by Silvia Rojas
Luckily, Allen walked right by it. We passed the kitchen, where some people had brought themselves to a drunken stupor and were now splayed around the tables and countertops like macabre mannequins.
“This really is an impressive party. How many people are here?”
“I invited over five hundred guests,” Allen answered.
“Wow…” I couldn’t wrap my head around how different we were. I was just a small-town girl, trying to make a name for myself, while this man seemed to rule the world. He had everything he could ever want, and still, he wanted me. The thought made my heart swell. But, at the same time, I was wary. I knew this would probably be nothing more than a one-night stand. Something that would disappear as soon as the sun rose.
“What’s wrong?” Allen stopped to look at me.
“Nothing.”
He furrowed his brows together, unconvinced. “Are you sure?”
I nodded.
He studied my face a moment longer but then relented. He opened a door for me, holding out his arm in a silent command for me to step through.
The nighttime breeze rolled in, sweeping across my cheeks. It brought with it the smell of autumn. Decaying leaves. A soft hint of pumpkins. That fresh scent of dew forming on the grass.
I breathed it in, filling my lungs with it.
“Would you like my coat?” He offered as we walked along the well-lit path leading to a vibrant, breathtaking garden.
“I’m okay.”
Regardless of my answer, he shrugged off his patchwork coat and draped it over my shoulders for the second time that night.
The fabric was a bit scratchy against my skin but it was warm and smelled nice. I pulled it tight around my body, enjoying the blanket of comfort that wrapped around me. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” He kissed the top of my head and smiled.
Together, we entered the garden. We were now surrounded by blooms on either side. I didn’t even know there were flowers that lasted this long after summer. Above our heads, an archway decorated with Christmas lights twinkled like tiny stars.
“Do you come out here a lot?”
“To be honest, no. Usually, Chris is the one who comes here to read.”
“Then, why did you bring me here?”
“Because it’s a beautiful place and I wanted to share it with you.”
We stopped in the heart of the garden where there was a small koi pond. A miniature waterfall cascaded down a set of intricately placed rocks. The water glimmered in the bright moonlight, making it look like a sea of fairies. This truly was a magical place.
His hands rested on my hips as he looked into my eyes. “Will you have this dance with me?”
“Dance?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. “But, where’s the music?”
“Don’t worry.” He snapped his fingers. The lights glowed bright blue for a moment. “Play romantic music,” he spoke slowly and loudly.
“Playing Wedding Playlist!” an automated female voice rang out.
“Wedding Playlist?” I questioned, raising my eyebrow in suspicion. Maybe there was something this man wasn’t telling me. “You aren’t secretly married, are you?”
“No, no, of course not,” he answered quickly. “She must have pulled some random playlist from Spotify or something.”
“Sure. Sure.” Just to make sure, I grabbed his hands, studying his ring finger. “Hmm… it doesn’t look like you wear a ring…”
“That’s because I’ve never been married. No girl has been able to capture my attention for that long.”
“I see…” I rested my head on his chest as we started to sway back and forth to the steady melody. “So, I don’t have much chance keeping you for the long run, huh?”
His hands ran up and down my back before he answered. It was like he was picking each word carefully in his mind. “You’re different.”
I nearly groaned. I hated when guys said that. It never ended well.
“I mean it. I’ve never felt this way with a girl before. It’s not just the desire to be with you, to rip off your dress, and have my way with you; it’s something else.”
I listened to his words, feeling like I was falling into a rut. How many times had I heard this same speech? Already, I was preparing myself for a one night stand that would only hurt me. If I was smart, I’d leave now, but I just couldn’t pull away. I needed him. Whether it worked out or not, I needed his presence, if only for a few hours.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” he asked, tilting my chin up so I was forced to look into his eyes.
“How do you expect me to? We are worlds apart. You’re a billionaire and I’ve barely made a dent in my fashion career. I know we could never be more than a one night stand. In the morning, you’ll find someone better, hotter, richer than me and that will be that.”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t care about all those things.” He cupped my cheek in his hand, his thumb gently caressing my skin. “All that matters is that I hold you in my arms for as long as I can. I don’t want to let go, Essie, and I pray that you don’t force me to.”
