Page 46 of Forbidden Deviant Games

“I don’t know who he is,” Troy says sitting up. “I think they go to school together or something.” I release his shirt and move back a little—afraid that if I don’t I’ll wring his fucking neck. He scrubs a hand down his face. “I’m sorry,” he repeats. “Neither of us thought he would get violent.”

“How’d he get the jump on you?” I demand. He has to make it make sense. There’s no way a trained professional like him could be taken out by a fucking kid.

“Sheer dumb luck,” Troy says. “I hit my head too hard. I didn’t—she was … Viks…” Troy looks up at me and there’s regret in his eyes. I don’t have time for regret. I need to correct this. I need to find her.

I snatch up my phone and put it back to my ear. “Rewind the feed,” I order Jackson. “She was here.” I turn to Troy. “If she’s hurt, I’ll fucking kill you,” I warn him. Troy nods as if he expected as much.

“Holy shit.” Jackson’s voice in my ear brings me back to him.

“Did you find out where she went?” I demand.

“There’s a door,” Jackson says. “I watched a guy enter. There was a fight. Troy’s knocked out—the kid that went in dragged her out an emergency exit. Away from the railing in the corner. It looks like he hit a latch or something.”

“Where does it lead?” I demand, my legs eating up the distance as I hit the back wall. I shove my gun back in its holster and start feeling along the panels.

“Probably outside,” Jackson says. “This place used to be a warehouse. Cain would know better than me.”

“Call him,” I order. “I want to—”

“He’s here,” Jackson interrupts me. There’s a brief crackling noise over the line and then Cain Devereaux’s voice hits my ears.

“A lot of the private rooms have an emergency exit in case of a fire or a disaster or something,” he states. “Check the corner about four feet up from the floor and run your fingers along the top of that panel. There’ll be a—”

“Found it!” I grip the small handle that’s flat and practically invisible against the wall and pull. A door pops out and I curse.

Troy looks around me. “Where does it lead?”

I hand the phone to him and he presses it to his ear, I don’t hear what Cain tells him as I shove the slim door wider. Fuck, it’s not gonna fit me. I’m going to have to go sideways.

“You go this way,” Troy says, pushing me when I turn back to him. “It leads to an alley on the side of the building. I’ll meet you on the outside.”

I nod and turn to the side, shuffling into the entryway. My attention is called back a second later, though, by a hand on my shoulder. “For what it’s worth,” Troy says as he slips my phone into his back pocket. "If she’s hurt, you can kill me with my own gun.”

“Just hurry up,” I say. I don’t really want to focus on the possibility that Haley could be … no, I shake off the unwanted and completely unneeded thought. She’s going to be fucking fine. I nod to the still open door across the room that leads back into the main part of the club. “Meet me in the alley. I’m going to get her.”

He sucks in a breath, jerks his head into a stiff nod, and then takes off. I shove myself further into the pitch black of the emergency exit.

“Wait for me, baby,” I mutter, sliding my hands along the wall. “I’m coming.”

23

HALEY

“No.”I still can’t believe it. “No fucking way.” I gape at the man before me. My gaze goes from Kennedy to Josh and back again.

“I can explain everything, Haley.” Josh puts his hands out as if he’s placating a wild animal. I fucking feel like one. My heart is pounding. My skin feels like it’s been stretched tight over my bones and muscles.

Dark memories that are better left forgotten crop back up. The sour pill thrust into my mouth, dissolving on my tongue that I can’t spit out. The unwanted fingers digging into the skin of my stomach and down my thighs. Right behind the fear and the revulsion that makes my skin crawl, anger is a fast-approaching friend.

Fear, I hate. Anger, I can handle.

“I wanted to take care of you, Haley,” Josh says, his feet shuffling forward.

The only thing that doesn’t immediately make me turn and run is the feel of the now warmed metal of the pistol against my thigh. He’s right there—the man who almost raped me. Viks was going to take care of this, but I meant it when I said I didn’t need him. If anything, I have more of a right to kill the man. Neither one suspects that I have a weapon on me. I can use this to my advantage.

“Take care of me?” I repeat Josh’s words lightly. “What do you mean?” It’s better to keep him talking. The more he talks, the more time I have, and the less they’re really paying attention to me.

Josh’s lips tighten. “It’s not easy, you know,” he says. “When your parents are fucking idiots.”

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