Page 33 of The Players

Savannah growled. “Lies. All lies. Two shots.” She put her glass and mine in front of me and filled them to the brim.

“It’s not…” I began to protest, but she cut me off.

“Take the shots or I call Easton’s dad right now, and he calls the bank. We can have that store leveled by tomorrow night.”

Bile rose in my throat at the thought. Slowly, I picked up one glass and downed it, then the other. My throat was on fire, and my heart began to race again. I knew I’d be drunk as soon as that alcohol hit my system. It was only a matter of time.

And we’d just started the game.

How long could this go on? One more shot? Two? I had a feeling she intended for me to finish the bottle. Was that her ploy? She was going to kill me? She was going to give me alcohol poisoning and leave my body here for the cops to find? They’d caulk it up to suicide by alcohol or a stupid girl partying too hard.

I knew I should leave right now. I could find another way to save Randy’s store. But as I started to stand up, Savannah came around and gripped my shoulders. Her nails dug into my skin as she shoved me back into the chair.

“Truth, or dare,” she said through her teeth. She was pissed now. No more fake jokes or mockery. Things were getting serious.

There was only one way out of this. I needed Savannah to get as drunk as I was about to be.

“I’ve had three shots. You’ve only had one. Are you scared to go head to head with me? Chicken?”

She smirked. “I’m not scared of anything.” Then she poured a shot and knocked it back with a smirk before sliding into the chair opposite me and pouring two shots, one for her and one for me.

“Truth or dare,” she repeated.

“Truth.”

She shook her head. “Dare. I say dare. I dare you to take your clothes off. Everything.”

I glanced at the three guys. “I’m not doing that. That’s not a fair deal.”

Savannah opened her mouth to protest, but Easton spoke up. “She’s right, Savannah. It’s more fun if the game is fair.”

Savannah whipped around and shot him a hard look, one that he returned and I remembered just how fucking scary Easton Hill could be when he wanted to.

“You don’t want to see her naked? I heard her tits are fantastic. Let’s see them.”

“Keep it fair,” he said, his eyes like daggers. He sounded like Hector, the one who used to keep things fair. Easton had hated that when Hector would keep him in check, but here he was doing the same thing to Savannah. What a strange role reversal.

Yet, it seemed to work.

“Fine.” Savannah huffed. “Bra and panties. I’ll even do it too.” She began to strip.

“Gross, Savannah,” Spencer said, blocking his view of her, but it didn’t seem to stop her. Soon, she was in a pink lace bra and matching panties. I had to hand it to her, her body could’ve graced any runway.

I glanced at Easton, but it seemed there would be no more protest from him. My head was fuzzy, and I couldn’t think of why this would be a terrible idea. I mean, it was just like being in a bathing suit.

I pulled off my shirt and kicked off my shoes. My leggings were the last to come off. I slid them down and pulled them off. It was cold outside, but the vodka that was winding its way through my system seemed to stave off the worst of the chill. Savannah didn’t seem phased either. She struck flirty poses as she eyed Mills.

“Who looks better, the orphan or me?”

He shook his head and turned his gaze away.

“I did your dare,” I said, wanting to wrap things up. I could feel the alcohol taking effect. The sharp edges of the world were softening. How would I get home? “Are we done here?”

She laughed. “Hardly.”

She poured two more shots and slid one toward me. When she lifted her glass and waited for me to do the same, I knew I had to continue. It was only four shots, I reasoned, though my reasoning was making less and less sense as time ticked on. I could call an Uber or Randy. Sure, it was far, but I would figure it out.

“Cheers,” she said, her smile gone. Then she tilted her drink back, and I did the same.

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