Was he telling the truth or just sweet talking me into believing him so I would fall for his tricks? I bit the inside of my lip, trying to parse through my feelings. On one hand, I wanted nothing more than to let my inhibitions melt away so I could give into my desires, but at the same time, I had felt too much heart break and betrayal to jump right into this. “Find that item and we will see,” I whispered, taking a step back.
He sighed.
I liked him, yes, but I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. If he wanted me, he would have to work for it.
Chapter 14
ALLEN
I watched her walk away from me, feeling like she was slipping from my grasp. Somehow, I had to convince her that I was different than all the others before me. I truly did care about her. From this point forward, I knew I had to tread carefully.
Eventually, she disappeared from sight, fading into the darkness. Quickly, I followed the trail left behind by her perfume. I found her standing by the pool, looking into it. She was right on the edge like she was going to jump in at any moment.
I came up behind her, lightly pressing my hands against her back like I was about to push her in.
She lost her balance and tumbled forward.
Instinctually, my arms wrapped around her torso, grabbing her before she could fall. I held her close. “Careful…”
We stood there for a moment before she pulled away.
“Why do you keep doing that?” I asked.
“Doing what?”
“Running away from me. Tell me who’s hurt you…” I reached out, about to grab her wrist but she stepped back like she didn’t want me to touch her.
“No one has hurt me.” There was an edge of stubbornness to her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Essie, don’t lie to me. I can see it written all over your face. You’re afraid to get close.”
Her features darkened. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“That may be true, but I’m no fool. I can see it in the way you look at me. You want me but you’re afraid of making the leap. When you kiss me, I can sense that you’re holding back.”
“Maybe I am. But, that doesn’t matter. When this party is over, who says there’s anything left for us?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t have to be that way. Stay with me,” I pleaded with her. Even though we barely knew one another, I just couldn’t let this girl go. If I did, I knew it would be the biggest mistake of my life.
“Let’s just go back to the game,” she said.
I sighed. “Fine.”
Without a word, we walked back into the mansion. I yearned to wrap my arms around her, to hold her close, but the iciness that radiated from her warned me to keep my distance.
Things had been going so well and somehow, I had ruined it all.
Upsta
irs, people had gathered around Kirk, waiting for the game to resume. Chris and Ebony were nowhere to be found.
“Where do you think they ran off to?” I asked her.
“Probably fucking around in some library.” Her voice held a harsh edge to it.
I frowned. Chris and Ebony were perfect for one another. They seemed to like the same things. They had the same type of personality. From the beginning, they hit it off, acting like a couple of high school sweethearts. It wasn’t fair. Chris always got his way and I always got screwed over.
With a glower on my face, I entered the newest room, this one orange in color.
“Adulthood,” Kirk announced, fixing the tie he now wore around his neck. “As you can see this is the humble abode of a working man.” He motioned to the study before he sat down at the desk, folding one leg over the other. “He works tirelessly into the night, coffee his only companion…” he wore on dramatically.
This game was starting to grow tiresome.
What was the point of it all? Why send us on a wild goose chase? What was Kirk really up to?
When he stopped talking, the crowd dispersed throughout the room. There were only a few dozen people still participating in the game. I wondered where everyone had gone. Had they got tired of the game, or was there something else at play?
Even Heidi was gone, but, from the looks of it, more people were wearing red masks. When had that happened?
“Are you just going to stand there or are we going to look for this thing?” Essie broke me out of my trance.
“Sorry, I was thinking.”
“About?”
I looked at her and smirked. “Oh, you know…” I trailed off. I could tease her with a sexy little comment and risk pissing her off or I could tell her the truth.
I was going to take my chances.
“Just thinking about how you would look bent over that desk. Ass in the air. Hips swaying back and forth. Your hair in my fists as I completely ravish you. You’d be screaming my name, your back arched, your tits bouncing.”
“You have a vivid imagination.” The corner of her lips twitched. “Because at the rate you’re going, you’ll never get me to bend over anything.” I could tell she was taunting me, especially when she hiked up the slit of her dress, exposing even more of her leg.
My mind instantly pictured them on my shoulders as I pounded into her.
No matter what happened, I wouldn’t let this night end without getting her in my bed, or over the table, or against the wall. It didn’t matter to me as long as she was mine.
I started to search the room with newfound vigor. “What was the clue again?”
