Page 94 of Wicked Deceit
My girl won’t back down. Fuck no. She’s strong as hell, even with a swollen face and blood dripping down her face. She smiles at Hadley, exposing her bloody teeth. My body shudders, fighting the urge to help. Then she says, what is my undoing.
“Make me,” she growls in retaliation for Hadley, telling her to shut up.
And all hell breaks loose before Piper and I can calm the situation down. The wrench connects with Hadley’s face in a flash, knocking her to the ground. She spits and sputters, tossing a blood-curdling scream out. I stare down at her, grinning behind my mask.
“Fuck!” Piper shouts, marching toward Kaycee before I can stop her. Wrapping an arm around her neck, she applies enough pressure to take her down. But not before Kaycee gets the last word in on a squirming Hadley. Kaycee’s eyes droop and her body slumps, succumbing to the darkness, begging to take her. At least there, her pain won’t exist.
Piper scowls as she lifts her mask, keeping Kaycee pressed against her. “You failed to keep her secured!” She hisses, pointing a finger at me with accusation.
I scoff, lifting my mask. “You seriously think that’s a good fight?” I roll my eyes, tossing a hand out. “You seriously think our viewers would want to see some bitch tied up while another wails on her? Fuck that. I made it interesting. Intriguing. They didn’t know who was going to win.” I shake my head, walking toward Piper, still clinging to Kaycee.
“To me, it looked like you helped her. You didn’t, did you?” she barks, shoving Kaycee’s body into mine before turning to help Hadley. I catch her immediately, trying not to relax with her in my arms. Her head lulls on my shoulder as I growl at Piper more.
“The fuck I look like?” I growl.
“Bravo! Bravo!” A loud voice rings through the room, and hands clap, gaining all of our attention.
I grunt at the figures moving into the room with their red robes shining in the dull light. Their masks sit on top of their heads, giving us a disgusting view of their faces. Crowe smiles at us, pride lighting up his face.
“But Daddy, he—” Piper’s lip pouts when Crowe holds a hand in her direction.
“No, no, Love, he did exactly what a leader would do,” He coos at her, rubbing a finger down her jaw. Her face sags, and the same love-sick dopey expression takes over her face. She looks at him like he hung the moon, and to her, he did. Their deep kisses and groping session repeat in my mind every time I look at them together, and I want to gag on reflex.
“Besides, that stunt made the bids soar through the roof,” Shaw says with a smirk, clapping his hands. “She’s a moneymaker, and when that wrench hit your poor face, it drove the bidders crazy,” he cackles, looking down at Hadley as she holds her face, still bleeding everywhere.
The fuck is wrong with these fuckers? Everything. Everything is wrong with these assholes. They need serious help or a bullet to the fucking brain.
“And that’s why, Son, it’s time for you to earn your robe,” my father says with a sickening proud smile, making my stomach drop into my ass. He cocks his head. “You’ve proven your worth to us. You improved the game, and now I think you’re ready,” he says smoothly, folding his hands together. But whatever words he uses makes my heart beat double time. The fuck does that mean?
“Delta, Panty Licker, take our hostage to the last room.” He snaps his fingers in Trent and Oscar’s direction, and they step forward.
Fuck. Fuck. I have her in my arms. She’s here with me, yet I have to let her go. Especially with the silver peeking out from the split in the psycho’s robes, taunting me if I fuck up and run with her. They’ll shoot me on sight. Even with his words ringing in my head about trusting me and how I’ve proven myself, the time still isn’t right.
Reigning in the boiling anger brewing inside me, I take a deep breath. In and out. Deep into my lungs. I let her go. Trent takes her lifeless form into his arms with a wicked grin. I immediately follow him with clenched fists, ready to punch his stupid fucking face.
“Son,” my father’s authoritative voice stops me in my tracks. After all these years, he still has this pull on me. It’s conditioned me to obey his orders, fall to my knees, and do as he asks. Or at least, that’s what he thinks. For now, I’m doing what I have to do to survive—for Kaycee.
“Father,” I say, turning to look at the wall of crazies lining up in their red robes. Piper stands beside her father, staring up at him, smiling. It’s sickly sweet and downright perverse.
“For this next round, you will sit out and watch from the office. Once the ceremony is complete, we’ll invite you back in.” His head tilts, watching my reaction.
“And then I get to do whatever I want?” I ask, slipping my evil smile back into place.
They chuckle at my response, and my blood boils in my veins.
“Oh, yes, whatever you want. She is your trial, after all. Much like the bitch before was hers,” Shaw says, pointing toward Piper.
“And I got her good!” Piper giggles, clapping her hands.
I’d like to get her good—really fucking good. Maybe a throat punch and a trip to the bottom of the ocean in pieces would do her some good.
The crazies lead me back to the viewing room—the first room I saw them in—and sit me down. They don’t say a word, leaving with only one instruction. Don’t leave this room. I know this is another fucking test. And God damn do I need to fucking pass to save her.
Everyroominthehouse sits on the monitors in front of me: the empty fish tank, the empty pole, and the woman whose scream fills the hallway, begging in another empty room. They bound her hands, and blood drips from her chest where red welts are. Leaning forward, I scrunch my eyebrows at fucking Francesca Hurst when she throws her head back, begging them to stop the torture and set her free. My lips pop open as I watch her struggling against her restraints like a wild animal caught in a cage, thrashing her whole body around. It looks like my father let her out of his damn prison and led her straight to fucking Hell.
Moving my eyes, I finally spot Kaycee slumped over in a chair with two black figures tying her hands to the armrests. I grind my teeth in frustration. At least they aren’t hurting her—yet. Fuck!
I pound my fist into the desk with a heavy thud. Knickknacks, pencil holders, and a fucking folder lift into the air from the force of my frustration. Anger settles into the pits of my black heart and threatens to bubble over. A twitch forms in my right eye, and I heave a breath to straighten myself the fuck out. I should fucking be there with her, softening whatever they have up their sleeves.
