeing. She crawls forward, dragging herself through the puddle of blood, until she’s kneeling right where I was, her fingers searching for the wound.

“Hawthorne, please,” Leighton begins.

And then Hawthorne wails, bloodcurdling and grievous and sad.

Leighton winces.

Amidst the screams someone’s radio crackles. And then: “The Asian girl—by the forest.”

Saint.

“Shut her up!” the man barks as Hawthorne still screams. One of the other guards tries to drag Hawthorne away, but she throws herself over Esme’s body.

Leighton steps up and there’s the glint of something silver in grip, and then she’s plunging a needle straight into Hawthorne’s neck. Hawthorne goes limp in seconds.

“She’s sedated,” Leighton says coldly. “Bring her back to her room and lock the door. She needs to be well rested for the Royale. And be sure to clean up your mess. I don’t want the girls disturbed with your presence in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am,” a guard says. He hesitates. “The Asian?”

Leighton doesn’t blink. “She is here because of Mr. Remington’s pride. Her family is dangerous to our interests and do not know she’s here. She can’t get out.”

“So?” the guard asks uncertainly.

Leighton rolls her eyes and stops pretending. “Kill her, obviously.”

The guard lifts the radio to his mouth.

I shake my head, chanting no into my fist. Graham’s hands are shaking on my shoulders, like he’s trying to keep me back, like I might chase after them.

“Kill the girl,” the man relays.

We all fall silent. I close my eyes.

Boom.





CHAPTER 30





“WHY DIDN’T YOU LET THEM catch me? Why didn’t you let them see? They wanted me to kill. Well, now I have.” I don’t let him answer, turning instead to inspect the room that he’s dragged me into. “Where the fuck am I?”

“My room,” Graham says, raising his hands placatingly. He leans heavily against the door. He looks like he’s coming down from coke, his eyes bloodshot, his hands shaking. “Just… stay here—”

“Why?”

“I’m trying to keep you alive through the rest of the night. For that to happen, you need to stay in this house and make them think you never left, that you were with me, not her,” Graham snaps.

When I exhale, all the air leaves the room and I let out a keening sound. The exhaustion doesn’t creep this time; instead, it crashes straight through my chest and my knees buckle. Graham dives for me but doesn’t make it to my side in time. I land heavily on the carpet and bury my face in my hands.

“Don’t cry… don’t cry…,” Graham whispers.

That, out of everything else, enrages me.

“Fuck you,” I bite out. “I can cry if I want to.” I am always crying.

“Yes,” he says, placatingly. “Yes, you can.” Graham clears his throat and presses a hesitant hand to my shoulder. He means to be comforting, but it just feels like a weight, holding me down underwater. “Adina, you had to—”

“I didn’t have to do anything,” I say roughly, remembering that split-second terror. I roll away from his touch when it starts to sting. He doesn’t even have the decency to look wounded, just understanding. “Just… leave me alone. Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“You know why I can’t,” Graham says severely, like the way he’s looking at me should mean something, like I should feel it too.

“Do you know what I went through tonight while you left like a coward?” I demand. “While you were getting high or whatever, I lost a demonic game of Simon Says and was humiliated by Pierce and your father’s minions.”

Graham’s mouth goes slack. “Holy shit. What did Third—”

“It’s not about Third! Pay attention,” I shout. “We had to slap each other. Esme slapped me so hard, I’m shocked she didn’t knock a tooth out.”

“Why would they do that?” Graham whispers to himself. “Who—”

“Who? Your precious Four,” I ask and answer, and even the mention of him fills me with fury. “You know, I hooked up with him,” I snarl, because I want him to feel like I do. I watch the words land, and see his expression twist and I feel righteous. “I hooked up with your brother in the woods, at the bonfire.”

Graham gives a sad smile. “I know,” he says quietly. “But Four doesn’t have anything to do with this.”