Page 93 of Wicked Deceit
“It was sanctioned by the real bosses anyway, Alpha,” Trent hisses, setting his mask back onto his face. “We’ll be on our way. Enjoy your stay,” he sing-songs, waving a hand in the air.
Kaycee’s breathtaking blue eyes fill with dread when she looks around the room, inspecting it. Once her eyes land on us, understanding dawns on her, and she deflates. Her chest heaves as she sucks in air. After being submerged underwater for that time, I can’t imagine she’s breathing well or feeling well.
“Welcome back to lot two hundred and twenty-six! And boy, do we have a treat for you! It was a long and drawn-out bidding war between Battling Babes and Tantalizing Toenails.” Her back stiffens against the pole at her back, and worry takes over her crinkled face when the voice reads off those two choices...
Kaycee has a mean poker face when she’s not tired. Or distracted. She’s stood up to me more times than I can count. She stepped on my toes and knocked me in the balls, like the badass she is. But right now, every emotion shows on her tired face. Every. Damn. One. She’s too injured and way too tired to hide the telling parts of herself.
“But you asked for battling babes and a battling babes fight you will get!” Fuck me. Whichever psycho is giving this shitty announcement has way too much pep in his damn voice. Distorted or not, he sounds like he’s getting a Goldendoodle for Christmas and can’t wait to put a bow on its collar. “The bidding is open for the winner of this high ticket show. Place your bids now and see who wins this showdown! At the sound of the buzzer, let the game begin!”
Kaycee heaves a heavy sigh full of defeat. Don’t give up yet, sweetheart. She leans her soaking head back on the pole. “A fight, huh?” Her raspy voice sends shivers down my spine, and my fists curl at the hurt curling around her.
I take the lead of the other two, standing stock-still. Without movement, we ignore our sacrificial lamb and don’t pander to her witty remarks. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I need to continue playing my shitty part. Even when every inch of me crawls in disgust. I want to reach out and wrap her in my arms, snuggle her close, and never fucking let her go. If I were a fucking badass, I’d have my own pistol. Hell, I’d have a fucking army behind me, and we’d take these pieces of shits out. Where the fuck is Veritas and their fucking promise to extract her before it came to this? I’m beginning to think the secret government agency I put my trust in is fucking me over harder than these fucking cult douchebags. Shit! Where the fuck are they?
“Not very fair, is it?” she bravely taunts, nodding toward her bound arms. Huffing a shaky breath, she shakes her head in disgust.
Anxiety builds in my gut as someone finally makes a move. I’m not sure how much more Kace can take. Another hit. Another drowning. What else do they have in store for her after this? They alluded to prolonging her life for the money, but will her body be up for it?
“Who the fuck says it needs to be fair, dumbass freak?” Hadley fucking Lacey snarls behind her mask. My eyes roll up toward the ceiling, and I heave a breath at the sound of her annoying voice. I knew she was a part of this whole group, and I’d given her name to fucking Veritas. But goddamn, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
“Obviously not you,” Kaycee mumbles. “You never fight fair, though, do you? Poisoning me, beating me in the hall?” One of the hooded figures steps forward, whipping the robe and mask off, revealing herself to us.
She sports a form-fitting bra and matching thong. God damn. A vision I never wanted to see. Pink, frilly, and fucking disgusting. Hadley saunters around like she’s hot shit. Confidence oozes off her, chin raised and her pointy witch nose in the air. Her smug grin could curdle milk with one look.
Her beady eyes devour Kaycee like the true predator she is—a wolf on the prowl, waiting to pounce on her tiny rabbit in the woods. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she claps her hands together in a small golf-type clap. Hadley rejoices in the fear emanating out of Kaycee’s eyes. She’d bathe in it and soak it up if she could. What is happening isn’t a disgusting act to her. She’s getting off on Kaycee’s pain and torment. But what the fuck do these assholes get out of this? All I know is they’re recruits, not full members. Like me, except they weren’t fucking blackmailed into this.
