My hand shakes around the phone. I have no doubt that he’ll do exactly what he said. Someone like Landon isn’t afraid of getting physically hurt for the sake of chaos.
I’m starting to suspect that it runs in his veins instead of blood.
“Who’s that?”
I freeze when Nikolai stops in front of me, eyes narrowed. Shit. I was so focused on Landon’s antics that I didn’t notice my brother approaching me.
With a smile, I tuck my phone into my dress’s pocket. “No one. I just got a reminder that I have a school project I forgot about.”
“Is Brandon a school project now?” he asks.
My brow furrows. “What? What does Bran have to do with this?”
“You’re still friends with him despite my clear order not to be.”
“Well, he’s a great guy.”
“He’s one of them.”
“Not all of them are bad. Kill, Jeremy, and Annika are dating people from there and you seem to be okay with that.” I pat his shoulder. “Anyway, I have to go.”
“Have dinner first.”
“I’m not hungry.” I don’t wait for his or the others’ comments as I slip out the front entrance and jog for about five minutes to reach beyond the gate.
I’m out of breath, but I search on the sides, where I assume he could be hiding.
Maybe he thought better of it and left. Though I doubt it. His go-getter personality resembles a hunting dog. It’s highly unlikely that he’d leave without securing prey.
I veer farther into the bushes, then stop when it gets too dark and retrieve my phone.
Hot breath swarms my ear as a hard body glues itself against my back and a strong hand wraps around my throat. “You made the right choice, but I’m afraid it’s too late. We’re going to play a little game, muse.”
15
MIA
Turns out, Landon was being literal when he mentioned a game.
We’re sitting in the haunted house that could be used as a sequel of The Nun. Landon and I are on opposite tall Victorian chairs that were covered by sheets and there’s a table between us.
To make matters worse, we’re surrounded by candles of different colors and shapes, representing a mismatched symphony of chaos.
The shadows dance around us like demons, casting an ominous edge on Landon’s already fucked-up existence.
“Your turn.” He motions at the chessboard with a provocative smirk that will get him killed one day.
I narrow my eyes as I grab my knight. His smirk widens as if celebrating my next move, which he probably thinks is leading me to my doom, but I still make it anyway.
The worst thing possible is letting someone like Landon access my head. He’s already affecting my body in a way I don’t care for, and I’m simply not allowing him more space.
That would be no different than lying around waiting for the predator to pounce and devour me.
“The game you wanted to play is chess?” I sign.
He doesn’t even look at the chessboard as he moves his rook into an extremely vulnerable position.
“What else did you have in mind?” he asks with a strange gleam in his empty eyes. “Perhaps something kinky?”
“As if.”
Though I can’t deny that those thoughts actually passed through my head after he ambushed me in front of the Heathens’ mansion and brought me here. He definitely made it sound like there’d be something more to this game of his.
Or maybe that’s another method to mess with my head and I need to stop being on edge.
“Here’s a piece of advice for you.” He strokes the knight that he killed off a few minutes ago between his fingers. “It’s not mandatory to fight me about everything. While it’s a turn-on during sex, I don’t care for it the rest of the time.”
“Here’s a news flash for you. I don’t care for your preferences.”
“You should. Considering they’ll be front and center in your life going forward.”
“Arrogant much?”
“Just the right amount, in my opinion.”
“Your opinion, just like your whole personality and existence, is awfully flawed and in need of a desperate revamp.”
“Oh?” He strangles the knight between his index and middle fingers. “I thought I’d survived just fine until now.”
I knock down his rook with an innocent grin. “You thought wrong. But hey, it’s never too late to start being a decent human being.”
“The thought of decency bores me to tears, so I’m inclined to disregard the suggestion.”