Page 113 of Unwritten Rules

I froze for half a second, looking up in disbelief. “Brent?”

“Kelly found me at the exit and said you sent an SOS. She said Alexander was in here being a fucking freak, per usual.”

I gripped his arm, my eyes wide in fear. “Brent, he tried to...”

“Not one more word if he’s going to make it out of here alive tonight.” His voice dropped to a low rumble, daring someone to try him. Even in the darkness, I felt his face getting that dangerous look to it. “Why are you holding your neck like that?”

“Don’t beat up anyone else today, Jesus. Just get me out of here.”

I turned at the sound of heavy footsteps crushing leaves, dirt, and gravel beneath them as he almost reached us. “No way you get away that easy, baby girl.” Alexander’s voice was closer now.

“Baby girl?” Brent said teasingly.

“Ok fine. Kill him.”

That was all he needed to hear. The moment Alexander broke through the wall of corn, Brent pounced like a cheetah chasing its prey. It was terrifying—and oddly hot—to see him sprint full force, closing the distance in seconds.

Alexander had no chance to see him coming before he was tackled to the ground.

“What the fuck, bro!” He struggled underneath Brent straddling him, laying into him with his fists. “Get off me,” he muttered.

“Get off you?” A sickening laugh escaped Brent’s chest, his fists still going.

They rolled and Alexander took his best shot to get a hit in, missing and hitting the ground. Brent rolled off of him, effortlessly getting back to his feet and throwing his jacket in my direction. “Cover yourself up, Blondie. The exit is just behind you to the right.”

He motioned for Alexander to approach with his hands, taunting him.Playingwith him.

Unleashing the predator that lay just beneath the surface.

I covered myself up in his jacket and rushed down to the end of the maze.

“Fal!”

“Let’s get out of here,” I hurried toward her.

She caught me mid sprint, wrapping an arm around me as we rushed to her car, the sounds of the fight, the festival, and the horrors fading behind me. The sooner I was home, the better.

At home, I was wrapped in a blanket and served bottomless hot chocolate while we watchedfictionalscary movies.

“Another movie?” Kelly flipped around with the remote looking for another horror movie to watch.

“No way, I need to go to bed. I’ve got another briefing tomorrow to prepare for Brent’s grandfather. I don’t know how my mom did it,” I said, sinking into the couch.

Turning off the television, she looked at me with curiosity. “So, you’re getting into two relationships with Brent. Averypersonal one and a professional one. Can’t wait to see how that turns out.”

Could the couch have been a cliff to roll off of? That sounded nice.

“I’m not dealing with this. Goodnight.” I stomped off into my room.

Flicking on the lights, I expected a boogeyman to be in my room.Nothing. Unless you counted the weird sounds from outside the window. I pulled the curtains back an inch to peer out into the night.

Tap. Tap.

Were those... pebbles?

I slowly opened the window.

“Fallon, I need to talk to you,” the voice said from below my window.

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