Page 36 of Wicked Games

Tate’s face had gone stark white, and his gaze was fixed on Evan’s lifeless body. “I… I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“Sorry?” Rhys said sharply, hands clenching at his sides. “Your theory got Evan killed. You think sorry is enough to—”

He was cut off by the robotic voice announcing the beginning of the sixth level. Zach and April quickly returned to their squares, and Maverick guided us all through the sequence again, loudly calling out the colors.

“We’re going to get through this, okay?” he called out once we’d cleared the level. “I know you all want to cry and scream and freak out, but you have to save it for later. For now, it’s all about survival. Got it?”

Everyone nodded numbly. Maverick’s calm voice guided us through level after level, and after what felt like an eternity, the game was finally over.

“Congratulations, players,” the robot voice said. “You all passed, with the exception of player six. You may leave the gaming room now.”

There was a mechanical hissing sound followed by a loud click in the door. It swung open, revealing the hallway outside.

“Uh… let’s go, I guess,” Rhys muttered, looking around at everyone. He didn’t move, though. It seemed as if he was rooted to the spot in fear and confusion, just like me.

I looked upward, terrified that this was all some sort of cruel trick where the metal rod would shoot down to impale me as soon as I attempted to leave my square. Several of the others seemed to have the same concern, eyes fixed on the pipes above.

“Carey.”

My eyes snapped to the left at the sound of my name. Maverick was standing next to me with his right hand extended.He’d stepped off his own square in order to reach me, and he was totally fine. “Come on,” he muttered. “Time to go.”

I took his hand and let him lead me off the gaming floor. I was grateful for the warmth and support in this cold, terrifying place, and for those moments, our nasty history and mutual dislike was forgotten.

When we reached the doorway, I lifted my chin and met his eyes. His expression was unreadable. “Thanks,” I murmured. “I really thought I was going to—”

“I know.” He kept my hand in his and squeezed it. “I get it.”

His touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I shivered involuntarily. We were standing so close that our faces were nearly touching. Suddenly I felt a surge of desire; a heat spreading through me that had nothing to do with fear.

I quickly brushed it aside, chalking it up to the intensity of the game. We were survivors, loaded with adrenaline and clinging to whatever support we could get in the face of unimaginable danger. That was all. I wasn’t actually aroused by Maverick right now. No way.

I took a deep breath and pulled my hand away. “Thanks again,” I said.

“No problem.” He was staring down at me now, eyes flickering with indecipherable emotion. I had a feeling I knew what he was thinking, though. He was probably wondering if he did the right thing in helping me, given our bad blood along with the earlier suspicion aimed at me.

Then again, he seemed to be fairly convinced that the Game Master was an outsider, meaning he shouldn’t suspect me at all, even if many of the others did.

As my mind raced through the possibilities, I inhaled sharply and took a sudden faltering step back. It had just occurred to me that Maverick’s calmness and steady hand could be a sign of his own culpability in this situation. Perhaps he was able to remainso cool and collected because he knew he couldn’t lose. Knew he was always in control.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning as he registered the sudden shift in my energy. “I mean, apart from the obvious.”

I swallowed thickly and averted my eyes. “Just the obvious stuff, like you said,” I said. “This whole situation. The games. The cameras everywhere. Evan.”

“Right.” He dipped his chin in a curt nod. “I’ll try to help out with the games. Help everyone, I mean.”

“Thanks,” I murmured.

“I know most of us aren’t friends here, so that might be a little hard to believe,” he went on, still staring at me with that penetrating gaze. “But you can trust me. I swear.”

That wasn’t true. I still had no idea what was happening in this mansion or why I’d been selected as a player, but I did know one thing for sure.

I couldn’t trust anyone.

Carey

A series of pings echoed through the hall, and everyone pulled out their phones. I grabbed mine and quickly scanned the new message from the Game Master.

Congratulations on passing the first game!

---