“This is going to be so much fun.” Hadley’s high-pitched giggles break through the tension of the room.
A shrill buzzer sounds over the intercom, marking the beginning of Kaycee’s doom.
Hadley races toward her tied-up body like a freight train barreling at full speed, letting her anger and hatred billow steam out of her ears. It takes every ounce of my restraint to hold myself still—not running to her side like I desperately want. Fuck. Hadley pounds her fists into Kaycee’s face. One cheek, then the next. Over and over. Kaycee’s head whips back and forth from the force, crying in pain with every blow. Blood seeps from her twisted nose, painting her lips and chin in dark red when her fragile body crumbles to the sodden floor, falling into a whimpering heap.
“Fight me like a woman, Hadley!” she hisses, spitting venom between clenched, bloodied teeth.
Fuck yes. Keep strong, sweetheart. Keep your head up and keep that fire burning deep, Vixen. It's the same fire she used against me and anyone else who stood in her way. Fight, Kaycee. Don’t. Fucking. Give. Up. Use your free damn hand!
“Untie me so I can kick your ass!” she yells through a slur, receiving a punishing foot to her jaw.
My body bounces, ready to swoop in and take her into my arms, when she falls back, thumping her head off the floor. And for one brief moment, she doesn’t move or react to the punishing blow. She simply lays there, staring with unblinking eyes. I hold my breath, counting down the seconds until a soft groan slips between her lips. That’s my fucking girl. Get up and kick some ass.
My jaw ticks, phantom pains prickling through my teeth. Watching the one I love lying on the floor defenseless is driving me fucking mad. I dart my eyes to the other assholes in the room, contemplating my actions. Once again, I could take them all out and fucking grab Kaycee, but I always come to the same conclusion. If I make a move, I die. And that strands Kace. Fuck!
Kaycee groans, letting her hair fall in front of her face. It curtains her features and blocks us from her eyes. I see the moment she discovers the wrench close by, and my heart skips a beat. This is fucking it. Her fingers inch toward it, but Piper isn’t looking. She’s distracted, staring up at the ceiling. And fucking Hadley won’t shut her fucking trap, pacing around the room and threatening Kaycee more. The other figure just stands there with their arms folded, staring forward. They could fucking be asleep under their masks, and we’d have no idea.
“I don’t think so, freak. You’re going to be so black and blue by the time they find your body. They won’t even recognize you,” Hadley spits, throwing her head back in an evil cackle. God, someone needs to put her out of her fucking misery.
I hold my breath when Kaycee gets the wrench in her grasp and stumbles to her feet. She weaves back and forth on shaky knees but stands as tall as possible, balancing herself on the pole with her free hand to steady her swaying body. Her glazed eyes fog over more as her fight for survival continues. Just a little fucking longer, sweetheart. Keep your fighting spirit up.
“You never learn when to stay down, do you? You just keep getting up and up—” Hadley gapes, staring at Kaycee with shock.
Most of her victims must go down easily because she’s staring at Kaycee like she’s a zombie coming back to life. I swear she even pales a little. Hadley has always been a brutal, malicious bully since I met her, tearing down other girls. Jealousy ran through her veins like the very blood inside of her. Spiteful ass wench. If Kaycee uses that wrench in her hand to get her revenge on Hadley, I might cum in my pants. And cheer, of course, on the inside. Fuck—I’m so fucked up.
“I did it,” Kaycee says confidently, even with a painful expression twisting her broken face. Blood drips everywhere now, dripping at her feet and soaking into the gross carpet.
“Did what, freak?” Hadley hisses, popping her knuckles and preparing for another attack.
I swallow the chuckle in my throat, imagining what Kaycee’s next words will be. By the look on her face, I know exactly what she will say before she says it. And yup, there it is. She let it slip that she was the one to hack into Hadley’s FlashGram and spill the beans on her infected vagina.
“Holy shit!” I sputter through the laughter I can’t fucking contain, earning a scathing glare from Hadley. Her face glows red, seething with anger. God, this is priceless. She’s like Rudolph, the red-faced cunt.
