Page 40 of Three Ring Heat: Part One
Another knife struck the target, this one to my left. I closed my eyes for a long second, and relief washed over me. Maybe the fucker really did have immaculate aim.
That, or I’d just gotten lucky twice.
Will that luck run out before he finishes with me?
A third blade hit the target, this one between my legs. I pressed my lips together to cut off my whimper. Every knife seemed to land closer, and I didn’t know how many more he had to throw.
Was he trying to see how close he could get?
Would he get closer and closer until I quit? Until he actually hit me?
I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to soothe the fear clawing through me. He had to be almost done.
“You’ve done well so far, little pet,” Zero said, still sounding amused. “But would you still be so brave if I was blindfolded?”
My eyes flew open and locked on him. I could just make out his form waving a long scarf in the air. Then, I looked over to find Daze. He was still watching from the sidelines.
“Is he serious?” I asked.
“It’s part of his act,” Daze replied, a slight edge to his voice. He didn’t sound super confident. “You can quit, Arina. You’ve proved your point. I’m sure Hallow’s seen enough.”
Maybe they had. It was impossible to know with them hiding in the distant shadows.
But the person I really wanted to impress, the one I needed to prove myself to, was tying a blindfold around his head, preparing to throw another round of knives.
An invisible hand wrapped around my heart and clenched, making it impossible to breathe.
This was ridiculous.
Stupid, actually.
Just add it to the growing list of insane shit I’d done this week?—
THUD.
A knife struck the target to my right, and I flinched.
“A warning would have been nice,” I spat, my jaw clenching. I had to remind myself that it didn’t matter how I felt, how much the scent match was tugging me toward Zero like an invisible thread, he didn’t feel the same way.
He didn’t care if he stabbed me.
He didn’t care if I died.
Another knife hit the target, then another.
Everything was a whirlwind, my thoughts, my heart rate, my adrenaline. They melded together in a blur and, after a few minutes, it felt like I started to spin, even though my feet were planted firmly on the ground. Blade after blade hit the target, the strikes impossibly close. I squeezed my eyes closed and held my breath between each one.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the knives stopped coming.
Silence followed.
By the time I opened my eyes again, Zero was standing in front of me. The warmth of his caramel-covered popcorn scent assaulted my senses, making my knees go weak. His blindfoldwas gone, there was sweat beaded along his forehead, and his golden eyes were laser-focused on mine.
He didn’t look pleased.
There was an indiscernible expression of annoyance and intrigue on his face.
“You missed,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
