Our Darkest Maze

by Sarah Bailey

I frowned at my mother, disliking her seeing through me.

  “I told you, I’m fine.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  I shut my mouth and looked away, watching Maia and Ant again. They looked blissful. A part of me yearned for what they had. He’d had a crush on my cousin since we were kids but it was only when they’d both been sixteen, he had the courage to ask her out. Three years later and they were still very much in love.

  Maia and Calliope or Callie for short were more like my sisters than my cousins, given we’d grown up in the same household. The only reason I’d let Ant date Maia was because I trusted him not to hurt her. I wouldn’t be friends with him otherwise.

  The song ended and we clapped the band before I led Mum over to where Dad was with my uncles. He leant down and kissed her temple.

  “My heart,” he murmured.

  “I’ll be back in a minute… need some air,” I told my mum, giving her arm a squeeze before I nodded at my dad.

  I strolled away, digging my hands in my pockets. The sickening atmosphere of happy couples in love made me uncomfortable. I left the ballroom where they were holding the reception and made my way across the hotel lobby towards the bathrooms.

  Something caught my eye as I got closer. Or should I say, someone. My footsteps faltered. My fists clenched in my pockets. My whole body went rigid as I took in the sight of the last person I expected to see making her way out of the hotel restaurant. The moment her eyes landed on me, she stopped dead in her tracks.

  What the fuck? Is this girl for real?

  “You,” I ground out.

  Aurora blinked then scowled.

  “Seriously?” she muttered before turning away from me and starting towards the bathrooms.

  I could not believe it. What the hell was she doing here? This could not be a coincidence. The girl had to have tracked me down yet again. Even as the rational part of my brain told me I was acting crazy as she’d walked away, I followed her.

  The moment her hand landed on the door to the ladies, I reached her and shoved her inside. Aurora let out an indignant squeak, but I ignored it, hustling her further into the toilets. She turned on me when I let her go, looking around to see if the place was empty. Her eyes landed on me, a raging inferno boiling in them when she realised no one else was in here and I’d got her alone all over again. I tried not to think too hard about why I kept getting into these situations with this damn girl.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Oh no, you don’t get to start with the questions. I should’ve known you wouldn’t be able to let it go. Did you come back for more or something?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “You really are a certifiable pain in my arse, aren’t you? What is it you want this time, Aurora? I already made myself very clear. You are not wanted.”

  Her fists clenched at her sides. The dress she wore was black with sheer sleeves and her hair was braided down the back of her head. She had expensive heels on her feet, making her a little taller. Whilst it struck me as odd she’d be dressed up, I threw away the passing thought.

  “For your information, I had no idea you’d be here. I’m having dinner with my family, not that it’s any of your business. Trust me, I have no desire to see you again… ever. So, you can just fuck right off.”

  It was the first time I’d heard her say the word fuck, and hell if it didn’t do something to me. Images assaulted my brain. Ones of her begging. Demanding. Ordering.

  “Fuck me, Logan, fuck me hard.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt to dislodge the insanity driving through me.

  Nope. Never happening. No. I will not think about her like that.

  Whilst it would be perfectly legal, she’d probably never even been with a man before. And I wouldn’t admit the thought of it made my blood pound harder. Nor how my fingers itched to shove her up against the counter and find out just how tight her… if you finish that thought, you’re only going to make it worse.

  To stop myself from digging a deeper hole, I decided to direct my frustration at her instead. To prove to myself I did not want Aurora Knox.

  “Did no one ever teach you lies will only get you in more trouble?”

  “I’m not lying.”

  I stepped towards her.

  “You can’t get over it, can you? Rejection stings, but you have to learn not everything in life goes your way.”

  Her eyebrows shot up.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re obviously here because I told you no.”

  “That’s what you think? Wow… you are delusional.”

  Her words broke through the mixture of anger and lust coursing through me. Was I misreading the situation? I couldn’t be. This girl wouldn’t give up that easily. She wasn’t the type.

  “Look at you trying to save face.”

  “Let me make this very clear for you since, apparently, you’ve got a problem understanding me… I. Do. Not. Want. You.” She stared at me with nothing but disgust written all over her features. “Why on earth would I ever want a heartless bastard like you?”

  Another step brought me to within a foot of her.

  Heartless. She just called you heartless.

  She had no fucking idea. And she should feel lucky I was even talking to her at all. I rarely ever gave anyone the time of day.

  “Liar.”

  “This is getting boring, Logan. I already told you, I didn’t come here to taunt you or whatever weird ideas you’ve got knocking around in your head. Now, can you leave? This is the ladies, you know.”

  Her damn mouth. My eyes were drawn to it and the way she kept telling me she wasn’t interested. I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t. And I’d prove it.

  Don’t do it. Don’t.

  I’d seen red when this girl had appeared. What I did next could only be called a product of the way her presence drove me absolutely fucking crazy.

  My hand came up, gripping her chin and forcing her face up to me. I directed her backwards into the sink counter, crowding her with my body. Her brown eyes flashed with anger, fear and confusion, but her hands stayed by her sides, refusing to push me off.

