Page 165 of Deviant

“If you’ll all follow me, I’ll escort you to your next game.”

“No rush, Henry. No rush,” Andy teases, throwing me a conspiring wink.

As always, I make sure that everyone leaves the room before I do. I like trailing behind the group, since this way I can keep a vigilant eye on Rowen, without running the risk of getting caught. But when Henry starts to lead us into the east wing of thehouse, a sick sense of Deja Vu assaults me. And when he stops at a familiar door, every face I see holds the same trepidation I feel.

“Please, after you,” he says, opening the door for us to enter.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit,” Ruby grumbles, biting her nails as we enter the same windowless room we first visited the night we arrived.

“No one better touch the goddamn light switch. We all know how well that turned out for us last time,” David warns, not wanting to see the reason why our hosts selected us in the first place.

But where the first time the room was completely bare of any furnishings, this time there are ten chairs placed in a circle at the center of the room. But that isn’t what alarms me. It’s the table at the head of the room with various lethal objects and weaponry that has my jaw ticking nonstop.

“I’m really starting to not like this place,” Big Mike grumbles as he eyes the wrench, baseball bat, pliers, and other cool things that can be used against him.

“Please, take your seats. Today is a group day, so don’t feel the need to sit by your assigned partner.”

Great.

At least I have that.

I wait for Rowen to sit down with Abigail, before I choose my own chair opposite both girls.

“Good idea. Boys versus girls. Finally, an idea I can get behind,” Ruby snickers, taking a seat next to Mackenzie.

“Let’s take those two seats, babe. That way, we can still sit next to each other,” Harper coos over at Andy.

“You two are so adorable, I might gag. Oh wait, I already am inside,” Ruby says sarcastically before pretending to barf.

“Don’t listen to her, Andy. Haters gonna hate no matter what you do,” Harper rolls her eyes before planting a big kiss on Andy’s lips.

“Are you two about done? We’ve got a game to play, or did you forget?” David scolds, waiting for Henry to give out the instructions.

It’s only after he’s made sure that everyone is in their seat and the room is quiet that he proceeds.

“I am not at liberty to say what will happen in this room for the next few hours. But I can tell you that should you follow our hosts’ commands, you will leave with your lives. Should you fail those orders, then death is but inevitable. Good luck to all.” He then stares up at the cameras and nods, before leaving the room and locking it behind him.

Once he’s gone, a second barely passes before we all feel our watches vibrate and ring out loud.

Ten of you entered this room, but only nine will leave it.

Play well or die.

“I fucking hate this room,” Ruby curses at the watch.

We don’t have to wait long for the echo of an incoming text to ring out in the room.

Big Mike stares at his watch, smiles, then shows the text he just received to the rest of the group.

Make Abigail cry.

“With pleasure.” He chuckles, before strutting over to where Abigail is sitting. I can see loathing in her gaze as he approaches her, but when he’s within arm’s reach, he doesn’t antagonize her like I expected and instead just stands there, staring at her with that stupid smug smile on his face.

My forehead creases as we all watch Abigail start to shake as if his gaze holds some kind of power over her. When he sees she’s close to her breaking point, I watch him mouth something to her. He’s too far away from me to be certain of what he utters, but it looks a lot like, “You loved it.”

The fuck is that all about?

Whatever the meaning behind the words, it does the trick of getting Abigail to start crying hysterically. Big Mike’s smile broadens, turning on his heel to walk back to his chair.

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