Chapter 6 Dominic
DOMINIC
Those thirty minutes of waiting were the sweetest kind of torture.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her once she entered the maze.
The way Cora moved—hesitant yet determined, like a fawn stepping into a clearing—stirred something primal in me.
The camera caught her profile as she whispered to her friend, revealing the slightest tremor in her bottom lip. A tell. A weakness I filed away.
Her fear was intoxicating—raw and honest in a way that political daughters’ smiles never are. The sudden darkness that enveloped her when the wall sealed behind her forced a soft curse from my lips. Not concern. Anticipation.
Now, ten minutes into the hunt, I stalk through the eastern corridor, moving silently. The maze’s ambient lighting casts long shadows that play across the ornate walls. I know exactly where she is—trapped in section 4B, a deliberate design feature that claims at least one prey each Hunt.
I check my watch. Liam should be circling from the north, Ryder from the west. Our strategy is simple: triangulate and close in.
But I want to be the first to reach her.
Need to be first. The thought of being the one to find her, disoriented and alone in the dark, sends a rush of heat straight to my already solid cock.
The corridor narrows as I approach her location. I hear her now—shallow, rapid breaths echoing through the enclosed space. The sound tugs at a very dark part of me. I slow my pace, savoring these final moments before contact.
My hand slides along the wall, finding the hidden latch that will open the sealed passage. One firm press and the barrier will rotate, revealing little Cora Pike in her hiding place.
I pause, imagining her expression when she sees me. Will she recognize me from our brief collision outside Xavier’s office? Will she understand what’s coming?
The thought makes my cock throb against the constraints of my tailored pants. I press the latch.
The wall rotates with a whisper of well-oiled mechanics. I expect fear—the wide-eyed panic of prey caught in a corner—but what I see stops me in my tracks.
Cora Pike stands in the center of the small chamber, chest rising and falling rapidly, but her posture is defiant. The fear hasn’t broken her. If anything, it’s crystallized something in her eyes—something harder than I anticipated.
“Are you done hiding in the dark?” I ask.
Her chin lifts. “I wasn’t hiding. I was trapped.”
That voice—cultured, controlled despite the circumstances. Mayor Pike trained his daughter well for political life. Too bad he couldn’t teach her to avoid situations like this.
I step inside, letting the wall seal behind me. The space shrinks immediately, forcing her to back against the far wall. Now I see what I was looking for—that flicker of fear as she realizes I’m a predator.
“Dominic Vega,” I offer, not extending my hand. “We almost collided the other day.”
Recognition dawns in her eyes. “Outside Xavier’s office.”
“Very good.” I observe her, taking in the sight of her. The gray dress they provided Cora clings to her curves, basically scraps that cover nothing. “You’re observant. That might serve you well over the next seventy-two hours.”
“Are you threatening me?”
I laugh softly. “No, Ms. Pike. I’m hunting you.” I reach out, brushing a finger along her jawline where a faint bruise lingers. She flinches but doesn’t retreat. “Though it seems I’m not the first man who will leave his mark on you this week.”
Her breath catches, but something unexpected flashes in her eyes—not just fear, but anger. Interesting.
“Fuck off.” Her voice is sharp, cutting through the small space between us. “Don’t touch me again.”
I raise an eyebrow, amused rather than offended. Most women who find themselves trapped with me are quick to placate, to appease. This defiance is... refreshing.
“Your father didn’t teach you better manners?” I step closer, crowding her space. “That surprises me. William Pike seems like the type of man who demands perfection from his possessions—especially his only daughter.”
Her eyes narrow. “I’m not anyone’s possession.”
“No?” I lean in, close enough to catch the scent of her subtle yet enticing perfume. “Then why the bruise? Men don’t mark what they don’t believe they own. Are you telling me it wasn’t your father who gave you this bruise?”
“You don’t know anything about my father or me,” she spits, but I catch the tremor in her voice.
“I know everything about William Pike,” I correct her. “The righteous mayor who blocked my waterfront development while lining his pockets with kickbacks from my competitors. The man who preaches family values while leaving marks on his.”
Something flickers in her eyes. “This is about my father.”
“Smart girl.” I reach out again, this time gripping her chin. “Everything is always about something bigger than what’s right in front of you. That’s your first lesson.”
