“Mr. Wyn,” I said. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Wyn chuckled. “Oh, we don’t do that here.”
He pushed off the column and walked to meet me, offering his hand. “You can call me Nicholas.”
“Aurelia,” the beautiful woman said, stopping beside him.
Her gaze traveled over me, and it was the same kind I would have given someone like Helen… or even Bobbi—slow, appreciative, and possessory.
I found myself unable to meet her gaze for long without it becoming uncomfortable.
Thankfully, Nicholas’s hand provided just the excuse I needed to look away. I grasped it and shook. His grip was firm, his stance open, and his smile was genuine and warm as we clasped hands. He had the kind of charm that immediately made me feel like we’d been friends for years.
“Marcus Upton,” I said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh,” Nicholas drawled, “We know damn well who you are. We’ve been looking forward to this. Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for having me,” I said again, feeling a little more at ease with the warm greeting. “I’m… sorry I didn’t bring a gift. I didn’t know it was expected.”
Nicholas released my hand and waved dismissively. “They’re not expected—more of a tradition than anything. Most people just like showin’ off.”
Based on the general vibe out there, I got a feeling that he wasn’t entirely being truthful… that, while perhaps it wasn’t strictly required, coming without a gift would result in some kind of unspoken consequence.
But considering I didn’t even bring anything, I thought it best to let the matter lie.
Aurelia tilted her head to the side, exposing the curve of her swanlike neck as a secret smile played across her lips. She reached out with a hand and delicately wrapped her fingers around my forearm. “Your presence is enough of a gift.”
She slid her hand up my arm and extended one pearlescent fingernail, running it along the length of a leather strap running along my side.
My body reacted instantly because it was an idiot, and I’d already experienced plenty of sexual tension without any payoff.
I caught Nicholas’s eyes flickering to where Aurelia was teasing me with her finger; he chuckled, turned, and headed toward the table with alcohol. “Want a drink?”
I swallowed, unsure of whether it was wise to do something about Aurelia’s teasing, and decided that, for the moment, it was best to just endure. “Um… sure. I’ll just have whatever you’re having.”
“Comin’ right up!”
Aurelia's fingers—she’d added a second—traced down the leather strap and across my abdomen, dipping a fingernail briefly into my bellybutton before turning and heading directly south at a slow and steady pace. It caught the skirt's hemline, and I glanced up into her eyes, silently challenging and amused. Then her gaze followed her fingers.
Nicholas still had his back turned, making drinks, and he hadn't seemed to mind in the least when he’d caught her teasing me, anyway. The way their bodylanguage had been around each other, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn they’d been a couple, but I’d either been very wrong, or Aurelia was allowed a lot of leeway.
Studying the back of Nicholas’s head, I had a difficult time imagining what it was like to actually share your girlfriend with others.
Unless they really were just siblings… or cousins—family… and nothing more.
Or… all of the above?
That thought made me shudder.
Aurelia felt me tremble under her touch and cut her eyes up at me, amused. “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”
That stare… there was something of Astrid in it. She wanted me to admit my unease. It would have been like a sweet treat to her.
“No,” I lied. “I’m…”
I didn’t quite know how to finish the sentence without sounding like an arrogant asshole.
“Getting used to this sort of attention?” Aurelia said, practically reading my mind. The tip of her tongue settled against the center of her upper lip, more playful and thoughtful than overtly sensual. The gesture made her seem less like a sexy cartoon character and more like a woman who’d never been denied anything, drawn to something new and interesting.
She slowly slid her hand further down, palm pressing against my firm manhood. That look of thoughtfulness melted into an impish grin, transforming her features into those of a girl several years younger.
“There it is,” she said barely above a whisper.
Sharp heat flared low in my belly, and despite my discomfort, my hardon simply became… more.
Old Marcus would have been petrified by what was happening. He wouldn’t have known what to do… or what he wanted.
I might have taken a little longer to react than was ideal, but I certainly wasn’t the man I’d once been.
I took a steadying breath and reminded myself of last night with Jessica—the begging she’d done. The dance of depravity that she and the others had engaged in at my command and my benefit. I remembered Erin over brunch… Bobbi on the rooftop, weak-kneed and submitting.
