Page 178

The moment the second horn fills the air, everyone spins around and sprints toward the woods, sending sand everywhere.

There’s laughing and pushing and a lot of cussing as each Hunter begins their own chase. Two guys have the fucking nerve to start wrestling right in front of me, slowing me down.

Goddamn it.

As I’m sidestepping them, I automatically search for Guy. In all the commotion, it’s hard to pick him out…

But he should be passing me…right…about…

Where is he?

There. All I can make out is his back because motherfucker went left. He knew where both girls went and he chose Lisann.

Bracelet vanishes from my mind.

I could get to Kota first. I’m gonna. I don’t give a fuck who gets in my way. We’re in the woods. I’m on the hunt. Tonight, all bets are off. Kota Rhodes is mine.

A lick to each of my canines, I go right.

Coming to a stop, I take in the trees around me, the ground beneath me, and the stars above me. It’s a beautiful spot to be hunted down and taken in the most primitive way possible. I’m not too far from the beach, yet there’s not a soul in sight. If it weren’t for the excited squeals and whoops echoing all around me, I would assume I’m alone out here.

Because I’ve never played 7 Minutes in Heaven, let alone its much more experienced, borderline depraved older sister 7 Minutes in Sea Haven, a couple of my teammates were kind enough to give me some pointers earlier. They were strongly against going full hide-and-seek mode. In this game, you want to be found, and semi-quickly, so you have enough time to reap the rewards. As far as what those rewards entail, they weren’t nearly as forthcoming. “Anything goes as long as you and your Hunter agree,” is all they said.

Unfortunately, Guy and I aren’t in agreement right now.

In typical Guy fashion, he tried to take control of the entire weekend, laying out exactly what we would be doing.

When I suggested something else, something I wanted to do for once, all the strain from before I left Sea Haven came right back. I’ve known who Guy is and how he likes things—his way—for a long time. And I let it be. I let us be. I used to think that was me loving Guy, accepting him. Now I wonder if I was catering to his every whim to keep the peace. Peace that wasn’t even all that peaceful if I’m being honest. Boring, yes. Peaceful, not so much.

Oddly, I found more peace on tour. Every day was a new adventure. I met different people, dated different guys, ate different foods, slept in different places, marveled at different sights, adhered to another schedule, to no schedule, and it opened my mind to not only what could be but also who I could be.

That’s why I fought for this. The concept of 7 Minutes in Sea Haven has always intrigued me but I never would’ve gone for it…before—when I was letting Guy have all the say, all the time. After everything I’ve been through these last four months, learning about what I want, and more importantly what I don’t want, I’m more than ready to play.

And I hoped Guy would be, too. He said he’s willing to change.

He changed all right. He went from barely agreeing to attend, to wanting to orchestrate the entire thing, down to my every move. Literally. Not only did he tell me exactly where to go—straight back, parallel to the path that leads to the parking lot—but to count the number of steps I take. Fifty. How he came up with fifty, I don’t know. Just like I don’t know how many steps I took. I didn’t go straight back either. I crossed the path. Because I don’t have to be Guy’s…rug.

Freaking Khaos. Why’d he have to put that word in my head? Why does he have to be in my head? After months of trying to forget my stepbrother, I’m still drawn to him. Like a moth to a flame.

He’s the opposite of boring. Tatted skin, dirty mouth, sharp jaw, attentive eyes. He’s protective, playful, supportive, thoughtful. He’s sexy without even trying. Undeniable when he is trying. Khaos got me to do things and say things and feel things I shouldn’t have been doing or saying or feeling. Oh, and he can bake.

Of course I find out Khaos didn’t actually turn me down after I promised Guy I’d give us another chance.

Standing here, on this mound of soft dirt, I’m rethinking everything, including why I even made that promise. We can’t get back to where we were. I don’t want to. Where Guy and I were, even before Khaos entered the picture, felt like a rut. Ruts don’t promote growth. They provide stagnancy. Stagnation that feels eerily similar to safety. When my parents divorced and my world turned upside down, I desperately needed safety and I was willing to take it any way I could get it.

Now I’m a woman and I’ve finally found my footing, all on my own, and the last thing I want is to settle for a rut. I deserve better. I deserve progress. I deserve to have a choice.

I’ve chosen. This is my fantasy. If Guy wants to be a part of it, he can do things my way for once.

I secure the blindfold over my eyes, tucking it behind the tops of my ears to listen. Without my eyesight, every sound is amplified, especially the blowhorn in the distance. My whole body erupts in goose bumps so tight my thighs draw together. Even my scalp is tingling.

The Hunters are coming.

No backing out now.

My erratic breathing quickly drowns everything out. Except for my heartbeat. God, I’m like a one-woman band with how much noise I’m making.

I consider pulling the blindfold off just to catch my breath but I know that’s not how it works.