When she tries to jerk away, I move suddenly, pressing her back against the wall with my body. Not violently—I don’t need violence to control—but firmly enough that she understands the power I hold. My hand rests beside her head, my face inches from hers.
“The next seventy-two hours will teach you exactly how much your father’s actions cost others,” I whisper against her ear. “And I’m only the first installment.”
The sound of the wall mechanism behind us makes her eyes dart toward the noise. I don’t need to look because I know it’s Ryder, right on schedule. Her body tenses further under my grip, her breath becoming shallow as she realizes she’s now trapped with two predators instead of one.
Behind me, Ryder strolls in with that infuriating ease that’s both his greatest asset and my greatest annoyance.
“Well, well. Looks like you found our little prize first, Dom.” His voice carries none of the tension that fills my own.
He leans against the wall, arms crossed, a lazy smile spreading across his face as he gives Cora an appreciative once-over.
“I’m Ryder. Sorry about the cramped accommodations, princess. ”
I don’t loosen my grip on Cora, but I feel her attention split between us.
“Don’t let his casual demeanor fool you,” I tell her, my lips close to her ear. “Your father’s anti-gambling initiative put him out of business for eight months. He had to rebuild his reputation from scratch.”
Ryder shrugs. “What can I say? Daddy Dearest decided my consulting services for high-end casinos were ‘detrimental to public welfare.’ Cost me about two million in contracts.” His smile never falters. “But hey, water under the bridge, right?”
The mechanical sound of the wall rotating again signals Liam’s arrival. He steps in, completing our triangle around Cora. Unlike Ryder’s casual stance or my aggressive proximity, Liam observes with distance, hands in his pockets.
“Ms. Pike. We meet again.” His voice is cultured. “I believe we were discussing the challenges of political family dynamics earlier at the charity gala.”
Recognition flashes in her eyes, then betrayal. “You planned this,” she says.
“Planned? No.” Liam adjusts his cufflinks. “Seized an opportunity? Absolutely.” He steps closer. “Your father called me a parasite on justice for defending my clients. Very publicly destroyed my reputation among certain influential circles.”
I release Cora, stepping back to let her process our collective presence.
“Three different men,” I say, “three different businesses your father damaged. And one daughter who volunteered herself as a participant in the Hunt.”
“Perfect symmetry,” Ryder adds with a wink.
“So, you’re what—going to rape me for revenge?” Her voice shakes, but her eyes remain defiant.
Ryder laughs at her accusation, shaking his head.
“Rape? No, princess. Nothing that happens in the Hunt qualifies as that.” He leans against the wall, perfectly at ease.
“You signed the contract. Initialed every page of that comprehensive NDA. The one that explicitly stated participants waive all rights to consent for the duration of the Hunt.”
I watch her face carefully, tracking the slight changes in her expression. The flash in her eyes. The tightening of her jaw. She knows exactly what she agreed to.
“He’s right,” I say. “Your signature on that contract was all the consent required. Everything that happens in the next seventy-two hours is perfectly legal.”
Cora glares at us, her eyes burning with fury even as her body betrays her with a slight tremble. The contradiction is delicious—this political princess who willingly walked into our world, now trying to summon moral outrage.
“Look at her face,” I say to the others. “She knows we’re right.”
“Of course she does,” Liam adds, his voice smooth as silk. “Mayor Pike’s daughter wouldn’t sign anything without reading the fine print. She’s too well-trained for that.”
The way she squares her shoulders confirms it.
“Let’s be honest,” I say, stepping closer until my chest nearly touches hers.
“No one signs up for the Hunt unless they’re looking for something they can’t get in their regular life.
” My hand reaches up to grip her jaw, forcing her to look at me.
“You walked in here tonight knowing exactly what would happen. A pretty girl like you, wanting to be hunted, caught, and fucked however we choose?”
I lean in, my lips brushing against her ear. “You must have been craving this for a long time. To be taken so completely that even your father’s influence can’t save you.”
Ryder chuckles. “I think we hit a nerve, Dom. Look at her—she’s pissed because we figured her out.”
The fury in her eyes only makes my cock harder. Nothing more enticing than breaking a woman who thinks she can’t be broken.