  “You,” I murmured, my face close to hers.

  “What about me?” Her voice got breathy as if she was struggling with control, matching my own inner battle.

  “You…”

  What are you trying to say, Logan?

  Chapter Nine

  As I stared up at Logan, I couldn’t help the way my heart hammered and my skin prickled at his proximity. His fingers dug into my face, keeping me in place with very little effort. He looked incensed, his normally ice-blue eyes hot with rage and something else. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter since he clearly couldn’t decide what he wanted to do with me.

  I had decided to leave him well alone last week and I’d stuck to my resolve. When Mum and Dad came home yesterday, Rory hadn’t divulged my secret. He didn’t know who Logan was, but Rory did know I’d gone out of my way to see him again. Didn’t stop me from being on the receiving end of a lecture from Dad about the casino. Although, he had lessened my sentence and returned my phone. I was still technically grounded even though they’d taken me out tonight. A family dinner to celebrate my step-grandmother Lily’s birthday. Grandpa wanted to take us all out as opposed to Mum having to cook.

  Me seeing Logan here? Pure coincidence. I had no idea why he was at the hotel nor did I care. I wanted to be away from him the moment my eyes had fallen on the man. But no, he’d followed me into the ladies and started up with his baseless accusations. If I wanted to see him again, I’d have stalked him at his place of work.

  “Either you say what you want to say or you let me go,” I told him when he still seemed unable to finish his sentence, “If you keep me here any longer, my family will come looking for me.”

  My words didn’t seem to knock him ou
t of whatever trance he was in. Instead, they made him press closer, his hard body digging into mine. I’d never felt a man who wasn’t a family member this way before. And I couldn’t say I liked it. My stomach swirled with unwanted sensations. My palms got sweaty and my instinct to gain more friction between us had me stiffening.

  “I don’t believe you,” he almost spat.

  “You don’t have to. Do you think this is a good look, Logan, pinning me to the sinks? What are you going to do? Strangle me?”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  I let out a breath, unsure of whether to push him away or pull him even closer. The decision should be easy. This was not the sort of dilemma I ever wished to have with the infuriating, heartless man in front of me.

  “For someone who professes to want to be far away from me, you sure have a habit of getting up close and personal.”

  He looked down at our position before meeting my eyes again. A sly smile spread across his features, making me suspicious of his intentions.

  “I think you like this. It’s what you want, isn’t it? Me.”

  “I do not.”

  He raised an eyebrow. Even my protest sounded flimsy to my ears.

  I have no interest in Logan Benson. None at all.

  “You’ve never been touched before, have you? I’m willing to bet no one has even kissed you.”

  I stared at him. What the hell did it even matter if I’d been kissed or touched before? It’s not like he would be the one to do either of those things. He hated me.

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Nothing. Just further reason why I will never involve myself with you.”

  His words sounded like he’d forced them out. Like the lies threatened to choke him alive.

  “Then let me go so I can return to my family and you never have to see me again.”

  He didn’t do a thing, just continued to stare at me with unnerving intensity. As if he was trying to work out why he couldn’t move away. And to be honest, I was coming to the realisation I had made no attempt to push him off me either. I should. This man had made all sorts of ridiculous accusations and had pressed me up against the sinks like he had every right to touch me.

  What are you doing? Just force him into letting you go. It’s not hard. You’ve done it before.

  Why did I feel powerless when it came to doing so? It’s as if Logan had me enthralled. My skin burned where his hand rested on it. I locked all my limbs in place. They threatened to betray me. To reach for him. To give in to all the alien feelings inside me he elicited. Ones I’d never experienced before with anyone else.

  This could not be happening. It could not be true. I did not like him. I wanted nothing to do with him.

  “Liar.”

  His words echoed in my ears. I felt disgusted with myself. And him. The truth burnt between us. It pulsed and dared us to give in. Neither of us was immune to the other. His eyes were on my lips as mine were on his. The madness possessing us both needed to be contained. It had to stop.

  “If I’m a liar,” I whispered, “Then you’re one too.”

  He blinked, breaking the spell and allowing me the freedom to gain the strength to shove him off me. The moment the contact between us broke, I bolted towards the door. I needed to be away from him and the knowledge Logan might well be right about me wanting him.

  I made it outside into the hotel lobby before he reached me, his hand curling around my arm and spinning me to face him. His eyes were wild with emotions I didn’t understand.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “You know exactly what I mean,” I ground out, “You keep saying I want you, but you’re just as much of a liar as me, because you want me too.”

  The world froze around us. Logan’s eyes widened. I couldn’t believe the words I’d spoken. The accusation I’d made. Except it wasn’t an accusation. It was the truth.

  “Get your hand off my daughter,” came a deep voice from nearby.

  I turned my head, finding my father standing a few feet away and shit, he did not look happy. In fact, Dad’s expression could kill a man on the spot. Logan looked between us, confusion painting his features, but he didn’t let go. And it was a mistake.