I’d tamed the force of nature that was Helen VanCamp.
I wasn’t a helpless little bird to be toyed with.
I didn’t need to feel like a scared little boy.
These people wanted me here.
They valued me.
I had power.
I curled my fingers around Aurelia’s wrist just enough to stop her palm from grinding against my crotch.
She arched an eyebrow as she met my gaze.
“Thank you, Aurelia,” I said softly. “I’m flattered, but I’m saving it for later.”
Her smile didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened a fraction.
Aurelia’s palm lingered a moment longer, and then the heel of her palm pressed one last time into the tip of my clothed cock before pulling back, her fingers brushing my skirt before trailing away as I allowed her wrist to slip free of my grasp.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” Nicholas’s voice cut through the sexual tension like a razor, reminding me that he was actually in the room with us.
He was approaching and offered me one of the drinks he carried. “Aurelia don’t do subtle.”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat without making it too obvious as I took the tumbler. It was full of deep-amber alcohol, garnished with a strip of orange peel and a faint layer of smoke hovering over it.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Thanks.”
Aurelia took a step back and took a drink from Nicholas, offering him a coy smile of gratitude that disappeared behind the rim of her glass.
Nicholas held up his glass, offering a toast, and as I raised mine to clink against his, he said, “To a bright future with new friends.”
I murmured the words back and then took a sip of the drink—strong, bitter, and sweet.
Nick did the same, sucking on his teeth to savor the taste as he studied me.
“We’ve been following you since we heard about the old man’s death,” he said. “Terrible shame, what happened to your grandpa.”
“You knew him?” I asked.
“Met him a few times,” Nicholas said. “Hell of a businessman, if a mite eccentric.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Aurelia said, eying me thoughtfully once again. “Leaving everything to a grandson he had no real connection to? One that no one even knew existed… when he had a son, daughter, and grandchildren he knew so much better?”
“Well, you’re not really going to hear me complain,” I said. “But I’ve met the majority of my family, and between what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, they don’t seem like the most likable or responsible bunch.”
Nicholas shifted his stance and cocked his head at me. “And you are.”
The way he said it made it sound more like a challenge than an actual statement of fact, and I suddenly felt like I was being measured. Aurelia’s unblinking stare also felt a little judgmental.
“I… like to think I am.”
“Hell, we all want to think we’re likeable and responsible,” Nicholas said. “But what we want and what’s real don’t always mesh.”
“Judging on what I’ve seen so far, he’s likeable enough,” Aurelia teased.
“Depends on who you ask, I guess,” Nicholas said. “Vic Smith seems to like him well enough. Steve, too.”
“But I’ll bet li’l Sachiko Tanaka would have a whole different story to tell, though.”
Of course the Tanakas would come up.
“You’ve heard about our little feud,” I surmised.
Nicholas snorted. “Who hasn’t? Whole world’s gone pear-shaped because of you two.”
“We’ve put a stop to it,” I said defensively.
“That don’t uncook the grits, now does it?”
Jesus Christ… who talked like that?
“Just because Godzilla and Kong stop brawlin’ and have a beer together don’t mean buildings weren’t smashed in,” he continued. “Fortunes rose and fell because of y’all.”
“What do you want? An apology?” I snapped before I could rein it in. Had I seriously been invited to a party just to get lectured to by Colonel Sanders?
“Naw!” Nicholas said, flashing me a charming lop-sided grin. “I was just hopin’ you’d maybe help us make it right.”
I recalled what Psalter had said about the Wyns being essentially responsible for one of the world's largest non-profit organizations. Their fingers were in everything from sponsoring doctors abroad to supporting political peace initiatives. They were essentially a corporate Mother Theresa.
This wasn’t a lecture. They were attempting to guilt me into financially backing them.
“I’m already trying to make it right,” I said.
“Yeah,” Nicholas said. “We’ve seen.”
“It’s actually pretty impressive,” Aurelia said, playing with her little drink straw in a way that was very suggestive. “You’ve even started your own foundation. The progress on your veterans initiative is remarkable.”
