Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
I press a gentle kiss on her neck. “Now run away, darling.”
She looks like a ghost when I spin her on her heels and push her in the right direction. Almost like she can’t believe I’m helping her. But I don’t play by the rules, and especially not Tartarus ones.
I step back and sit on the bench, opening my book while she darts off into the maze, fluttering away with that little rose still stuck in her hair.
She’ll come running back into my arms soon enough, but until then … I’ll satisfy myself with this dirty romance.
Caleb
I could’ve sworn I saw her run into the maze, but I can’t find her anywhere. Maybe I’m imagining things.
Fuck. This girl really is doing a number on me.
I push some roses out of my way and make my way back, but when my phone rings, I pause.
“Yeah?”
“Caleb, finally. I’ve been trying to call you all day.”
“Sorry. Been busy, Dad,” I mutter, walking out of the maze.
“Studies, right?”
“Um … Yeah.” I lie, but there’s no way in fucking hell I’m going to tell him about Crystal.
My dad would die if he knew what I did to her.
And then he’d kill me too.
Nope, not happening.
“So here’s the thing, I’m going to a barbecue next week, and I want you to come with me,” he says.
“A barbecue?” I frown. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he responds. “Is that so odd?”
“You haven’t done that in years.”
“I know, but I thought it’d be fun. So what do you say, boy?”
I roll my eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“C’mon, humor your dad for once,” he says, chuckling. “It’s not often we get to do things together.”
“Because you’re always working,” I reply.
“Exactly. So it’s a date, then. I’ll text you the address because I haven’t memorized it yet.”
Memorized?
“But I’ll see you next week. Also, don’t stay up too late.”
He hangs up before I can say another word.
That was weird.
A barbecue? He’s literally not shown any interest in that since I was a kid.
What’s going on?
My phone buzzes, and in comes the text with the address. The second I see where it is, my skin begins to crawl, and my fingers cramp around the phone from holding it too tightly.
The same place we went to when he told me who he was dating.
Crystal’s mom’s house.
“Fuck!”
ARES
A week later
I roll the dice and lean against the wooden table to see them settle. Loud cheers erupt from the women behind me, one throwing her hand around my face and kissing me on the cheeks.
“And another win for this fine gentleman right here,” the dealer says.
I take the chips and give one to the dealer, then walk off, the two girls flocking behind me like birds flying to a feeder.
Walking up to the guard near the VIP area, I show him my ID, and he swiftly removes the line for me. “Welcome, sir.”
Everyone here knows who I am. Perks of being the owner’s son.
I nod at the guard, and the two women follow me inside. I settle down on a red velvety couch in the back of the VIP room and stack my chips on the table.
“Champagne, sir?” a server asks me.
I take a glass off the tray, and so do the women, then they settle down beside me, snuggling up against me like they want to rip the skin off my body. And I’m not even sure I’d mind.
“That was such a good game,” the left one says, running her fingers over my thigh.
The other one hangs her legs over mine, trying to claim me. “We brought him some good luck, don’t you think?”
I take a big sip of my champagne, the heat keeping my rage at a minimum while the ladies start to feel me up, kissing my neck and cheeks. I just know they want me to bring them up to my private room here at the casino.
But I’m not in the mood right now.
I grab a chip and stare at it, the pink color on the backside making me think of a particular pink-lipped girl who’s been a thorn in my eye ever since she stepped foot on this campus.
She’s been following Caleb and me around, and I know it’s not just to catch us in another kill.
I came here to distract myself, yet …
I flip the chip, annoyed that I worry so much about just one girl.
Why all of these kisses and touches remind me of her.
Why they make me want to push them aside and walk out of here so I can hunt her down and give her the chase she’s been quietly begging for.
Maybe I should.
I take my last sip of the champagne and look up, only to see a shimmer of a figure walking past the VIP section, our eyes connecting in the same instance as wild rage becomes me.
“Kai?” I mutter.