Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Jackie wiggles in the passenger seat. "Isn't it gorgeous? I saw it last year during The Hunt, but it's still breathtaking."
I park with the other cars and climb out, the door creaking loudly through the mostly quiet twilight.
We head up the small hill to find a group of people milling around in front of a small black platform. From the back of the crowd, I lean to Jackie. "So is there anything I should know here?"
She shrugs. "They change the rules every year to keep it fun. Last year, everyone had to wear blindfolds. I wonder what they’ll do this year. And where the hell is Sebastian hiding?"
I shake my head as she scans the people, but I don't see any oversized jocks lurking. Only the women and a few men are here, waiting.
It doesn't matter. I have my eyes on the beautiful house. It's huge and so pretty. I scan each stained glass window and sigh. I'll never have anything like this, but it's lovely to look at.
Gravel crunches, and we all shift to look toward the driveway leading to the left of the house. Oh shit. I duck behind the taller women in front of me. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. It's him.
I peek over her shoulder, which earns me a glare from her. "Sorry," I mumble. "Just saw my ex."
Her glare softens, but she shifts a few feet forward to get some distance between us.
One of the men who approached steps up onto the platform and raises his arms to call for quiet. "Welcome to The Hunt"
I keep waiting for him to produce a top hat and tug out a rabbit.
Jackie squirms against me. "Oh my god, there he is. Sebastian," she breathes.
He’s wearing black on black, his dark hair perfectly settled, his green eyes flashing in the setting sun.
I roll my eyes and glance at the other few men and find the tallest one staring back at me. "Who is that one?" I whisper. He looks like the guy from the library, the unhinged one. She notices where I'm staring and grins wickedly.
“That's Andrew Marshall. Captain of the football team, school golden boy, and millionaire.” She waves at the house. “This is his family's estate."
I push my glasses up my nose and force my eyes away. "Of course it is."
I turn my attention to the man speaking and notice the menace in his tone. He doesn't sound angry, per se, but...damn, I feel like I'm in trouble.
He raises his voice over the whispers. "Six miles to the cabin, which is north. First person to arrive wins the trophy inside and the prize money. Simple."
The grin on his face as he says “simple” causes my stomach to drop. Shit. I'm not going to like the next part.
He waves toward the towering woods about a hundred feet away. "This year, we’ve added something special. If you join the event, there are no rules. You do what you want in these woods...and if you go in, you agree to these terms. If someone catches you...you better learn how to beg for mercy."
Jackie gulps and fans herself next to me. "I'm calling for mercy now, shit."
My chest is tight as I stare out at the dark trees. Fuck, this could be dangerous… What if there are coyotes, or bears, or shit...the tall jock looking at me like I'm his next meal?
Maybe this is a bad idea.
I'm about to suggest we leave when Jackie grabs my arm. "I'm so excited. Even if I don't bag Sebastian, there are a lot of hunters...I hope at least some of them have an imagination."
"You don't want to win the money?"
She laughs, then sees my face and sobers. "Sorry, I don't care about it… But if I get close, I'll try for you and your mom, okay?"
Mollified, I nod and stare at the other participants, all overcome with excitement. I feel like the only downer here. It can't be that bad if these people are so excited and ready to do this, right?
I stare down at my shaky hands. Shit. I need to get myself together. Jackie grabs my hands and stares up into my eyes. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Go sit in the car, or come back and get me."
I gulp and shake my head, fending off tears. "No, I have to do this for my mom."
She nods and squeezes my fingers. "Well, if you're sure. Try to relax. It's just a game. I promise you'll have a blast."
Not sure she knows what I consider a blast, but I don't want to bring down the mood even more.
There's some shuffling as the men join another group of men and a couple of women off to the side.
I wave at the group. "What are they doing? Planning their stock exchange heist?"