“Thanks.”
“How’d you do it?” Nicholas asked.
My brows knitted in confusion. “The veterans thing?”
“The Tanakas,” Wyn clarified. “You got them to stop coming after you.”
“Oh!” I said. “I made a deal with them. One they couldn’t refuse.”
“Damn, son. How many deals with the devil did you have to make to get that man to back down?”
Fuck. This guy was sharp, and he knew how stubborn Tanaka was. I needed to be careful.
If I was going to protect the true nature of the deal with Hiro, I needed to play my cards close to my chest. I was already on thin ice with Astrid sniffing around… I didn’t need two of the most popular rich people on the East Coast divining what I was doing.
Which was why I decided to share as much information as I possibly could with them. If they didn’t detect that I was being cagey, then perhaps they wouldn’t suspect that I was hiding anything. How bad the deal was might even be enough of a distraction.
“I’m selling them my shares of VistaVision for roughly half of what they’re worth.”
Nicholas whistled in surprise. Aurelia nearly choked mid-sip.
“That’s a hell of a deal,” he said.
I shrugged. “I’ll survive.”
“For now. Then what?”
And now I had to play the part of the naive young man who was in over his head, desperate to make a major problem go away. But once again, I had a feeling that these two might figure me out within minutes. There was no way I was on their level… especially without Helen or Erin to bail me out.
“You mind getting to the point?” I asked, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. “I have a whole legal team advising me. My accountants say the numbers work. I’m giving Tanaka what he wants.”
“With no guarantee that he won’t take another chunk out of your hide once he gets hungry again,” Nicholas said.
Aurelia looked at me pointedly. “Or if not him, someone else.”
“Like you?”
“Good lord, Mr. Upton!” Nicholas said, feigning offense. “Of course not! We’re just a couple of concerned philanthropists asking if you need any help.”
“What kind of help?” I asked, wondering if this was going to be another Astrid situation.
The Wyns didn’t immediately respond. Nicholas took a long sip of his drink while studying me over the rim. Aurelia leaned in slightly toward him, her shoulder brushing his chest in a way that violated personal space for anyone other than lovers.
Whatever trust his genial manner and easy nature bought was quickly dissipating. I felt like livestock being evaluated.
“What would it be worth to you if Hiro Tanaka ceased being your problem?” Nicholas finally asked.
I looked from one of the Wyns to the other, trying to understand exactly what he was asking, but both of them had one hell of a poker face. I couldn’t tell if they were asking me an innocent business question, or… something more.
“Well,” I finally said, “Obviously, all of my stake in one of the most significant companies in the world.”
Nicholas chuckled. “Fair point.”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
“People of our means aren’t necessarily limited in our options, Marcus,” Aurelia said. Something about the look in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine. The unspoken implication reminded me of Psalter and some of his proposed solutions for Detective Reynolds—permanent solutions.
Only, this time, I wasn’t completely disgusted by the thought.
Detective Reynolds was a good man just doing his job. He had a family, albeit a broken one.
There wasn’t anything good about Hiro Tanaka. He cared only about his son's welfare out of pride. His daughter seemed more like an employee than someone he should have loved, and there was no doubt that he would kill his own wife the moment I handed her over to him.
And I’m pretty sure he killed Rajesh Desai for failing to strongarm me.
I wouldn’t lose sleep if something extreme happened to Hiro. The man deserved it.
But I wasn’t sure I could order someone’s death… even his.
Assuming that was what Nicholas and Aurelia were suggesting.
“I’m not very bright,” I finally said. “You mind spelling it out a little more clearly?”
Aurelia rolled her eyes as she wrapped her tongue around her straw, grinning at me. “Shame. You men are either pretty or bright. Never both.”
“Offense taken,” Nicholas chuckled, “but don’t write the man off just yet, my dear. I think he knows what we mean.”
I had to fight to keep my eyes from narrowing at them. Why were they being so elusive? Why couldn’t they just come out and say it?
I glanced around the room, looking to see if I’d missed something, but before I could spend too much time on it, Nicholas stepped forward and clapped me on the shoulder.
