Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
I don’t miss the smile in his voice as he said the last part.
He knows about my tattoo and he’s Japanese.
There’s no way in fuck this whole thing is a coincidence.
“Now, let’s start. I’ll go easy on you the first round. One of you will tell me a deep, dark secret that no one in the world knows about. Do that and you’ll get water. Bottled, not whatever filthy shit is dripping from that faucet.”
“Don’t say anything,” I whisper to Naomi.
“We need water,” she murmurs back, her hold steady on my shoulder. “Your lips are chapped and dry, and you were bleeding out not so long ago.”
“I’ll be fine. If you play into his hand, it’ll only break us.”
“I don’t care as long as we survive.”
“Not to be a fun-ruiner, but you have ten seconds before your chance is over.” Ren pauses. “Seven, six, five…”
“I was molested when I was nine,” Naomi blurts, her lips and chin trembling.
My fist clenches at my side, not only because of her state or that she’s playing Ren’s game, but also because of the reminder of what she’s been through.
She’s not supposed to divulge that for a sick game.
She’s not supposed to rip open her wound and tell a fucking stranger her most intimate secret.
“That’s not a deep, dark secret,” Ren says.
“It is. No one knows about it and there wasn’t a police report.”
“Your mother knew, as well as a few therapists and the man who molested you. It doesn’t count.”
“But—”
“You have five seconds for another try. Four…three…”
“Shit,” Naomi mutters under her breath. “Think, Naomi, think…”
“Two…”
“My parents were killed,” I whisper low.
Naomi’s eyes flit to mine, the dark brown widening with a thousand questions.
“Your parents were in an accident, Quarterback.” Ren’s provocatively calm voice fills the space.
“It was a premeditated accident. They were running away from someone and the accident was a camouflage to cover up their murder.”
Naomi gasps and covers her mouth with the back of her free hand. I can tell she wants to ask me more, but she also recognizes we’re being watched.
Her small body snuggles into my side and she doesn’t even need to utter a word. Her inquisitive eyes say it all.
I’m sorry you went through that.
I’m here for you.
Maybe if I’d heard those words when I was six years old, things would’ve been different.
Maybe if I’d known her back then, I would’ve been able to live another way.
Maybe we wouldn’t have ended up here, where she’s pressing her shirt to my wound.
“Sekai,” Ren says in an amused tone.
Correct.
He knows. The fucker already knows about my parents.
The bad feeling I had when he started this game comes back to haunt me. There’s something absolutely nefarious about this. But what?
The sound of screeching metal makes Naomi jump and I stiffen. A small window opens in the door and a bottle of water is thrown inside and then, just like that, the only opening is slammed shut.
She grabs my good hand and places it on top of hers on the wound. “Hold it tightly. I’ll be right back.”
After I take over the task, she jumps up and hurries to fetch the bottle of water, then runs back with it in hand.
She kneels beside me, opens the bottle, and places it at my lips as she presses on my wound, even when I don’t remove my hand.
“You drink first,” I say.
“I’m fine. You’re the one who’s wounded.”
“But—”
“Just drink already.” She jams it at my lips and helps me take tentative sips. The cold, fresh water soothes my dry throat.
I nearly drink half of it, not realizing just how dehydrated I am.
This is bad.
At this rate, I’ll get worse real soon.
“Drink more,” she urges.
“You drink, baby.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Your lips are also dry.” God knows how long we’ve been here.
Judging by the small pool of blood beside us, it’s been some time. I strain sideways, wincing as I study our surroundings.
I try not to be obvious about it, pretending that I’m looking at Naomi as she drinks.
But whether I’m obvious or not doesn’t matter. The place has no escape route except for the metal door that they didn’t even open to give us water.
“Second round,” Ren’s loathsome voice echoes from the speaker. “We’ll spice it up a little this time and go with a dare. If you do it, we’ll give you food. If not, there will be consequences.”
A deep, growly sound comes from Naomi’s stomach at the mention of food. She closes the bottle of water that has about half left and stares up. “What is it?”
“Remove the bra.”
My jaw clenches as her face reddens. Her gaze flits to mine as she bites her lip slightly, unsure. I sharply shake my head once.
Fuck that and him.
There’s no way in hell Naomi will be stripping for the sick bastard.
No way will anyone see her and her gorgeous tits but me.