Page 96 of The Most Dangerous Games

But none of them look comforted.

62.

An hour later, after they’d all finished dinner, Jimmy Donaldson comes walking into the estate dining room.

For half a second, nobody moves. Alek’s chair scrapes as she stands, shock turning instantly into angry relief. She can’t hold back a smile. “You know how to make an exit.”

Jack’s eyes narrow. “Nobody else who pushed the button ever came back.”

“What’s going on?” Hannah whispers.

Jimmy looks . . . normal. He’s wearing a navy sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers. And an almost sheepish look on his face. He looks as surprised to be there as they are to see him.

He raises both hands, palms out. “Okay,” he says. “I deserve that look. I deserve all of it.”

Tipton’s voice cuts in from another table. “I’m not applauding.”

Jimmy doesn’t even glance his way. He looks at the twenty of them like he’s counting faces, like he’s checking who made it, who didn’t.

“Listen, we’ve already pretty much established that I talk too much,” he says. “And I’m sure you’ve all got a bunch of questions about what happened. But none of that matters as much as this: I’m still here for all of you.”

“How did you even get here? You pushed your red button,” Wyatt says. “I mean, not that we aren’t glad to see you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Tipton says. “Fame has perks.”

“I’ll bet it does,” Lopez says.

Jimmy ignores him. “I can’t tell you yet,” Jimmy says. “Not in here.”

Alek stares at him. “So you just . . . forced your way back in?”

Jimmy’s expression hardens. “No. I didn’t force anything.”

Lopez’s voice comes from the other side, amused. “So you’re back because they want you back.”

“Look, we all know good people who are gone,” he says. “I came back to show you I’m still in this. I’m worried that there will be more unless somebody does something. And that somebody has to be me.”

“But how?” Jack says.

He shakes his head. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. Starting with finding out who’s really behind these games. I stayed when I thought this was fair, but I’ve seen you can take care of yourselves. I can’t help from in here—”

Tipton smirks. “That’s convenient.”

Jimmy turns, finally, and looks straight at Tipton. “It’s not convenient. It’s leverage. They think they can use me.”

He faces the room again. “Someone needs to figure out who’s actually in charge.”

Jack’s voice is rough. “We should go with you—”

Jimmy’s eyes flick to Jack—just for a moment, like he’s seeing Elena in the space beside him.

“Not yet,” Jimmy says.

Silence.

Then Wyatt says the simplest thing in the room. “I trust you.”

Jimmy exhales, like he didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath since he walked in.