“Just something to think about, good sir! It don’t matter how much money you got, sometimes it takes another pair of hands to help you out of a jam. That’s all we’re offering.
“In the meantime, if you’re really interested in charity work, we’d be honored for you to lend us any support you felt obliged to give.”
I looked down at his hand on my shoulder, then up at him. His smile had a few more teeth than it should have; there was a little more to the offer than simple talk of philanthropy. He was inviting me to come talk to him if I ever changed my mind on my Tanaka problem.
But why the word games?
I decided to keep playing dumb. “Um… sure. How much do you guys do in the US?”
“Not interested in anything outside the States, huh?” he asked.
“I’d like to help out in any way I can, but from what I’m hearing, you guys have a lot of that covered. I'd rather focus on the domestic first and work outward.”
“Fair enough,” Nicholas said. His hand still on my shoulder, he guided me to turn around back in the direction I’d entered. We started walking toward the door.
“You’re right. Most of what we do is outside of the US. The way we see it, our home’s got plenty. Other countries need a lot of help catchin’ up.”
“We do some work in the US,” Aurelia said, falling in beside me as we passed through the door. “We would be honored to work with you and provide any of our insights and infrastructure to help you with your foundation.”
Instead of heading the same direction Nyrissa and I had come, Nicholas lead us down a hallway lined with literal torches on the walls, casting ghostly light reflected in the polished floors as if they were made of liquid.
I glanced around, but couldn’t find Nyrissa anywhere. “I’ll… talk to some of my people… where are we going?”
“It’s almost time for the main event!” Nicholas grinned at me as he clapped his hands together, rubbing them like he was some kid excited for his birthday. “Best part of the night! C’mon. As the guest of honor, you can stand with us while we announce the details. It’ll be fun!”
We rounded a corner, and a slender man in a tuxedo waited about halfway down the hall.
“Billy!” Nicholas called out, picking up his pace and leaving Aurelia and me to follow behind. “How’s everything looking? Everything all set?” They immediately fell into hushed conversation.
“Like a little boy at Christmas,” Aurelia said amusedly as her eyes shone with fondness.
“What’s the main event?” I asked.
Aurelia looked up at me through her lashes, giving me a coy smile. “I wouldn't dare take away from Nicholas’s fun by telling you. All I’ll say is that it’s an elaborate game that we spare no expense in putting together for our guests. It’s great fun! Everyone raves about it the entire year.”
“High praise.”
“You’ll see,” she said, smiling mysteriously.
My interest was piqued, but I also felt my pulse quicken. In my experience, surprises were rarely pleasant… especially where Astrid was involved. Even her gift of Roger VanCamp came with its own set of strings—it’s how I’d ended up here in the first place.
I felt Aurelia slip her arm through mine, her delectable curves pressing enticingly close to my side as she leaned in. “Carla Tanaka has good things to say about you.”
Torn from my thoughts, I looked back down into her shining eyes, wheels immediately spinning as I wondered what kind of details Carla had shared. Early on, I’d made the mistake of not keeping closer tabs on Hiro’s wife, leaving her to her own devices while I’d trotted around Europe. Chalk that up to rookie mistakes.
Since then, I’d strengthened security to monitor all her activities, including who she was in contact with. Most of it was for her protection, but I knew how devious Mrs. Tanaka could be. A lot of my precautions were meant to protect my interests as much as Carla—especially since I’d given her a job.
“I didn’t know you guys knew each other.”
She squeezed my forearm. “Assume we know everyone. In our line of work, it’s necessary.”
“What has she told you?”
“That you have an interesting room dedicated to a single purpose. That you’ve allowed her to sit in on some of your sessions in that room,” Her gaze grew smoky. “She said that you have a few women who you only keep around to spend time in that room.”
I smiled despite my nerves, amused at the spin Carla had given her introduction to my dungeon. “That’s not the way I remember it at all,” I said, making a mental note to bring this conversation up to Carla the next time I saw her. The woman was in constant need of a lesson in humility. “I’m afraid Carla may not have been completely honest with you.”