  “Dad...”

  “Do I have to repeat myself? Unhand my daughter. Now.”

  I don’t know what possessed Logan to straighten and narrow his eyes at my father. Nor when he tugged me closer as if anyone telling him what to do put his back up.

  “Logan,” I hissed, “You need to do what he said.”

  He glared down at me.

  “How many fathers do you have?” he hissed back.

  “Four.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with your family?”

  I didn’t have time to deal with the insult.

  “That’s my biological father and he will kill you if you don’t let me go. I’m serious.”

  Logan’s hand around my arm tightened. Honestly, I swear to god he had a death wish. He glanced between me and my dad again. There’d be no mistaking I was Quinn Knox’s daughter. I’d inherited his dark hair, brown eyes and temperament.

  No matter how much I hated the man, I had no wish for Logan to be eaten alive by my father. This whole evening had gone horribly wrong. There would be no way out of this situation if Logan didn’t let me go.

  “Quinn, what’s going on, I thought we were leaving. Where’s Rora?” came my mother’s voice.

  I looked over, finding her hand on my father’s arm. Her gaze landed on where Logan and I were standing, her blue eyes widening.

  “Who is that?”

  “I don’t know, but he won’t let her go,” Dad ground out through his teeth.

  And as if things couldn’t get worse, the rest of my family appeared. The moment Xav and Eric laid their eyes on Logan, I knew everything was over.

  “What the fuck? You again!” Xav exclaimed, “Did we not tell you last time to stay away from her?”

  Dad looked at him with confusion.

  “What do you mean again?”

  Xav looked at Eric, who gave him a shrug.

  “Well…”

  I didn’t have time for this. My eyes met Logan’s again.

  “You really need to let me go,” I whispered.

  He looked between me and my family, realisation dawning on his features.

  “You weren’t lying about being here for dinner with your family.”

  “No.”

  “Well… fuck.”

  I didn’t owe Logan a thing. To be honest, I could let him rot right now. Allow my father to tear him to pieces. Except I didn’t want to. He had no idea of the landmine he’d stepped on.

  “Just go… I’ll deal with them.”

  He looked at me strangely as if trying to work out why I would give him an out. I didn’t want to think about it. To analyse the real reason.

  “Are you sure?”

  I almost sighed.

  “Yes.”

  For the first time since we’d met, Logan didn’t look at me with disgust or irritation. There was respect in his eyes, begrudgingly given, but respect, nevertheless.

  “You should know by now I don’t back down from a fight.”

  “Then you’re stupider than I thought. What do you hope to achieve by getting into it with my dads, huh? There are four of them and one of you… plus, don’t get me started on my mother, she will flay you alive. Do us both a favour and leave before things really kick off.”

  I had no idea what Logan’s problem was or why he refused to leave. Perhaps this was our issue. We were both stubborn with too much to prove. Was it why, beyond all reason, I felt this odd sort of affinity and attraction towards him and him to me? If he didn’t want a single thing to do with me, he would’ve walked away the moment my dad appeared.

  “There you are, Logan, Liora sent me to look for you. They’re about to cut the cake.”

  Chapter Ten

  Whatever was
happening to me right now, I had no clue. For some unfathomable reason, I couldn’t let go of Aurora despite five sets of disapproving eyes on me followed by three boys and an older couple. And to top it all off, my father had entered the fray.

  I have fully lost the plot.

  Dad appeared next to me with a frown on his face as he took in the scene in front of him. Things had gone from bad to shit in the space of a few minutes.

  “Logan? Is everything okay?”

  “Now’s not a good time,” I muttered.

  Aurora’s brown eyes were still on me, almost pleading with need. The need for me to let go and walk away.

  Why the fuck can’t you?

  It’s what she said. How she’d called me out on my own bullshit. The two of us were liars. Neither of us were willing to admit the truth. The horrifying truth staring us both in the face.

  She’d been on my mind for an entire week. It’s as if I couldn’t dislodge her no matter how hard I tried. I hated her for making me feel this way. For giving me uncomfortable and unwanted urges. It’d been such a long time since I’d had anything in my life which wasn’t run of the mill.

  Aurora Knox was a fucking enigma. She pushed all my buttons simply by being her. And it terrified me how little control I had around her. A sixteen-year-old girl.

  How on earth had this happened?

  I dropped her arm abruptly, realising she was right. This was futile. I should not be keeping her from her family. What the fuck even possessed me to go after her in the first place? Now it was clear she’d been telling the truth, I felt fucking idiotic. So consumed by my need to prove she was a liar. That she’d found out about Ant and Maia’s wedding to come here and get up in my face again. None of it was true.

  Aurora was about to step away from me when her father closed the distance. The one she’d said was her biological one. I couldn’t deny the resemblance between them. It made me wonder about her family. I’d known the Syndicate had five owners and heard the rumours surrounding their relationship with each other. Aurora said she had four fathers. It could only mean her mother was with all of them.

  I didn’t have time to dwell on it as her biological father looked thunderous.