“Adulthood,” Essie reminded me.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“Well… that could be anything in this room…”
“I think that’s the point,” Essie said as she flipped through an old owner’s manual for my very first computer. “But Kirk did mention coffee quite a few times. Maybe it’s a mug or something.”
I looked around, spotting a coffee machine on the back counter.
Before Essie could follow me, I had already crossed the room, turning it over, looking for a red dot.
“Anything?” Essie asked eagerly.
“Nope…” I frowned.
“Maybe the cabinets.”
I was just about to open them when the lights suddenly turned off.
Everything plunged into a deep, penetrating darkness.
Essie fell into my arms as I held her in a protective embrace.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her body shaking against mine.
“I don’t know…” I held her closer, a sense of foreboding welling up inside of me. Something about this wasn’t right.
Crash!
Glass shattered against the ground, causing us both to jump.
At this point, I was holding Essie so tightly that I feared I would smother her.
Her hands gripped mine, her skin ice cold.
A scream ripped through the room.
I backed us up into the corner, trying to get away from the invisible threat.
And then, the lights came back. They were so bright that at first, I couldn’t see a thing. I shielded my eyes, waiting for them to adjust.
When I did, everything looked normal enough. In fact, nothing seemed out of place.
People crept forward, venturing away from the walls. Whispers started to float around the room as everyone tried to figure out what had happened.
Suddenly, someone gasped.
Everyone turned their heads to the left.
My eyes widened when I spotted the shattered vase on the ground. Right beside it was a splattering of red.
“Is that… blood?” Essie asked the question everyone had been silently thinking in their heads.
“It can’t be.” I stepped forward, parting through the crowd with ease.
Kirk met me at the scene, squatting down to examine it. “This looks bleak, does it not?”
“What’s happening?”
He shrugged in a nonchalant manner. “How am I supposed to know?”
“Because you’re the one who came up with this stupid game in the first place. Now, I suggest you tell me what the hell is going on before I force it out of you,” I threatened, sick of this nonsense.
“Hey, hey, no need to get so hostile. This is all just fun and games. Could be cranberry juice, or ketchup.” Without hesitation, he saturated his fingers with the mysterious substance before he brought it up to his nose, breathing in deeply. It almost looked like he was going to suck in his finger through his nose.
Everyone waited for his consensus.
“Eww,” Essie frowned when Kirk stuck his fingers into his mouth. “That’s disgusting.”
He just smiled at her, sucking his fingers. Abruptly, he jumped to his feet, sharp teeth flashing. “It's blood.”
“How do you know?” Essie asked with a horrified look on her face.
“You know when you get a paper cut and you lick it clean and then you get this coppery taste in your mouth? Same exact thing is happening here. Try it out for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
She shook her head. “Are you crazy?”
“Well, what the hell happened? Whose blood is that?” I grabbed Kirk by the shirt.
Kirk shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that we can’t leave until one of you find the item.”
“Christ, you’re kidding, right?” I rushed to the doors and tugged on the handles. They rattled in their frame but they wouldn’t budge. “This has to be a joke!” I tugged on them harder but still, nothing happened. “What kind of game is this?”
Kirk just smiled knowingly. “I am not the creator, simply the orchestrator.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “What the hell is going on?”
Everyone in the room was stunned, frozen statues that didn’t dare to move.
“All I know is that you need to find the item.”
“Or else what?”
Suddenly, the lights went off once more.
A scream.
A crash.
Another pool of blood.
This wasn’t a game anymore.
Chapter 15
ESSIE
“Allen, I don’t like it. I don’t want to play this game anymore…” I whispered, clinging to him.
“I know… we will get out of here. We just need to find that damned item.” He kept holding me as we circled the room for what felt like the millionth time. Still, no one had been able to find it. Already, ten people had disappeared, their blood scattered all over the carpet.
What if I was next? What about Allen?
My mind was so muddled with fear that I could barely concentrate on what was going on. What was I supposed to be looking for again? What was the clue?
God, I was going to be sick.
“Hey, Essie
, do you think you can reach that? My hand is too big.” He pointed to a small crevice behind one of the large bookshelves. “I can try to move it a smidge to make it easier for you.”
“What…?” I asked, still in a daze. I had been staring at the initial blood stain, zoning out.