She studied me for a long moment, her quiet reservation keeping me from truly understanding what she was thinking. This conversation felt just as cagey as the one we’d had in the ballroom, and something about it made me feel a little uneasy… as if she was trying to get me to admit to volunteer information without asking for it.
“Pity,” she finally said, looking away. Her delicate fingernails traced patterns on the sensitive underside of my forearm. “She made it seem so interesting. Perhaps after the festivities, we can pay you a visit. I’d love to see it for myself.”
“As a participant?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“Depends on the type of participation I might be doing,”
I’m sure it does, I thought.
Images of Bobbi after her night with Astrid flashed through my mind, her arms, legs, breasts, and back covered in long welts from her time with our Scandinavian host. I had a feeling Aurelia’s tastes ran in the same direction. The only difference was that Astrid wore her cruelty like a badge of honor, reveling in inflicting pain like it was a sport. Aurelia didn’t strike me the same way—she felt more like a quiet collector than… whatever Astrid was. Mrs. Wyn simply found something she liked and took it.
Astrid was sadistic. Aurelia was entitled. There was definitely a difference, even if I couldn’t exactly put my finger on what it was.
“Let’s see where tonight gets us, first,” I said.
Aurelia offered me a satisfied smile. “Lovely.”
We were approaching the end of the hallway where the slender man in the suit stood, while Nicholas walked out onto the balcony I’d seen from the grounds. I could hear the chaotic din of attendees drone over music, occasional laughter breaking through the ocean of white noise.
“Have you had a chance to sample Nyrissa yet?” Aurelia asked. “We picked her just for you.”
“I haven’t,” I said.
“Make sure you do,” Aurelia said. “She’s uncommonly gifted.”
“You know from personal experience?” I asked.
“We try out most of the help,” Aurelia said.
Considering how many servants and performers I’d seen—all of them uncannily beautiful—even having sex with half of them was one hell of a feat. Who had the time?
Aurelia led me to the balcony’s railing, where, sure enough, the grounds extended below. It looked more packed than when Nyrissa had escorted me into the building, and I immediately searched for my people.
I spotted Vic, who stood well over the average height of the party-goers, but I couldn’t see his wife anywhere. Natalie, Astrid, Erin, Sachiko… I couldn’t spot any of them. Anyone else I might have known had been swallowed up by the throng of people gathered. At this point, it was completely dark overhead; the artificial lighting and the flickering torch flames could only do so much.
“Wait,” I said, leaning over the railing and looking closer at a short man about two-thirds of the way toward the front. “Is that… my state representative?”
“Hm,” Aurelia said, “Yes. He’s been here a few times. His tastes run a bit… extreme.”
I looked at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You ready?” Nicholas asked before Aurelia could respond.
“Whenever you are, darling,” Aurelia said and snuggled a little more into me despite already being plastered to my side. I had to admit, the air was a bit cooler than it was below, and having her warmth pressed against me felt nice. Besides, standing on a balcony next to the Wyns surely lent me a certain level of credibility to every other person here. That wasn’t something I could just ignore.
I just hoped Natalie didn’t take it the wrong way.
“Friends!” Nicholas called out, holding his hands up like he was some kind of Roman Emperor who could command crowds with a gesture.
Although the hush didn’t fall over the crowd immediately, it didn’t take long for everyone to quiet down. Old men looked up from their turkey legs, and women straightened in their seats as their whispering faded. Servants dressed in fantastical or period costumes grew still.
Within a handful of moments, it was almost completely silent.
I used the opportunity to try and get a better look at the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of anyone I might have come with… or perhaps anyone else Psalter had secured invitations for.
“Thank y’all once again for comin’!” Nicholas said, oozing his charm. “It means the world that you’d step away from your busy lives and families to enjoy a little food and fun with us.”
Amused chuckles erupted in sparse areas amongst the crowd.
“This’ll be, what?” He glanced at Aurelia, “The seventh year we’ve done this?”
“Eighth,” Aurlia corrected him, her voice carrying more than I would have thought it capable.
“Eight years!?” Nicholas repeated and then looked out at the crowd. “Eight years! Can you believe it!?”
A few cheers sounded, followed by a chorus of whoops.
