My head snaps back toward the man, and he has a smile across his face. “I knew you could do it.”
I smile up at him, shaking my head. I have no idea why the girl hasn’t left yet. I know one of the rules is that if you “die” then you have to stay put, but if I were her, I would just leave for the main room and dance my heart out.
23NINA
He places a red note on the girl, killing her again. “Follow me.” He grabs onto my hand.
I can’t help but laugh. That poor girl . . . The game just started.
The feeling of being here with a man I don’t know just makes this night so much better. He opens a door, leading into a library of sorts. It’s small; it only has four shelves of books. I walk up to the books. They are all classics—the perfect kind.
“You won’t kill me,” I say, like I’m the conceited one. I think it’s the alcohol that’s making me talk like this.
“Don’t be so sure.” He steps behind me, holding a red note.
A loud laugh falls from my lips as I dart toward the window, a desk the only thing separating me from my “death.”
Chills run up and down my body, the feeling of euphoria controlling all my actions. I hardly know who this person is, but being able to laugh with a stranger makes me feel a sense of bliss. I can understand how my parents connected so well with their identities hidden.
My eyes dart back over to the man. I don’t know what else to call him.
“Miss Red,” he continues. “Shall we go murder the others?” I see him wink through the mask. His is the opposite of mine, dark and matte, covering his eyes and a part of his nose. His jaw sharpens as he presses down on his teeth.
“We’re partners—remember that.” I strut toward him, my heels sounding on the hardwood floors. “If you betray me . . .” I stop on my empty threat. I wouldn’t do anything because it is only a game after all.
“I wouldn’t dare.”
I grab onto his extended arm, and he lifts my hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on top of my knuckles. He opens the door slowly, letting me walk through first.
The man is a gentleman, I’ll give him that.
I grab onto the sides of my dress, lifting it off the ground. I can feel the man behind me. He is tall and muscular, making me feel like he is my personal bodyguard.
We reach the end of the hall, the great room in front of us as I rest my hand on the arch of the wall.
His hands venture down to my hips, pulling me further to the side. His hands make my hips feel small. He presses his body into mine, my back firm against the front of him. His touch is felt everywhere, and instead of drawing a line for my boundaries, I just accept it.
His head dips down to my ear, his breath slow. “Just act normal, and we will be fine,” he says as he pushes me forward, into the room.
The lights have dimmed, making everyone look like it’s in shadow. There are three people lying on the floor—I assume he killed them before he found me. We have killed a total of four, but I don’t want the game to end yet.
“How did you manage to do that in front of so many people?” I ask, my voice sounding hushed.
“Sleight of hand.” He takes a glass from the table. It looks like the same stuff Giovanni drinks.
My eyes fall when he enters my mind. He would have a lot of fun tonight, but God knows what he’s out doing. If I remember correctly, he went to visit his father and should be back in the next two days.
Do I want him to come back? I finally feel like I have gained back my control. I no longer have him peering over my shoulder everyday no matter what I am doing. I mean, I could be drinking a cup of juice and he would taste it first to make sure it’s not poisoned.
Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but still. I am his pet. And he never fails to make me feel like one. And yet somehow, he has made me want him through all this.
My head bolts up, looking at a crowd running past us, nearly pushing me out of the way. “This way!” one shouts.
“No, the trails lead down here!” another one adds.
I look up at the man and laugh. “You’re good.” He brought us into the main room for a reason. To make it look like we were here the entire time. “But now we go in that direction?” I point to the hall on the opposite side of the main room.
He nods slowly, placing the glass back down on the table. I walk over to the hall, trying not to bring attention to myself. The hallway looks the same, but there are so many doors here compared to the other.