Page 12 of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

“We’re not hurting anyone,” said Maverick. He didn’t love how his voice came up an octave, making him sound like a defensive teenager. He consciously lowered it. “We’re not takinganything. We’ll be here for a few days, a week tops. And then we’ll be gone. And when we’re done,waayyymore people will know about this island, which will be great for tourism and good for your economy. It’s a win-win.”

But Petra wouldn’t even look at him. Even her thugs didn’t seem inclined to glance in his direction. He felt invisible, voiceless as a specter. Which he hated more than anything. Oddly, he suddenly remembered standing outside the door of his parents’ bedroom, peering into the dark and finding no one there. That feeling of being alone, abandoned, which used to make him cry, made him angry now. It was a tickling rage that started at the back of his throat and made him feel like he was breathing through a straw.

Then he heard Hector snigger behind him. Maverick turned to see Hector and Gustavo, who had dropped back, whispering to each other, laughing, and felt some of his tension release. Alex stood with arms folded, legs akimbo. He wasn’t huge, but there was an inherent steel to him. He’d never backed down from any fight that had come up, and there had been a few. The guys. Whatever their flaws, they were more family to him than anyone related by blood, except his mom.

Petra looked to Gustavo, who stopped laughing abruptly. “A native son. You should know better than to dishonor this land.”

Gustavo put a hand to this heart. “I have only love for this place,” he said. But she didn’t seem to hear him.

Petra was still holding Angeline’s hand in both of hers. “It’s too late for them. The sickness has already invaded their spirit. But it’s not too late for you.”

What the actual fuck? He felt the guys move in a little closer.

“We don’t mean any disrespect to you or this land. Truly,” said Angeline. The earnestness in her voice caused Maverick to stare at her. “Our games raise millions of dollars for charity. We’ve built schools and libraries around the world, helped folks rebuild after natural disasters. We’ve taken sick kids to Disney, helped their families pay medical bills. We have an ongoing initiative to clean plastic from the oceans. We’re doing good in the world. I promise you that. These games are just a means to an end.”

Angeline was good at that, making Extreme Games and Insane Challenges sound like a force for good in the world. She wasn’t wrong. They did all those things and more. Well,shedid. Would he have done as much without her influence? Probably not. When all of this started it was just about him and Gustavo having fun, showing off, getting laid all over the world. He’d just started giving money away because his publicist at the time told him it was a good way to get tons more followers. And she’d been right.

Petra just smiled at Angeline as if she was a child trying to explain why she believed in Santa Claus.

“Cleaning up the damage created by others is a noble but ultimately fruitless act. Because the destroyers simply grow bolder, less accountable for their actions. They leave others to pay the price for their depravity.”

Ouch. That was harsh. He was a WeWatcher, a gamer, an influencer with millions of followers. He’d been called a man-baby, a douchebag, selfish, lazy.Destroyerseemed a little overly ambitious, like he was some Marvel villain looking to take over the world.

“Brah,” said Hector, drawing the word out long and low in disapproval. “That’s messed up.”

Finally, Petra turned that kryptonite stare Maverick’s way. He held his ground, stuck out his chin and his chest, but he shriveled a little inside. She saw him. All of him.

“You play your games. And people get hurt, isn’t that right?”

Tension jacked up his bad shoulder. It was almost an exact echo of the letter from one of the mothers suing him. A group had banded together to ruin him: MAM for Moms Against Mav.

Maverick stayed silent.

“And what about Chloe Miranda, the girl who went missing during your last misadventure?”

“That had nothing to do with us,” he said, his heart stuttering. “We have fully cooperated with police and been found not responsible.”

That phrase was directly from his lawyer, the thing he was supposed to say every time questions came up. The look she gave him—it was almost pitying.

“Listen,” he said. “All we want is to play the game and go.”

“And all the world wants from men like you, Maverick Dillan, is just to be left alone.”

A lash of anger.

“We’re not leaving,” he said, his voice a whip crack in the quiet. “And you can’t make us. Anton told us that permission was forthcoming from the town council, and we’ve been given provisional access while we wait. So for the time being at least, this site belongs to me.”

Another patient smile.

“Nothingbelongs to you,” Petra said quietly. She moved a little closer, and he had to fight the urge to take a step away. “A thing men like you never understand until it’s too late.”

She turned back to Angeline, leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. Then she turned, both the men behind her stepping aside so that she could walk between them, and they all returned to the vehicle. Once they’d climbed inside, the vehicle idled another moment.Then it spun around and roared out of the gate.

“What did she say?”

Angeline looked up at him. Usually, she was all fire, his biggest defender. But tonight, she looked tired and scared.

“She told me to save myself.” She wrapped her arms around her middle, looking after the disappearing taillights.

---