“Thanks, everybody,” Nicholas said. “Now, with it being eight years, I have a couple of special announcements. First, I’d like to give a warm welcome to one of our newest attendees, Marcus Upton!” He gestured toward me with both his hands, and while I didn’t garner the same amount of applause that Nicholas had, there was a substantial rumble from the crowd. It started hesitantly and then picked up, gaining momentum with each passing moment until the entire crowd was cheering for me.
“You see?” Aurelia muttered as she smiled and waved at the crowd below. “Despite the headlines, there are no enemies here. Just friends.”
“I have a feeling that’s more to do with you than me,” I retorted, feeling the pressure to wave.
“Yes,” she said simply. There was so much weight behind that single word that it almost crushed me with its meaning—We’re kingmakers, Marcus, and what we raise high, we can also topple.
“Now!” Nicholas said, raising his hands again to calm the crowd. Once the applause died down, he continued. “Now… who wants to have some fun!?”
The crowd erupted in cheers again, and this time, instead of quieting them, he let it continue, leaning over the balcony to signal to staff waiting just underneath us. They immediately started to move, picking up what appeared to be a collection of elongated black cloth cases that looked suspiciously like…
“Aurelia?” I asked, eyeing the staff as they began to fan out, weaving through tables and groups of standing party-goers who were still clapping or talking excitedly among themselves.
“Hm?” she said, her eyes still roving the crowd.
“What’s in the cases?”
The staff began handing out the cases to party-goers at random, then returned to retrieve more.
“Hush,” Aurelia said dismissively.
“Tonight!” Nicholas bellowed. The gleeful cheering began to dwindle as he spoke. “Tonight, we hunt!”
A couple of men standing at a table almost directly below us had already unzipped the cases, showing sleek metal in the shape of…
“What the fuck?” I breathed. My eyes immediately searched the crowd for Natalie and Erin.
Fuck everyone else.
But I couldn’t see them anywhere.
I grabbed the hand still clutching my forearm. “Aurelia…”
“Everyone here should have gotten a ribbon by now!” Nicholas continued.
“Ribbon?” I asked.
Aurelia nodded toward the men I’d been looking at. On their arm was tied a golden ribbon. I glanced around and noticed more and more of them. In fact, now that I was looking, everyone present had a gold ribbon tied around their arm.
“What is that?” I asked.
“A kind of lottery,” she whispered. “Everyone was given one when they arrived.”
“I didn’t get one,” I pointed out and glanced at Aurelia. “Neither did you.”
“You’ll be given one,” she said, “And we’re not playing.”
“Anyone have a red ribbon that’s still here?” Nicholas called out.
No reaction from the crowd.
“Good! As you can see by now,” Nicholas said, “Each one of you is being handed a rifle.”
Excited whispering skittered through the sea of people below.
“Those with the gold ribbon are the hunters. Those with the red ribbon are the hunted. We’ve gathered all the hunted, and they are now being taken to the grounds on the far side of the island!”
Then I spotted her.
Astrid.
She was pulling a gun out of its case, inspecting it.
And she was alone. I couldn’t even see Lara or Sachiko.
“Now, settle down!” Nicholas continued. “For those of you who aren’t familiar with weapons, these ain’t normal guns. Each of these comes with tranquilizer darts. Anyone who gets hit?” Nicholas snapped his fingers. “Knocked out instantly. Object is: you find your target, shoot ‘em, and bring ‘em back home.
“What happens after you bring ‘em back home?” he continued. “Well, that’s up to you and the person they came with. Maybe you’ve had an eye on someone who’s played a little hard to get. Now’s your chance. Of course… if you were to strike a deal with whoever they belong to… that’s between y’all.”
More murmuring from the crowd.
I kept trying to search for the girls, holding my breath in the hopes that they hadn’t been herded off to become targets for random wealthy assholes.
Nicholas held up three fingers. “Three shots! That’s all you get. You run out without hitting someone? You get nothin’, so don’t miss!”
He continued. “Now, some of you who have been coming to these for a while will remember that we did something like this about four years ago. It was a big hit! This year, there’s a twist! While you still can’t shoot each other, if one of the hunted takes your weapon, it’s theirs, and they can either target each other…”
He pointed at the crowd, starting on his left and slowly panning his arm to the right. “Or you.”
