“Bastards,” Mollie muttered.
“And how many hunters do they have in the competition?” Mike inquired.
“This year there are twenty-five, but that number varies from year to year,” Scott said.
“And how many security guards are on the island?”
“I don’t know. Ten work the house and barn, but there are others on the island that I’ve never seen; I only know they exist because I’ve overheard the others talking about them.”
Mike believed him when he said he didn’t know. Scott was scared, and his pulse was racing, but he held Mike’s eyes and didn’t appear to be trying to think of lies before answering. For a human, he knew a lot about the workings of this house, but the Savages probably paid little attention to him and spoke about things when they didn’t realize he was listening.
“And where are the guards now?” Doug asked.
“They went out with the hunters who requested to have security with them,” Scott said.
Mollie released a bitter laugh. “So not only are they so cowardly they hunt the weak, but they also have guards with them? This place is horrific.”
Doug reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder before glancing at Mike and jerking his hand away. Mike hadn’t realized he’d tensed at Doug’s motion until Scott squeaked.It’s only Doug. He would never hurt her.
But it didn’t matter; he’d been unable to stop the rage boiling within him at the idea ofanyother man touching her. Mollie’s eyebrows rose as she gazed at him before she clasped his free hand and gave it a brief squeeze before releasing it. Taking a steadying breath, Mike eased his grip on Scott’s throat.
“Are there any other humans in this house?” Mike inquired.
“Yes,” Scott said.
Mollie’s breath sucked in, and Scott’s eyes flickered to her. Hope burst so forcefully through her that for a minute she couldn’t speak. “Are they alive?” she finally demanded.
“Yes,” Scott replied.
“Where are they?” Doug asked.
“The basement.”
“Take us to them,” Mike commanded.
Scott gulped again. “Yes. Okay, follow me.”
Mike eased his grip on him enough to slide his hand around to Scott’s nape. It didn’t matter if he was telling the truth or not; the fact Scott had been wandering the house on his own didn’t win him any trust points with Mike.
“Why didn’t you run from here when they went out to hunt?” Mollie asked as they strode down the hall toward the stairs.
“And become one of the hunted?” Scott retorted.
“What are you then, a servant?”
“I am whatever they need me to be,” Scott murmured.
“They’ll kill you one day,” Mike assured him.
“Perhaps, but I’ve already lived longer than the rest of the humans who come through here.”
“Don’t you want to leave?” Mollie asked.
“Of course,” Scott replied. “But I’d never get far before they chased me down and killed me like so many others. Except, to punish me, they’d play with me for a lot longer than they do the others.”
Mollie didn’t want to think about what that kind of play would entail; the heads were answer enough to that. “So this is all just a game to them?” Mollie asked as they descended the stairs to the massive living room.
Scott shrugged as he led them back to the hallway they’d already searched. “To some, it’s a game; to others, it’s a lifestyle.”
