Page 53 of Mistress Mayhem

One of the guards gasps. “Not Alice!”

“Unfortunately, yes. Once Mayhem is over, I’ll call to have all the bodies picked up.”

“Yes, Mistress,” they all intone as I head down the hallway.

Fox hurries to catch up with me, taking my hand in his and intertwining our fingers. “You’re just going to call and have them pick up the bodies?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I make a face but continue walking. “I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s Mayhem—nothing is illegal. I’m doing what I’m supposed to and reporting the dead bodies. I’d be in more trouble if I didn’t report it.”

Cooper appears on my other side. “You certainly did not. But that conversation we started in the maze? We’ll be finishing it after you say goodbye to your guests.”

I roll my eyes but nod. “Fine.”

Cooper smirks as he wraps his arm around my shoulders, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of my head. I can feel Austin’s presence behind us, almost as if he’s touching me as well. Surrounded by the three of them makes me feel safe and cared for. I might not know what to do with the idea of having a life of my own, but what I do know is I want the three of them to be a part of that life.

When we reach the doors leading to the top of the stairs, I hesitate. Alice’s body is still here, and I know the guards are still where we found them. Once the guests have left, I’ll have to notify my employees of their deaths. While this isn’t the first time we’ve had someone die during Mayhem, it really pisses me off that it’s Alice’s dead body lying on the floor. She was a friend—no, she was more than that. She was my sister, and now she’s fucking gone.

I wish I’d made Cary suffer more.

“Are you okay?”

I turn my head to give Austin a sad smile. “I don’t know if okay is the right word for it, but I’m something. I’ll be fine. I’m just mad I didn’t make Cary suffer more.”

“Don’t worry about it too much, angel.” Fox squeezes my hand. “He’s in hell now, being tortured, and you’re the one that sent him there.”

“That does help somewhat, imagining him being tortured for the rest of eternity.” I shake my head, hoping that hell is a real place—even if I might end up there one day. It’ll totally be worth it for making the scum of the earth pay for their crimes. “Come on, we need to get in there before Mayhem is over.”

Fox refuses to release my hand, but Austin and Cooper trail behind us as we step out onto the landing. The lights are already up, the music quieter, and I know the drugs stopped pumping an hour ago. While the effects won’t wear off for a few more hours, I want them to be semi-conscious of me when I speak to them.

I move over to the holopad, hearing gasps as people realize I’m covered in blood.

“Hello, guests. I hope that each of you had the time of your life tonight. What a way to spend Mayhem, am I right?” There are a few forced laughs, but most of them just stare back at me with fear in their eyes.

“There’s no reason to fear me. You’re all safe and sound. I won’t hurt any of you. You have my word. After all, Mayhem is coming to a close, and why would I possibly want to hurt any of you?” I mean, I can think of a few hundred reasons, but I have no intention of sharing that information with them. “Some of you will find that someone you arrived with isn’t here. Don’t panic. There are only four guests’ bodies that will be picked up. As usual, the government will contact you if your loved one is one of the deceased.

“As Mayhem draws to a close, just know that Mistress Mayhem has visited Lockwood and that she’s always watching—I’m always watching. If you don’t break our laws, then you have nothing to fear from me. But for those of you that do, I’m always planning for my next Mayhem.” I throw my head back as I laugh, and there’s shuffling among the guests, people already moving toward the doors.

The five-minute warning alarm trills over the speaker, and I smile. “That’s it. Only five minutes remaining of Mayhem. If you’ll all head in an orderly fashion to the front door, they’ll open as soon as Mayhem is over so you can head home. I truly hoped you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.”

With that, I step off the holopad, and Fox yanks me into his arms. “You scared the shit out of them, Sage. Look at them all running for the exit.”

“That’s what sheep do when they encounter the big bad wolf—they run. It’s too bad for them that there’s nowhere they can go that I can’t find them. One day soon, I will see Lockwood burn. This city needs to be reborn from the ashes. I won’t allow my hometown to be a bustling city of crime.”

“Hear, hear,” Austin cheers behind me, and I shoot him a smile before turning back to watch the sheep filtering from the room.

I’m not overly surprised when I find Taylor Kensington, William’s wife, standing in the middle of the room with Chastity at her side. She inclines her head, mouthing ‘thank you’ before the two of them head for the door themselves. It seems Taylor has already realized that her husband is among the dead, and she’s grateful for it. Interesting.

I might just have to visit Mrs. Kensington in the coming days to see what that was all about.

As they filter out, leaving only my employees in the ballroom, I move back to the holopad. “We lost three brave souls this Mayhem—Alice Monroe, Tim West, and Greg Cassidy. Their murderer is already dead, his life taken by my own hand. I will make sure their families are taken care of, as always. I don’t know what comes next for me, or for us, but for now, this home is your home. Do with it as you please. I’ll be keeping my room for the rest of today and maybe tomorrow, but after that, it’s all yours.

“If any of you wish to return home, please feel free. If you want to stay to find out what is next, I promise I’ll let you know tomorrow.” The shutters on the windows begin to rise, letting in the early morning light. “But we’ve all worked hard tonight and enjoyed Mayhem. Let’s get some sleep while we can.”

With that, I step back off, and this time it’s Austin that pulls me into his arms. “Where’s this room of yours?”

I laugh as we step out of the ballroom, leading them straight to my room where we quickly shower. I make a quick call to report the bodies before dropping into my bed and passing out with the guys surrounding me. Any and all conversations can wait until we’ve gotten some sleep.

Chapter Twenty-six

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