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“We’re going out tonight.”
“And I care because…?”
“Because we are going out tonight. The Doe is going out tonight. It’s time for the first challenge.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“So you can get ready.”
“To go out?”
“Yes. But like out, out. Just out. Outside. At night. In autumn. When you might want to blend in with your dark and leafy surroundings.”
I have no idea what he’s on about.
“Kaiden–”
“Remember when we used to play in the woods back home?”
“Yeah…?”
“Good times.”
The line goes dead and I shake my head. The boy’s crazy.
I need to study. But first, clothes.
* * *
My phone buzzesand I see it’s a private message from Kaiden.
We’re coming, be ready x
Him and his kiss can fuck off. I am not ready for whatever bullshit tonight and the rest of this stupid contest will bring. I should probably be grateful for the head’s up, but I’m not. All of the anger that had started to simmer down over the last couple of weeks rears back up to the surface and I’m raging once again.
I pull on my trainers and hoodie, grab my backpack and pocket my phone just as there’s a soft knock at my door.
Zie.
Even after all this time I still recognise the way each of them raps on a door. Which is incredibly sad and pathetic of me. I consider climbing out of the window to escape them, but something tells me I wouldn’t get very far.
Swinging the door open, I take in the three men standing before me. They’re dressed head to toe in black - which isn’t that unusual I guess - but it’s the sight of all three of them in sweats and trainers that has me laughing.
“Oh, are we going for a run? Is that the challenge? Because I think I can still beat you.”
I may have only been able to run circles around Zie to begin with, but I was on both the athletics and the cross country teams at school. As the boys grew up and found other pastimes to amuse themselves with, I ran and swam and worked hard to beat them in every small way that I could.
And I spent the last year getting back into shape, both mentally and physically.
“Laugh it up, Doe. While you can,” Axel threatens, stepping forward. He reaches out with some dark material in his hands and a sadistic grin on his face that makes my teasing laughter fall short.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I growl as a dark pillowcase is pulled over my head.
“Sorry, babygirl, it has to be like this.” Kaiden captures my hands, before I can rip it off.
“I should gut you right now.”
“You’re being dramatic,” Axel snaps. “Behave or we’ll have to restrain you.” That does make me still.