A collective gasp sounded from the crowd, and fevered whispers erupted. Even distracted as I was, I couldn’t help but admire how Nicholas Wyn could work a crowd. He was a fantastic showman.
“Aurelia,” I asked softly. “Where are my people?”
“The two you came with?” Aurelia asked.
I glanced at her. “Yeah. I see Astrid, but not my girlfriend or my assistant.”
“Whoever your attendant was is one of the hunted. All the attendants are. The dates went through a lottery. If she’s not down there, then she’s being hunted.”
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. “So what exactly happens if someone captures them?”
“Anything the hunter wants,” Aurelia said, her wicked smile implying all sorts of things.
The bottom dropped out of my stomach… especially when trying to envision what Natalie was going through right now. While neither Erin nor I had signed up for this, we lived in this world, and I’d been prepared for something like this. Natalie hadn’t. Was she scared?
Fuck… what if someone caught her who wasn’t willing to deal?
“Bring them back,” I said.
Aurelia jerked her head back at Nicholas, who was still speaking to the crowd, explaining the game’s rules.
“...honor the rules of the game, you’re more than welcome to opt out, but I’m sure you all know what that means.”
A hush fell over the crowd, and Nicholas stood in silence, as if impressing upon them the severity of his words.
“Well then,” he finally said, “If you have any questions, ask any of our wonderful servers, who will be happy to answer them. In the meantime, good hunting!”
Nicholas stepped back from the balcony, looking pleased with himself and his performance. I didn’t hesitate. “Hey, I want out.”
“Well,” he said, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, not looking particularly surprised. “That didn’t take long.”
“Yeah, I said. “It’s kind of a no-brainer.”
He gave me a skeptical look. “You sure about that? Didn't you see one person out there you've been eyeing for payback? Anyone out there you want to wet your dick with?”
Of course I had. While there was a smattering of good-looking men, ninety-eight percent of the women were insanely gorgeous, and a younger, broker version of me would have gotten on my hands and knees and barked like a dog for a few moments of affection from any of them.
But I wasn’t going to risk sharing Natalie or Erin with anyone… or subject them to the potential abuse of twisted blondes and perverted congressmen.
The very thought set deeply embedded Neanderthal instincts running amok. Those girls were mine.
“Positive,” I said.
“We’ll blacklist you,” he said softly, leveling a serious gaze at me.
I blinked. “What?”
“You decide not to play our little game… or start talking to anyone about what goes on here, and you won’t ever build a relationship with any of these people.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Dead serious,” Nicholas said, his charm evaporating. “In a world of social media… cameras everywhere… we work hard to provide a venue where people of serious means can get away from reality for twenty-four hours and simulate a little fun like they could in the old days. In some parts of the world, people still can, but not everyone wants to go to those places. We help our friends blow off a little steam from right here in the good ol’ US of A.”
He brandished that deadly charming smile again. “All for a generous donation to the cause of making the world a better place, of course.”
I felt slender arms slip around my waist and flinched as Aurelia molded herself against my back. Her chin rested on my shoulder, and I felt her nose run along the underside of my earlobe. “Marcus, don’t make an enemy of the world’s elite in one fell swoop. Come play in the dirt with us for a bit.”
“Listen to the girl,” Nicholas said. “Tonight can be the best opportunity you’ve had to take things to the next level… or the worst mistake you’ll ever make. You turn your back on us now, and you can kiss that Tanaka deal goodbye. Your charity work will be a lot more difficult. That vanity project you’re making with the Titus girl will tank.”
My eyes narrowed. “How did you know about—”
“Pshaw!” Nicholas waved a hand. “Hollywood talks more’n any of ‘em.”
My fists clenched, and I found it incredibly difficult to keep from swinging at his face, all desire to be friends with this man long gone.
“Maybe I don’t care,” I said. “I’m a Gerrard. I have more money than everyone else on this island put together.”
Nicholas frowned in thought. “Maybe a month ago, but it’s no secret that you’ve taken some hits lately. I’m not so sure that’s true anymore.
