Kairo pulls the door open before Roman shoves me into the backseat. Maddox slides in after me, blocking me from reaching for the handle as Kairo takes the other side, sandwiching me between them. Roman gets behind the wheel, slams on the gas, and speeds away from the restaurant.
I slap my hands on my thighs, giving a horrid sound in the back of my throat. “You told me to do as I please! I was only taking your advice!”
Roman’s eyes flicker to me in the rearview. “And I was stupid to even say that. I meant what I said, you know? About you never having a choice. This is me fucking proving it, because fuck it all, Rosalie. Fuck my sanity and fuck my stupid mouth. You think you can erase us?” He chuckles darkly, shaking his head. “I’ll show you just how fucking hard it will be to unmark us from every heavenly inch of you. I’ll taint your god damned soul if I have to.”
My lips slam shut as my eyes widen.
He means it.Every.Word.
Roman only gets this passionate when he’s desperate. He tends to leave his feelings dormant and unmoved. Unless he’s literally fighting for something.
Like us.
The truth is, they have left a mark on my soul. This actwas all to get them to show they feel the same—that deep connection that’s bound us together since the very beginning. Where they were once monsters in my story, they’ve becomemymonsters. I’ve never felt safer than with the three men in this car. This whole time, I’ve been plummeting too quickly to stop myself.
I’ve finally landed, and I’m right where I want to be. Trapped. With them.
“Then mark me,” The words whisper from my lips. My eyes return to Roman’s in the rearview, my gaze so clear and determined. “Do it.”
Kairo grabs a duffel bag off the floor, pulling three neon masks from it. I recognize the green one instantly as Maddox’s as the blonde passes a blue one to the driver and takes the pink one for himself.
“You asked for this,” Roman says as he pulls over onto the shoulder. We’re near my home, I know that much. Beyond my privacy fence is a thick forest of redwood trees. It stretches for a few miles, covering the hillside of my private home.
“What’s going on?” I glance between them as they pull their masks over their faces. My heart slams as Kairo throws his door open and drags me out after him. I stumble a little over the brush, and the blonde holds me by my bicep until I get my footing. When I peer up, they all seem to back off.
“Here’s how this is going to go,” Roman says, his deep voice muffled by the plastic over his face. “You have until dawn to outlast us, Rosalie. While our game is in motion, we have the full range to do whatever we please to you. If one of us catches you, that’s your surrender until they release you. If all of us catch you, there’s no letting you go. You’ll suck and fuck as much as we want you to until the sun comes up. Do you understand?”
Darkness surrounds us as the sun sinks low in the sky. Within minutes, night will blanket over us. I’ll be in total darkness as I fight through the woods.
My pulse hammers as I swallow and nod.
“Time starts now,” Roman growls.
I blink before ripping off my heels and storming into the thick forest. My bare feet pound against the Earth as I bunch the bottom of my dress up past my knees. My hair is pulled into a braided crown atop my head, and the flyaway hairs that have come loose tickle my neck and ears.
The fresh air invades my senses, and a faintly sweet aroma wafts to me as I glide along a path. Lots of tourists hike in this area, so it makes sense to follow the clearly marked stretch that’s barren, but I know the guys will anticipate that. They’ll expect me to take the safest routes—something that could lead me back to civilization.
I’m not prey. I’m their equal, and if they think I’ll let them catch me so easily, they have another thing coming.
I sail over the path and head deeper into the thicket, careful not to step on anything sharp. I’m going to lose sunlight soon, and it won’t be as easy to navigate once the last few tendrils of light fade. My plan is to get as far as I can before finding a hiding spot. It also helps that I can see the large privacy fence that stretches along the far right.
There’s civilization on the other side, but I use it as my guide as I traverse the rugged terrain. I’m so preoccupied with getting further away from the main road that I only notice the sun has set when I become bathed in white-blue light from the moon. I finally stop, my chest caving with my deep breaths as I observe my progress.
The forest is alive with the echoes of bugs chirping and the rustling of leaves in the slight wind. There’s no sound of gaining footprints, and my shoulders dip as I settle on a leisurely stroll to source my hideout. There’s a hill of higher ground that I walk around, squinting into the dark as I find the lip of a small cavern. It’s shallow, but big enough for me to squeeze into as I crouch down and crawl along the leaves. With each shuffle forward, I hiss at the crinkling sound beneath my knees until I wedge myself comfortably into the opening.
I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my armsaround them as I quiet my breathing and stare out into the night. There’s the raspy croak of a frog somewhere in the distance and the patter of something small moving through the brush. It’s serene, and I almost forget what I’m hiding from as I rest my chin on top of my knees and listen intently.
Until a twig snaps from behind my cavern, and my head shoots up. My heart slams in my chest as I slap a hand over my mouth to stifle my breathing. I listen with strained ears for any signs of boots sliding along the mulch, but come up short.
They must be quietening their footsteps.
A bushel to my right rustles loudly, and my pulse revs as I wait with bated breath. I expect to see a dark figure lumber from the night, but I almost laugh when a bunny scurries quickly across the opening of my cave.
I place my hand over my racing heart, closing my eyes as I exhale loudly. I tuck my lips in before slowly letting my eyes flutter open. My heart falls to my ass as a glowing green stitched mask takes up the entrance of my hiding spot. Maddox is crouched down, his hands braced on the lip of the opening as he stares at me.
I open my mouth to scream at the same time he releases the ledge and snatches my ankles, dragging me from the safe confines of my cavern. I slide on my back before peddling my legs wildly and gritting my teeth. He shoves himself between my thighs, holding a hand to my stomach as the other grabs my cheeks tightly.
“Caught you,” He growls. “I want you ass up and face in the fucking dirt.”
