Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, moving my long brown hair out of my face with my fingers. “Ask him.” I stretch wide, shivering when I feel my muscles tingle. “I’m sure he’d love to tell you.”
“Be down in five minutes.” He watches me move to the bathroom, and I slam the door behind me before he can spew another order.
I don’t rush. I take my time with my shower and getting dressed. My ankles hurt from the little time they were in the shackles, but not enough to blister. Ugh. I hate this. I hate that I don’t know how to read the situation. Is it a good or a bad thing that I’m here? And again, if it’s truly that dangerous, how did people know about it?
I’m calling their bluff.
I should have taken longer this morning. Now here I am, looking between the two of them. I haven’t seen Dion since last night, and after his outburst at seeing me, I’m almost certain it’s on purpose, since why would he not be here with the other two psychos, helping finish this game.
“Cliff jumping?” I yell over the gust of wind, tucking my hair behind my ear and hitting all the piercings on the way down. “How is this part of The Game?”
Malyk pounces onto one of the rocks near the cliff edge, peeking over the side. I can see the cheesy grin on his face from here, and the man isn’t even looking at me.
“Well, I could push you?” He turns over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with darkness. It leaves a dusting of ice over my bones.
I stand straight. “Not necessary.” I squeeze the edge of the hoodie, tearing it over my head and allowing my hair to trail down my back. Thankfully, I’m still in my bikini, though I’m not sure that’s at all going to help me right now.
“Aww…come on…” Malyk shifts and he’s right in front of me, his chest brushing mine.
My heart skips a beat, and I find myself looking up at him from below. His lashes fan out thickly, his deep green eyes filled with so much distrust. When his soft lips form an O, I catch the movement, and I instantly regret it when his tongue dampens the cushion and I see the piercing.
“I think it’ll be hot.” He leans in closer, tucking my hair behind my ear with one hand, while chuckling deeply in my other ear. “Don’t you think so, Poppet?”
“I don’t know.” I step forward, hoping he will take one back and I can push him into the water with me, only his body doesn’t move. “I guess you will never know—”
I’m lifted off the ground, and before I can reach for any kind of anchor, I hear a faint—fuck! And then I’m falling. The blue sky looks directly back down at me as the two bodies on the cliff get smaller and smaller, and my back slaps against water so hard I swear I hear my ribs snap. My body is weightless, my eyes stinging from the salt water as I try to wave my arms to the side and float back to the top, only every time I do, I feel my body weigh back down to the seabed, desperate to sink.
Arms collide with my waist, but before I can see who it is, everything goes black.
“Why the fuck did you do that?” Muffled voices sift through, but my eyes refuse to open.
“Ah, because it was funny to see her scared?”
Silence.
Liquid crackles in my lungs, and I launch off the ground, coughing up all the water that I inhaled. “You assholes!” I turn toward the sandy embankment, ignoring the laughter that chases me.
“Oh, come on, Poppet! It was just a little fun!” Malyk calls out, but I ignore him.
Somewhere between my demise and my hate, I find Malyk standing proudly, telling everyone to go fuck themselves.
How the hell am I getting myself out of this mess…no one is going to save me.
I shove myself up from the sand and run. Before I can second-guess myself or talk myself out of it, I throw all my weight into moving my body and I run.
My lungs burn and my muscles ache as I thud through the forest. I continue to run until mud splatters my legs and my muscles fatigue to the point of failure. Where the hell is the ocean and why haven’t I seen it yet? I feel like I’ve been running for hours, and maybe I have. It’s darker and the sun has long since set. Storm clouds roll in and heavy pelts of rain hammer down on me. I swipe my hair from my forehead, my stomach dropping to the ground when I look up and see the cabin again. The same light coming from the same window.