Chapter Seven
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Raine
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Twelve hours. That's all I need.
Theron carries my naked body back upstairs. He places me in a bedroom then closes the door behind me.
I spin around in the room and cry in relief when I see my overnight bag there. I quickly rummage through it and find the ring.
Oh god, I might actually make it out of here. As debutantes, we weren't allowed to bring our phones, so I can't contact anyone. I am truly alone on this mountain with three madmen.
Twelve hours.
But I'm so exhausted; after taking a shower, I pass out on the most comfortable bed in the universe.
I wake up with a start and find a tray of food was left in the room. I don't care who left it there.
I open the cloche and devour the contents: steak and potatoes. I know for a fact there are no staff on hand, so it means one of them must have prepared the food himself.
I'm going to need the sustenance. I check my bag and layer the clothes I'm going to need on top: thermal underwear, a fleece top, a thick puffer jacket—the one I arrived in.
I then take another shower, a hot one, hoping to retain some of the heat for later. I contemplate what to wear right now and decide nothing is the best option. They'd already seen me naked; I couldn't scar their eyes any more than I already had.
I slip the ring onto my finger, and then I slip into the thin robe we were also given. Underneath, I'm wearing nothing. I don't want to waste time removing clothes.
I don't overthink my actions. If I stay calm and steady, this will work.
I sit on the bed and wait for them to come and collect me. It's Theron again. He scoops me up and carries me off as if I don't have my own two legs.
I try not to take in his attire, or Alec's and Conrad's, when they step into a huge bedroom. They're freshly showered and dressed in black track pants and T-shirts, hiding nothing of their smooth virility and ridiculously ripped bodies.
They stand side by side, watching me.
I can't waste any time. Snow is coming, and I need to be off this mountain.
I walk toward them, my heart beating outside of my chest, every pulse in my body thrumming with alarm.
Please let this work.
I surreptitiously turn the ring around on my finger, then I reach out and press my hand against the side of Alec's neck. I lean forward, standing on the tips of my toes, and kiss him.
My world shakes as his lips take immediate control of me. I do the same with Conrad, pressing the ring into the side of his neck as I kiss him. Then it's Theron's turn.
It takes me a moment to gather myself when Theron releases me. Then I step back and wait. It doesn't take long. They start to lose their balance, as they look at me with accusatory eyes.
Oh thank god for Christopher. He made the ring especially for me. When pressed against skin, a sedative oil is released into the skin. It was meant for one person, which would render him unconscious for at least an hour, but I was spreading it over three men.
I knew it wasn't going to knock them off their feet, but I planned to take full advantage of their imbalance.
I turn and flee, racing back to the room I'd been in before.
I focus really hard and put on my layers of clothes.
I can't afford my anxiety to make me lose time.
I run down to the dungeon and grab the Virgin Chalice, hiding it under my thermal top.
And then I'm heading out the door into the vast white openness; the snow was falling steadily at the moment, but that was about to change soon.
Christopher had shown me a map of the place. He made me memorize exactly where he'd parked a four-wheel drive, hidden under some branches, far away enough from the cabin not to trigger any alarms, but which I could get to with the right motivation if things went south.
I start running. Dodging branches as I move, careful not to fall over rogue ones. I can't get hurt. Not when I'm so close. But then the snow starts to fall more heavily. No. No. No.
The wind strengthens to a fierce howl, and I can't hear myself think. The snow thickens way too fast.
I feel out of my depth, and I start to question myself. Am I going in the right direction?
But I keep running until I can't anymore. The sleeve of my jacket gets snagged against a branch.
I jerk forward instinctively, trying to tear free without stopping, but it yanks me back again. I lose my balance and fall flat.
Fuck.
I stand up and try to wrestle myself free of the jagged edge of the branch. I can't. It won't budge. It just won't budge. The snow is so heavy now I can't see anything anymore.
Oh no. I can't stand here and try to do battle with a branch.
I don't have the time. I make a split-second decision.
I have to leave my jacket behind and hope I don't freeze to death before I get to the vehicle.
It's going to be okay. I envision myself opening the door—Christopher said it would be unlocked, the keys in the ignition, in case I was divested of them had I been carrying them.
I'm so cold; my brain is telling me that I'm moving, but my body seems to be staying in place. The sinking truth that I may have gotten turned around when my sleeve got caught sinks into me, just moments before the earth gives way.