Page 88 of Rat Race

Now?

I was terrified of what else they'd manage to find.

If Kohl and I managed to survive the game, would our relationship?

“Fine,” I hissed, catching Kohl’s eye.

The TV was still playing highlights of Cam and Aubrey’s win.

Speaking of new relationships and nothing to lose, I had an idea.

Sarah’s balding crony delivered a punishing punch to Kohl’s ribs, making them double over onto their hands and knees with a wheeze.

The moment they left the room, Sarah-Beth tapping her watch like a fucking cunt, I raced to Kohl, catching their face in my hand.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” they spat out irritably. “You had your scheming face on. Have a plan?”

“When don’t I?” I asked breezily, helping them stand. “They really think they can play us like this? Fuck us over and we are just going to take it? As if. Bring in the fucking crazies.”

“The crazies?” they asked in bewilderment, rubbing their ribs.

I reached out to grip their chin, turning their head toward Aubrey and Cam, waving and smiling for the cameras.

“About time we go congratulate our old friend Aubrey, don’t you think?”

Aubrey

You did good, you little psychopath.

Maybe Cam was onto something about this winning thing.

Looking out onto the crowd of people, all of them vying for our photo, yelling questions, and overall just treating us like stars was something I’d never experienced in my life.

My after-dark channel had some similar perks along with my sponsorships, but standing here was…enlightening.

They absolutely loved us. Some of them looked at us like we were gods.

I mean, we sort of are.

In the maze,wechose who lived or died.Wewere the ones who’d stopped Elijah from winning. Collected Hiram’s prize money. Had the most viewership. Held them all in the palm of our hands. Baited breaths waiting at the edge of their seats.

Sounds pretty fucking godlike to me.

I stood straight, trying to ignore the pain traveling through my body form the burns and cuts littering my skin. The after-game medics were great and had dressed my wounds almost as soon as the photo-op at the maze exit was over, but that didn’t mean I was miraculously healed.

It’d been hours since we first stepped into the maze. I’d run for my life, fell from a hole to a shallow, water-filled concretefloor, gotten the life fucked out of me, and almost got burned to a crisp. Tired didn’t even begin to cover it.

I’m ready to get the fuck out of here.

Natalie’s face flashed across my mind. I’d almost forgotten her when Cam entered my life. The way her death was ripped from my hands by Hiram… It hardly seemed like it mattered anymore.

Maybe I should thank her.

As annoying as she fucking had been, she’d also been the reason I entered the Games in the first place. And without entering the maze, I would’ve never met Cam.

The thought was almost enough to make me cringe.

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