“Okay then, who has number fifteen?”
Everyone starts looking around, checking their numbers and waiting for the next person to announce themselves. I just put my head in my lap, pulling my knees up to my head. I played my part, so there’s no reason for me to-
“I do.” My head snaps back up.
It’s Trace. Now, he’s looking at me. Now, he’s watching me again.
I straighten my legs back out in front of me and watch him as he stands to toss his paper in the fire.
My heart beat thunders once more. Something I’ve pretty much accepted as normalcy whenever Trace is concerned. He walks back to his seat and I’m ashamed to admit that I hope he calls on me. I don’t know why and I don’t even care what he would ask me or make me do. I hate him and he angers me. He’s a prick for treating me the way he is but I want him to want me still.
But as he opens his mouth, his eyes still locked in on mine, he speaks very sternly and bluntly. “Allira.”
Shock covers my expression as my head snaps over to my friend who looks just as confused. She puts her hands out in front of her and says, “Whoa, government name.”
She looks over at me, and though I know this is not her doing, it feels like a knife is twisting in my back. Snagging all of my veins and pulling them up like spaghetti on a fork. What the fuck could he possible get out of challenging her?
I look back over to Trace and then realize the coin is in my hand. I reluctantly toss it over to Alli who catches it and flips it without a second thought.
Please be heads. Please be heads.The chant repeats in my head over and over again until-
“Tails.”
Fuck. I look back to Trace again. Everyone waits on bated breath, anticipating what he’ll dare her while I feel like I could puke any moment. My insides literally on fire with fury and confusion. I know he’s doing this to fucking play with me. He has to be. God, I fuckinghate him.
Trace locks eyes with me yet again, making sure that I can feel the heat he is pressing into me before he opens his mouth.
“I dare you to come.”
18
TRACE
“Don't tell me how to punish her. I punish people for a living.” — Gerald Rainier, Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Both Olivia and her friend stand up to question me. Both share the same look of utter bewilderment strewn frustratedly across their faces. And as much as I can feel the tension radiating from the rest of the useless idiots watching on, I’m still only paying attention to Liv, not letting my eyes waver even for a second.
I can see out of my periphery when Alli sits back down, still probably looking at me in disbelief but Olivia stands her ground. I just had to watch my little flower open her fucking mouth for a hypothetical dick and all I can think about is making that my fucking reality. My whole body buzzes with need to make her fucking submit to me; to come down her pretty throat. And I know she only did it to provoke me, to spite me. So she’s going to have to sit through more torment because of it.
“Wait,that’syour dare? For me to come? You just expect me to put on a show by myself for everyone here?” I finally break my stare with Olivia to look over to her friend who is motioning her hands at everyone in the circle as whispers start to scatter around the fire.
“Not by yourself. I dare you to letthemdo it.” I nod my head over Ev and Sage.
“No, absolutely not!” Olivia says and I smirk at her which only pisses her off more. She’s so fucking pretty when she’s mad. And when I look at her, I think I could forget about the plan to make her hurt for me. Instead, I could tell her just how pretty I think she is, and to kiss her softly. But I know that the moment I get her alone again, I’m going to make a filthy mess out of her. It’s what I need. It’s what she needs.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I state and I feel Jensen glaring at me from where he sits.
“Well, I’m talking to you. I said no.” Olivia takes a step forward which causes everyone to quiet down. After the little stunt she pulled earlier on top of what she’s doing now, she’s going to cause a scene. And it’s not the scene I want. The scene I want is going to keep everyone busy for a while, which is what I need to get Olivia alone.
“It’s okay,” Alli says to Olivia which causes her to twist her head around.
“Alli, this is crazy. And you two would really do that?” She looks over to Sage and Evrin who both just shrug their shoulders.
“I mean, I’m strictly dick so it’ll be mostly him but I can help,” Sage says and Evrin agrees.
“And what about you?” She points to Banks who simply looks up at her.
