Page 76 of Play Dirty
“Who’s asking? My friend or my handler?” The question causes him to step back as if it were my fist that connected with him instead of my words. His jaw is clenched tight, and his wet brown hair clings to his forehead. “I’m just trying to help you, man, there’s so much going on. Now you and Shiloh. This isn’t going to end well.”
“It’s already bad, Thiago, wake the fuck up.” I snap, walking past him, my shoulder bumping into him as I storm into the bathroom. Internally, I’m screaming, but physically, I just stare at the mirror.
Thiago knocks on the door softly, “Ted found out the IP belongs to someone in school,” he says through the door. “I figured you should know. Stay alert.”
His words feel like a warning…. Something ominous is threatening to pull the rug out from beneath me.
Chapter Thirty
Shiloh
Ispend most of the day texting back and forth with Nico before getting ready to head out to the sorority house. Tatiana never stopped by today, but I did get a text from her that she will meet me there. I wonder if she’s still pissed, but truthfully, it doesn’t bother me as much as the wordsbaby dolldo replaying in my head.
Spraying my Sol de Janeiro body spray onto the base of my neck, I look myself over one more time before deciding I'm ready. Today, I’m meant to spend the night at the house with the rest of the girls, but I plan on sneaking away. I shake off the dreadful shame crawling its way inside me. I smooth out my black skirt.
I opted for a simple tennis dress with built in shorts and a criss cross back piece. Simple and comfortable for tonight's activities, which include a chef cooking our weekly Sunday dinner and watching the movie pick of the week. The girls decided that it would be Jaw Breaker. Grabbing the brush, I smooth out the swoop of my bangs to the side, making sure not a single hair is out of place from my low side bun before heading out the door.
I arrivejust in time, and the house smells like garlic and seafood. My stomach growls from hunger, and the main area is buzzing with chatter as the girls huddle together. “The hunt was so fun.”
“Right, I think I got the guy I wanted.” I recognize the new girl as the one who made the untasteful comment pertaining to Nico. She wants to play? I’ll show her how it’s done. Walking towards the girls, who look at me as if I’m some goddess straight from Olympus. “And who was that?”
The blonde girl doesn’t answer, but the brunette beside her does. “Player 11, dead girl’s boyfriend.”
I cross my arms in front of my chest, “Really?”
She smiles. “Yes.” The girl’s lie rolls out smoothly from her pink glossed lips. She bites the tip of her nail, making a sultry look, trying to make her claim over a man who, I’m sure, doesn’t even know she exists.
“Mmmm…” I muse, stepping closer, my finger picking a loose curl that frames her face and twirling it. “I would find it believable if he wasn’t fucking me during the hunt.” The room falls silent, her smile morphing to athin line. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea, little petal, but that one is mine.”
No one bats an eye or even breathes as I release her curl and turn my attention to Allison, who walks in with bags of snacks for tonight's movie. “Did I miss something?”
“No, I was just telling the girls the importance of ownership and truth.” Allison nods, not really buying into my bullshit, but no one dares to question a crowned one. I hate how moments like this make me realize that I’m my father’s daughter, but maybe that’s what it will take to destroy him from the inside.
I make my way towards the balcony, needing room to breathe in anything besides the smell of food mingling with expensive perfume. I should feel triumphant, but instead my chest aches. Something's off. The words are still echoing in my head, ‘baby doll.’
The night air is thick with the scent of salt and seafood, and the breeze kisses my skin, doing little to calm the heat crawling beneath my skin. My finger tingles, a phantom feeling of my finger curling around the lock. I should feel powerful. Instead, I feel haunted.
Leaning into the gold porch railing, I press my palms into the cool metal and tilt my head towards the sky, pretending to count stars. Trying to distract myself, feigning that I’m not unraveling.
“Shi?”
I blink and turn. Tatiana steps from under the porch light, dressed in a baby blue halter dress, curls up in a messy bun, and gold accessories highlight her olive skin. She holds a red cup in her hand; her eyes seem darker tonight, wide and worried.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She just shrugs and steps forward. “I was hoping to see you alone.”
“Is that so?” I raise a brow, “You still mad at me?”
“No,” her voice is low, she brings the cup to her lips taking a sip before adding. “I’m just scared.”
That getsmy attention, shifting fully towards her.
“Scared? Of what?”
My stomach knots, watching as she hesitates to tell me. Her pouty lips tremble for a second before they go still. She lifts her gaze, and something about her face makes my stomach twist.
“I think Nico has June’s phone,” she says, leaving me shocked.
