I roll my eyes, trying to shake off the weird tension building between us. “Yeah, because that’s totally what I need… more ways to get into trouble.”
Koen chuckles softly, low and deep, and it sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. “If you’re scared, you can walk out. No one’s forcing you to stay because, honestly, if this scares you already, you’re useless to us.”
I bristle at the suggestion. “I’m not scared,” I snap, more defensive than I intend. His smirk deepens, and I can see the amusement in his dark eyes like he’s already won.
Fuck. He’s played me again.
“So, is that a yes?”
I bite my lip, considering my options. Walking out would mean proving him right. Staying, well, I’d at least get to find out what the hell they want from me. Plus, there’s that small flicker of curiosity still burning in the back of my mind.
“Fine,” I grumble. “You go first.”
Levi claps his hands together, grinning like a kid who just got the best Christmas present. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”
“We’ll start with something simple. See how easily you can be influenced,” Koen says, giving Levi a look and making him take a step away from me.
“I thought the whole point was not to be influenced,” I shoot back, arching a brow.
“You need to understand how it works before you can learn how to control it. Trust me on this.”
“Trust you? That’s a stretch,” I mutter, but I step forward anyway, rolling my shoulders as if bracing myself. “All right, Mr. Hypnotist, show me what you’ve got.”
He sighs, clearly not thrilled with my attitude, but I think I detect a hint of amusement behind it. “Close your eyes.” A snide comment instinctively forms, but something about the way he looks at me makes me follow the instructions, and I swallow it, closing my eyes. “Now, listen to my voice,” he says softly, his tone smoothing out into something that feels almost intimate. “Don’t think, don’t question. Just listen.” The tension in my body slowly unwinds, and my pulse slows as my breaths even out. I hate his voice pulling me in. I hate how easy it is. How natural it feels. “Let go of everything else,” Koen murmurs, closer now, as if he’s right in front of me. “Focus on me. There is only me.”
I grit my teeth, resisting the pull. “You sound like every manipulative guy I’ve ever met.”
He lets out a small huff of laughter, his breath warm against my skin. “And yet you’re still listening.”
“I have a history of engaging with toxic men,” I quip back, but I can’t deny how quickly he’s sinking into my mind and how his words wrap around me.
His fingers skim my wrist, a fleeting brush of warm contact before there’s a tap on my forehead.
“Sleep.”
“Sleep,”Ace commands, his voice dipping into that serious tone he thinks makes him sound mysterious.
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. He’s so earnest, and it’s adorable. “Mmm, okay,” I reply, doing my best to look entranced.
Ace furrows his brow, his ice-blue eyes narrowing in concentration. We’re tucked away in our favorite spot behind the old theater, where the faded marquee casts a shadow that hides us from the world. The air is warm, the scent of summer clinging to the evening breeze.
“You’re feeling sleepy,” he intones, waving a hand slowly in front of my face while he’s standing on his skateboard, making him even taller than me. “Your eyelids are getting heavy.”
“Oh yes,” I tease, fluttering my lashes exaggeratedly. “So heavy.”
“You’re not taking this seriously.” He sighs, dropping his hand before he kicks his skateboard into a flip with one foot and catches it under the other.
“I am!” I protest, grinning. “It’s hard to be hypnotized when you’re this close.”
I lean against the crumbling brick wall, watching as he lets the wheels clatter softly against the pavement.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks, arching an eyebrow. His lips twitch, teasing a smile.Without a word, I reach into his back pocket, slipping out the deck of cards he always keeps there. He’s so distracted by the board he doesn’t notice until I start shuffling.“Really?”
“Maybe your stunning good looks are too distracting,” I say innocently, letting the cards snap together in a smooth motion.
“Flattery won’t derail this, Trouble.”
“Hypnosis is probably just people getting paid to act like they’re under a spell,” I say with a smirk. “Ever think of that?”
