Page 38 of The Prom

I still haven’t figured out why so many people want to sign up for the commitment and I suppose it’s because of the route there. The thrill of the chase. The darker side of commitment involving being hunted and claimed. Something different, depraved and wrong on every level. It lets the darkness out to explore something alien in the world outside and if I had a choice to enter the challenge with Drake, I wouldn’t even hesitate because my motives would be very different to the ones I had when I agreed to help Jesse. I certainly never thought it through and now I’m fending him off at every opportunity and running out of excuses to keep him at arm’s length.

We are handed our centurion robes, which I shrug on happily, loving the anonymity it offers. Here we are an army. A faceless army and as I hold the golden mask in my hand as I listen to Santi’s instruction, a shiver of expectation hits me as I anticipate an entertaining evening ahead.

I almost wish I was in the tunnel chamber too, watching the challengers crawl around on their hands and knees, remembering what that felt like knowing someone was hunting me. It was an unexpected thrill that I would experience again in a heartbeat.

As the centurions take up their positions, Summer joins me. “We should head to the riverbank. Trust us to have the longest journey.”

Cassie overhears her grumble and joins us.

“There is another way; a quicker way.”

“If you believe I’m crawling through those tunnels and then swimming to the other side, think again.”

Summer groans and Cassie grins, her impudent smile lighting up the darkness, causing me to chuckle softly. I am fully used to Cassie’s wild spirit I have grown up with it and I’m never surprised when she tells me something I never even considered.

“There’s a tunnel that leads there under the set of ones we use for the challenge.”

Summer nods. “I remember. I, shall we say, fell in to one when I was taking part and they are creepy as fuck. It would be easier to walk around and more pleasant.”

Cassie shrugs. “You can use your phones to light them. I’ll ask Frankie to show you the way if you prefer.”

I glance across at her guy and shiver inside. Frankie may as well be the devil commanding hell for the aura he gives out, and yet his sister is one of the nicest people I have met outside of the compound. It’s unbelievable they are related and yet on occasion I have detected the same fire in Summer’s eyes, which she badly needs to control Luca Romano. Her brother’s unofficial twin of darkness and I wonder what the future holds for all of them.

Cassie waves Frankie over. “Can you show them to the riverbank through the tunnels? It will be quicker.”

He nods. “Sure, but we must leave now. We don’t have long before the challengers arrive.”

Summer grins. “Sounds good to me.”

She blows a kiss at Luca who is chatting with Jesse and as he stares at her, the temperature definitely increases in the room. They are one dynamic couple and I kind of envy them that. They are free to explore their fascination for one another, and I am still holding onto the hope that one day I will enjoy the same level of freedom with Drake.

NINETEEN

DRAKE

This is not good. Why the fuck am I nervous? It doesn’t make sense and yet I’m guessing it has everything to do with the guilt I’m nurturing inside like a bomb about to go off.

I see them waiting for me and swallow hard because they really don’t need to know what happened with Imogen for all our sakes.

I’ve been summoned to a disused house set halfway up the mountain around thirty minutes drive from Rockwell. As I pull into the yard, I note the two Harleys gleaming in the moonlit sky and the two huge leather clad bodies sitting on the steps of the crumbling veranda.

My headlights dim as I come to a stop and as I cut the engine, the only sound is that of my frantically beating heart.

I am never nervous around these men, but now I have something to hide I’m terrified of slipping up. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already know and my time on this earth is a matter of minutes away.

As I head toward them, they stand and Ryder’s deep voice greets me. “Hey, Drake. It’s good to see you.”

“Ryder.” I offer him my hand and prepare myself for the usual painful experience of having mine crushed in his fist.

Flash glares at me, which causes my heart to still as he searches my expression with an anxious one of his own.

“Drake.” His handshake is less destructive and as the pleasantries fade, Ryder resumes his position on the step.

We won’t venture inside the house. Instead, we conduct our meeting out in the open, which is the usual procedure to watch out for intruders. I’m aware the house will have been searched already, two other Reapers stationed inside and several more dotted around the perimeter, checking we are not interrupted. Not that I saw them when I drove in. I would be disappointed if I had because these men are the best in their field and are Reapers for a reason. We are all the best at what we do, which is why my guilt is driving a stake through my heart right now. I let them down. I disobeyed a direct order, and I’m the fool who must now live with that.

We wait for Ryder to speak. The information that man knows astonishes me. It’s as if the world’s problems are run past him first and he commands an air of wisdom that impresses the fuck out of me.

“Christian Duprey has cut ties with Jenna Sloane.”

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