This Is War - Chapter 22 - The Sister-napper
“Is the bug set?” I asked, panting slightly from having just run back to the princess suite to grab my phone.
Tanner nodded.
“Okay, let’s hope this works.”
I walked over to the in-progress game of dodgeball and waited for Diablo to get eliminated. It didn’t take long. He made a show of trying to catch a ball and missing, but I knew he did it on purpose. Scumbag sister killer!
“Hey,” I said as he walked over to the sidelines. I tried to sound casual, but my voice squeaked awkwardly. I was so nervous that I was going to blow this.
“Hey, Princess,” he replied. “Want to go behind that tree for a quickie?”
Angel ran over to grab a dodgeball that had just missed him. “What he means to say is that he’s sorry for sucking so badly.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s just a game.”
Angel nodded and ran back into the game.
“So is that a yes to the quickie behind the tree?” Diablo held his hand out for me.
“Not quite. Buuuuut, I did just get a text from my friend Oaklyn.” I stared at him as I said Rosalie’s society name.
He didn’t have much of a response. “She said she’s gonna be here soon to watch the rest of the games.
And between me and you…she’s super into bad boys.
Especially ones who are tall, dark, and handsome. ”
“I mean, who isn’t?”
“Check her out.” I pulled up the picture of Rosalie on my phone and showed it to him.
“Not bad,” he said, nodding slightly in approval.
He didn’t seem the least bit shook. But I had expected that.
After all…if he was some sort of deranged sister-napper, then of course he’d be a master at lying.
But under the surface, I assumed he was totally freaking out.
I had a feeling that within an hour he’d slip away to try to figure out how the hell Rosalie was coming back from the grave.
We ended up losing dodgeball, and the next event. And the event after that. But I didn’t really care. I was completely engrossed in listening to the earbud that Tanner had given me. I heard every word Diablo said. But so far, none of it was about Rosalie.
Until…
“So Raven told me that one of her friends is coming to watch the games,” said Diablo.
I looked across the field and saw he was standing next to his brother.
“Apparently this girl is super into bad boys,” added Diablo.
“Nice. Is she hot?” asked Angel.
“Yeah man, she’s a dime.”
Damn right she is!
“Well that’s great news for me,” said Angel. “Once she sees how badly you suck at everything, it won’t even be a contest.”
“You can have her…I have other plans.” Diablo slapped him on the back and walked away.
I turned to Tanner to see his take on what we had just heard.
“He doesn’t sound very suspicious to me,” said Tanner.
“Maybe he knows he’s bugged and he’s just playing us.”
“I doubt it.”
“Damn it! I thought for sure we had him.”
Tanner pulled me into his big strong arms. “I’m sorry. But at least we’ve narrowed down the list of suspects. You’re infinitely closer to finding her than you were just 24 hours ago.”
I nuzzled into his chest. The smell of his sweat mixed with his sunscreen was so comforting. I wanted to just stay there the rest of the day. Tension melted off of me as he rubbed the back of my neck. And I realized that this was the first time in months that I’d felt this relaxed.
“In the meantime, we better focus on this competition. I still can’t believe you agreed to take the princess suite.”
I pulled back and looked up at him. “Why?”
“Cole really didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Oh God. I should have known there was some horrible punishment for losing. “What happens to the princess at the end of this?”
“The winning princess gets an extra wish. And a token for their necklace.”
Well that doesn’t sound so bad. But I wasn’t worried about what happened to the winner. “And what about the losing princess?”
Before he could answer, static crackled through my earbud. And then Diablo said, “Hey, girl.”
I looked around the field to see who he was talking to. He wasn’t competing, he wasn’t by Angel…he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“Hey,” said a girl's voice.
“I think Raven is onto me.”
“No surprise there. You’re not exactly being subtle,” replied the girl.
“Who is that?” I whispered frantically to Tanner. This was exactly what we had been waiting for!
Tanner shrugged and pulled out his phone. “Let’s find out.” He hit a few buttons and then turned the screen to show me a live feed of Diablo standing in a cabin with some blonde dressed all in blue.
She turned and I saw her face.
“Chastity?” I gasped.
Tanner looked a little shocked.
This wasn’t possible. And yet… “Chastity helped Diablo kidnap Rosalie?” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“I’m so sorry,” said Tanner. “But maybe it’s not what it looks like…”
“What else could it possibly be?” I asked.
He pointed to the screen. “Let’s listen.”
“I’ve held up my end of the deal,” said Diablo. “Now it’s your turn.”
“Oh is it now?” asked Chastity.
“Yeah. I’ve single handed made us lose like ten events.”
Chastity nodded and seductively ran her finger across her lower lip. “You have…”
“Then I guess you better get on your knees, Princess.” Diablo grabbed a pillow off the closest bed and threw it on the ground in front of him. “I’ve been waiting all day to feel those lips around my cock.”
Chastity stepped forward and hooked her fingers into the elastic of Diablo’s shorts. “Just my lips? Don’t you want to feel my tongue? And my throat? And my tits?”
“Yes,” groaned Diablo. His voice was tight with desire.
Chastity stepped back and flashed him a smile. “Well you’re gonna have to wait a little longer. I only fuck winners.”
“But you said you’d blow me if I threw the competition.”
“I don’t recall any such deal. Sorry, big boy.” Chastity spun around and walked out, swaying her hips as she went.
“That’s messed up,” said Tanner.
“I know! I can’t believe Chastity sabotaged us!” Although I was relieved she wasn’t a murderer. Sabotage was pretty bad too though.
“I was more talking about how she just teased Diablo so hard. Poor guy is gonna have blue balls for days.” Tanner shook his head in dismay. “I bet Cole put her up to that.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely. Everyone knows that Cole is a total douche.”
Based on my interactions with him thus far, that assessment checked out. “Then what do you say we go beat his ass?”
Tanner smiled and cracked his knuckles. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me to do this.” His eyes grew all stormy. Kind of like when I’d told him about the sex tape Joe had blackmailed me with. I loved when he looked angry, but…
“In Society Wars,” I added. “Not literally.”
“I knew what you meant,” said Tanner.
Did he? Because it sure looked like he was ready to beat Cole’s ass for real.