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“Music to my ears, darling. I can’t wait to make you beg. Beg me to stop. Beg me to keep going. And the thing is, you’re going to let me inject you. You’ll let me tie you up and let my guys and me use your body over and over again.”

“Never,” I whisper.

Jack’s eyes sparkle with the pride he feels for me.

Zach’s smile is pure evil. “I’m sure after watching your friends have a go, you’ll willingly submit to me.”

My knees feel like jelly. My friends? Kenz was missing. Penny too.

We just need time. The guys will make it here. They’ll find wherever Zach and Tanner brought us and they’ll save us before anything worse happens. Caden always rescues me in time.

“Go see what’s keeping Tanner,” Zach bites out to the smaller guy. He slips by me and takes off down the hallway. “I’m done waiting to start.”

My fists tighten around my batons. I just have to hold them off long enough and keep Jack and me safe. And whoever else they’re holding here. Luke, Eli, Caden, and Nico will come for us. They have to.

CHAPTER 22

The Squelch

Penny

“We’re going to get out of this.” Will tentatively touches my shoulder.

The dark room is cold, and a chill rushes through my body. Will scoots closer and drapes his jacket around me. He doesn’t remove his hand, and I don’t want him to. This situation is more fucked up than being set up for a dance with someone I once laughed at.

“Is this okay?” He’s been so sweet to me all night, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. That he’ll do something to make me pay for the humiliation I served him in eighth grade. I’d like to think that’s the only reason tension flows beneath my skin, but when we danced and I accidentally looked into his eyes, there was a moment that I couldn’t help wondering if this might be more than revenge.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask. His jacket is warm and smells like him, tantalizing, but he’s even warmer.

He pulls away a little. “Because you seem cold.”

“No.” I shake my head at the misinterpretation and lean into his warmth, unable to resist.

His arm hesitantly wraps around my shoulders, holding loosely like I might pull away at any minute. He’s so warm and tall, and his cologne works for me. I’m not sure why, but it does.

He’s a good-looking guy. Dancing close to him was torture because my body didn’t get the memo that he might hate us for what we did in eighth grade. In fact, my body was on board with whatever his body decided to do. It’s why I had to get away from him earlier at the dance.

I’m so fucking confused. The others shuffle in the darkness around us. Kenz and Brandon speak quietly to each other. Angela huffs and calls out for Tanner for the millionth time.

I turn my face toward Will’s and ask softly, “Why was this your ask? Why did you want to go to Homecoming with me?”

“Oh.” He curls his fingers against my arm, holding me close. Almost like he’s afraid I’ll pull away. His body is taut.

That’s not an answer. I just want someone to tell me the truth for once. I’m sick of playing all these games.

“You barely speak to me during art. Even though we’re partners,” I say. I just want to understand. “You didn’t ask me, but a date to Homecoming with me was all you wanted from the horsemen.”

Everyone knows a favor from the horsemen is powerful. So why choose to waste it on me?

“Yeah,” Kenz’s voice comes out of the darkness. “I mean, if it’s a crush, cool. But if this was a revenge scheme, you obviously took too long to pull it off. Not that we knew we’d all get kidnapped.”

Will clears his throat. I shift against him. I wasn’t aware everyone was paying attention to our conversation. My cheeks heat.

“Maybe he’s why we’re here.” Angela’s voice goes all high-pitched. “What did you do to Tanner?”

“Nothing!” Will says. He releases my arm, but I hold onto his shirt, keeping him close to me.

“Calm down.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t think Will had anything to do with this.”