Page 45 of Deadly Little Games

Lucas falls into step beside me. There’s a large bonfire up ahead casting shadows into the night. A fewpeople surround it, talking amongst themselves. They’re all dressed in different villain outfits, just like Rune said. Freya starts talking to a few people and flashing her phone screen at them. She moves quickly before disappearing again up ahead. It’s going to be a fun night babysitting her ass.

Beyond the fire, there’s the entrance to the graveyard—an old, worn-down fence—then grave upon grave. Rather than being disturbed, I find comfort in the midst of the deceased; it’s a welcome relief. At least the dead know how to be silent.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Freya

Hazen sticks to me like glue as I navigate through the crowd. I urgently question every person I come across about the whereabouts of my brother, flashing them the last photo I took of him at the diner, cooking burgers with a playful grin on his face. Tears well up in my eyes, their sting threatening to spill over, but I fight back the urge to cry. I can’t. Tonight, my mission is to find Alec, no matter what. At this point, I’ve reached my limit, and I’m going to make sure my brother comes back with me.

We move further into the graveyard, but it becomes quieter. The fading light makes it increasingly difficult to see, but the faint strains of music still reach our ears from somewhere to our right. Hazen lifts out his phone, its bright torch illuminating the darkness.

“From memory, the actual party is underground. I just can’t remember which one’s the entrance,” Hazen says, then something catches his eye and we move toward it.

As we get closer, the bass of the music reverberates through the air, growing more intense. We come to a halt in front of an imposing mausoleum, guarded by two sturdyiron doors. With a determined stride, Hazen steps forward and applies pressure to the door, and it opens with a reluctant squeal. As he slips away into the shadows, I follow him without any second thought.

I am surrounded by darkness as it wraps around me tightly. The unmistakable sound of footsteps crunching against the dirt floor reaches my ears, followed by a hand grasping mine. My scream escapes, but I quickly clamp my hand over my mouth to stifle the end of it.

“Shh, just me,” Hazen whispers.

I cling to his intertwined fingers like my life depends on it—because it does. I’m with one of The Brotherhood members in a dark chamber in a graveyard. Stupid move.

My heart hammers against my ribcage, threatening to burst. As we walk further, the bass of the music reverberates through the air, growing increasingly louder. We follow it through the dark tunnel, the musty smell of damp earth getting stronger with each step. A faint light finally begins to erratically dance and twirl across the walls, and we hurry forward until a burst of brightness blinds me, stopping me in my tracks. Shielding my eyes with my other hand, I blink a few times until my vision adjusts.

The tunnel leads to a spacious cave filled with people dancing and chatting. A DJ is set up and music pours from the speakers. I was not expecting this at all.

“Wow,” I breathe.

Hazen leans down closer to me so I can hear him over the music. “Yeah, the guys know how to throw parties here. Pretty sick.”

Something lands on my shoulder, and I jump. Whirling around, I find Lucas grinning at me. Hazen drops my hand instantly, and I miss the warmth. Lucas wraps me under hisarm, and I can’t help but lean in, relishing the comforting heat he provides.

“Anything yet?” he whispers in my ear, and I shake my head.

“Come on, let’s get a drink and ask around,” he says, and we start moving through the thick crowd. A few people get out of our way, but others don’t budge until Lucas makes them.

I lean my elbows down on the black gothic-looking bar with imprints of skulls on its surface. Lucas orders us some drinks while I turn to the girl next to me, tapping her on the shoulder. She offers me a warm smile and I lean in, practically yelling in her ear so she can hear me over the music.

“Do you know where I can find someone named Levi?”

“Levi Asher?” she asks, and I nod, guessing that’s his last name because I have no idea.

“Yeah, he’s working behind the bar.” She spins around, pointing at a guy behind the bar with a bald head. “That’s him,” she says.

“Thank you so much.”

Lucas shoves a shot glass in front of me and I raise an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth lifts before he clinks it with mine and downs it. I follow suit. It burns as it makes its way down my throat, and I put the empty glass back on the bar.

I move through the crowd to the other side of the bar where Levi is pouring out shots. I squirm through two guys and pop up in front of him. He hands off the shots, then leans over the bar.

“What can I getcha, cutie?” he asks in a smooth tone.

“Answers,” I say, and he cocks his head to the side. “Have you seen my brother, Alec LeClair? He was going to rent a couple of rooms from you.”

Levi frowns, looking over my shoulder as warmth fills my back, and I don’t have to turn to know who’s there. Lucas lands his arms on either side of the bar, caging me in, and leans his head on my shoulder.

“Answer her. Now,” Lucas growls, his breath tickling my ear and sending shivers down my spine.

Levi raises his hands up before leaning over the bar. “Huh, you don’t look anything like your brother, apart from your eyes.” He frowns before shaking his head. “I haven’t seen him since he checked out the place a couple of months ago.”

---