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Nine circles.
Heath.
Purgat—
“I thought I would find you here, little gymnast,” a familiar voice purred, and I lifted my head to see Tanner leaning against a stone pillar, his arms crossed over his muscular chest and a wicked grin unfurling on his lips.
Tanner was, for lack of a better word, hot. Hot as hell. And by the smug smile always pulling up his lips, he knew it too. His strong jawline had the lightest covering of blond scruff, the exact same color of his almost golden hair. His aqua eyes, always reminding me of the Caribbean Sea, twinkled as if he knew a secret no one else did. He had the slightest accent that made me believe he was Australian, though it was never overly present. The tattoos on his chest gave him a dangerous aura—one that warned good girls to stay far, far away.
But I’d never been a good girl.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a silver lighter, his features distorting in the shadows made from the orange and red flame he conjured. His eyes stared intently at the small flame, a furrow appearing between his brows, before he sighed and closed the lid once more, placing it back into his pocket.
“Have you been looking for me?” I queried as I lowered my body into the middle splits and bent over my right leg. His eyes flared with heat, though he didn’t take a step closer.
I didn’t know if I was relieved or disappointed by that.
“Always,” he said with forced cheer, though there was a strain around his eyes that I’d never seen before. I wondered if Aiden had told him about the poker game, though I didn’t know when he would’ve had the time. When he left this morning?
But if Tanner knew, he didn’t mention it as he finally pushed himself off the pillar and crossed to the ring. He placed both of his huge, calloused hands on the rope, his plush lower lip disappearing into his mouth as he nibbled on the flesh.
“What?” I asked, placing my legs together in a pike and bending forward to touch my toes.
“Can’t a man just watch his girl look sexy as fuck?” Though he tried for a joking tone, it came off forced.
“I’m not your girl,” I retorted, lifting my head and narrowing my eyes. My anger dissipated, replaced by confusion, when I finally noted the darkness shrouding his handsome features. “What’s wrong? Did Aiden…?”
“Did he tell us about what Heath told you?” His jaw clenched, even as he nodded. “Yeah. He did.”
“And…?” I finally stopped my stretches to give him my complete attention. Those blue orbs pierced me, pierced my soul, until I wondered if I was quite literally drowning in the sea of his gaze.
“And…” He forked his fingers through his golden hair. “We need to have a meeting. Now. Grab your shit and come with me.”
I followedTanner towards the shed at the edge of the property. The rickety building appeared to have seen better days, half of the walls constructed of nothing but distressed, steadily deteriorating wood. A single table rested in the center of the room, where an assortment of supplies was positioned, including a lantern that Tanner grabbed and lit with that damn lighter he always carried around.
He led me past all of that, though, towards a steep staircase hidden near the back of the shed. My heart beat heavily with trepidation and fear as I hesitated at the top step, staring down into the black abyss below.
Tanner paused too, turning back to meet my gaze with an unreadable expression in his eyes. His grip on the lantern tightened, even as his other hand extended towards me. Waiting. Allowing me to place my trust in him.
“Are you coming, little gymnast?”
That one question settled on my chest like a two-ton weight, pressing down until my rib cage cracked in protest. But it didn’t kill me.
Taking another deep breath, my shoulders touching my ears before falling, I placed my hand in his and allowed him to lead me down the steep, rickety staircase.
The shadows made from his lantern seemed to dance on the walls, a macabre show of writhing shapes and silhouettes. I could’ve sworn that some of the shadows resembled monsters with clawed hands and long, serrated teeth.
Finally, we reached the bottom of the staircase, where I caught sight of the mysterious tunnel for the first time since I’d arrived at the school.
It was easily wide enough to fit two people standing side by side and smelled vaguely of mildew and mold. The walls were constructed from numerous rocks, each varying in size and shape and resting haphazardly on top of one another.
The first person I saw was Aiden, his arms folded over his chest as he rested against the nearest stone wall. His pierced eyebrows raised when he saw me, but other than that miniscule tick of expression, he gave no outward reaction to my appearance.
Beside him, sitting on the dirt, was Kace.
My heart gave a strange pitter-patter when I stared into the man’s arresting face. I couldn’t help but remember the last time I’d seen him, when I accidentally hurt myself and he freaked out on me. He looked the same as he had then, his face hollow and ashen and riddled with guilt. His auburn hair was streaked with gold and bright red, the colors heightened by the flame of the lantern resting on the ground beside him. His hazel eyes were shrouded in darkness, making them appear almost black, and his long fingers thrummed against his jeans.
He didn’t glance up when I entered. Didn’t even acknowledge me.
