I shivered when one of the inmates, who’d been leaning his head against the front bars of his cell, lifted it and opened his eyes. A large tattoo I couldn’t make out wrapped around his neck, but the shudder-inducing part was the white contacts he wore, turning his eyes into slits.
“That’s Silk. He’s been in here a long time, and let’s just say, he’s not wrongfully imprisoned.” Max smirked as he shared that delightful bit of news. “He runs this place, and no one escapes without getting past him. But if you can’t give him what he wants, he won’t point you toward the way out. He’ll send you to his gang, and if that happens, well…maybe you would’ve been better off staying in your cell.”
All the Ladies shared worried glances, with some mouths dropping open to protest, but Landon quickly filled in what Max had pointedly left out.
“Ladies, as always,no onecan do anything that crosses a line. They’re here to add to the atmosphere, but if you’re uncomfortable with something, you have your safe words. SayI yield, and Max or I will be there to step in.”
That put most of the girls at ease, but when Landon stared down each of the Knights and added, “But that shouldn’t be necessary at any point, and crossing lines will have consequences. For the Knight in question only.”
Everyone relaxed.
Although Vivian might not have heard him at all. She’d been staring at Silk’s creepy face since he’d opened his eyes.
It was like a train wreck. I’d give her that.
“Any other questions, Ladies?”
When no one responded, Landon pulled out a list from his pocket and split us into groups. “Angela, Claudia, Izzy, Luna, and Vivian, you can follow Max, and he’ll lead you to your cells. Everyone else, come with me.”
I pouted at Izzy as we split up, and she held out her hands as she walked away, reaching for me with the type of yearning I loved in my book boyfriends. It distracted me so much I snorted.
Elaine, who’d naturally ended up on my team because fate was a meddlesome bitch, made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. If the opportunity to leave her to rot in jail arose, I’d gladly take it.
IfI didn’t have the sneaking suspicion that temptation was a test.
Fortunately, after what happened with Kingston two nights before, Elaine couldn’t get under my skin the way she had in the first challenge. She might think he’d be hers one day, anothergift from Mommy and Daddy for their precious baby girl, but one thing she’d never own was Kingston’s heart.
That was mine.
And Landon’s, too, I guess. A little bit.
I smiled to myself at my secret joke, because if Landon and I put Kingston between us and both called to him like a lost puppy, I was pretty sure he’d go to Landon. I thanked the universe for one, making the thought of thatso hot, and two, leaving me a third broody Knight to snuggle. While we watched the other twocuddleor whatever.
Or while I watched, and he just scowled.
Didn’t much matter to me, honestly.
Was I dick drunk?
My eyes had been tracing the outline of Max’s superhuman sculpted ass while my thoughts had run away from me. That had to explain why Elaine scoffed and whisperedslutunder her breath like she was reenacting an overdone scene from a high school movie.
“Problem, Elaine?”
“I’m just so grateful I get to save Kingston from making the worst mistake of his life. A trashy home-wrecker with wandering eyes isn’t a good look for Camelot Court’s Queen.”
“I’m sorry, I must’ve misheard you. Trashy? And did you seriously just call me a home-wrecker? Do you even know what that word means?”
My eyes had wandered. I had to give her that.
“It means you thought you could whore it up with his best friend and be good enough for him, when where you come from, alone, takes care of that. Kingston would never end up with some poor girl off the streets. He might have fun with you for a little bit, but you could never be what he needs. Unless it’s as the help, of course.”
She leaned in close, flicking a speck of dust off my jumpsuit. Where the fuck this was coming from, I had no idea.
But that was the last straw.
I saw red.
As hard as I could, I slammed my palms against her chest and shoved her away from me. My chest heaved as she stumbled backward. And while she scrambled to get her balance, I pressed forward.