“And even if it is… yeah, you got plenty, but if no one will play ball with you, eventually you’ll run dry.”
Aurelia’s hands drifted up my chest as she pressed herself even more firmly against my back. “In five years, at most, you’ll be tired of those women anyway, Marcus. It’s not worth it.”
I didn’t speak. I wasn’t sure what to say. Could they be bluffing?
Hiro sure hadn’t been, and look how that turned out.
“Fifteen minutes till the game starts, Marcus,” Nicholas said. “Do yourself a favor and think on it before you make a decision.”
He tapped me on the shoulder with his fist and then turned to head back inside.
Aurelia slipped around to stand in front of me, fixing me with an amused look.
And then she leaned in and planted her lips on mine, the kiss… soft and serene.
“Good luck,” she murmured as she backed away, her fingers drifting off my chin before turning around to follow her lover—or whatever they were—back into the house.
I turned and looked back in Astrid’s direction, hoping against hope that I’d at least see Natalie. It took me a moment to hone in on the woman’s fine blonde hair, and I found her talking to a young woman who didn’t look a day over eighteen. Next to her, checking his own gun was Kyle Kagan, the movie star.
The thought of Kyle Kagan shooting Erin in the back and claiming him for his own sent a thrill of dread through me, and I bolted away from the railing and made my way down the stairs built into the side of the house. I weaved my way through the crowd, crashing into the shoulders of party-goers and keeping Kagan’s head in plain sight as I made my way over to her.
Eventually, I caught up to the three of them.
“Astrid!” I called out, drawing everyone's attention. I ignored all of them as I grabbed her by the arm, gruffly apologized to the movie star and the young woman, and dragged her away.
I turned my back to Kyle, whirled Astrid so that she faced me, and growled, “Where the fuck is everyone?”
She couldn’t even bring herself to hide her merriment. “It was so unfortunate, Marcus. They all received red ribbons. They’ve been taken away.”
I shook her arm roughly. “Did you know about this?”
She simply placed a hand to her chest. “Why would I? No one knew what the game would be!”
“Hey… everything okay?” Kyle asked.
“We’re fine, Kyle,” I barked at him from over my shoulder.
I turned back to Astrid. “Natalie?”
She gave me a mock apologetic look.
If Natalie was gone, so was Erin.
“Where’s Sachiko?”
“She also drew a red ribbon.”
“Jesus Christ,” I snarled and ran my hands through my hair.
I stalked away from Astrid.
She followed me. “What are you going to do?”
“What do you think?” I called out. “I’m not playing!”
“Marcus, if you opt out—”
“I know!” I whirled on her. “Nick told me!”
“I’ll help you,” Astrid said.
“In exchange for what?” I asked. “My firstborn!?”
“Well, nothing in life is free,” she said playfully.
I threw up my hands and turned to walk away again, weighing my options.
If I gave up and went home, the girls would be safe, but I wouldn’t make any friends… and if Nicholas could be believed, it was possible that my deal with Tanaka could be in jeopardy.
I couldn’t let that happen. I’d put too much time and effort into trying to make this work.
And besides, if Hiro found out that I’d tried to sabotage him, he’d probably double down on trying to destroy me.
But if I stayed… I’d need help.
I fingered the pen tucked away in my skirt, considering whether it was worth using for something like this.
Astrid said she’d help me.
But she wasn’t the only one.
I had others I could call on to help.
I stopped and scanned the area, trying to figure out where I could go to get a better view to spot…
And then I saw him.
I hadn’t been looking for him.
In fact, he was one of the last people I’d expected to see on this island at all.
My brother, Tyler, sat on the corner of a table, dressed like a Roman centurion, complete with the crested helmet. The gun he was checking looked ludicrously anachronistic in his hands.
And then at that moment, he looked up and spotted me staring at him. Our eyes met from across the crowd, and he gave me a smug grin. Then he reached for the brim of his helmet and tipped it at me as he raised a finger and pointed it at me, miming a gun. He mimicked shooting me with it… and then gave me a positively evil smile.
Great.
Just great.
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