Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Rounding the next corner, I almost stumble into a foursome.
My feet come to a sudden halt. I just stand there. Staring. Blinking. Unable to move, because part of me is so intrigued.
The naked woman on her hands and knees stops giving one of the guys a blow job in the middle of the hedge maze and looks up at me. Another man fucks her from behind, and a third lies underneath her, licking her clit.
She doesn’t seem at all bothered by my intrusion, but she winks at me with a twinkle in her eye then takes the cock in front of her back into her mouth. All of them moan in unison, and the man behind her ruts into her harder now he’s also realized they have an audience.
My core tightens. Heat licks at my skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.
The sound of approaching footsteps is the only thing that rips me out of my sudden trance. And reminds me who is chasing me.
Heart racing, I skirt around them, not daring to take another peek, and follow the way down to the next intersection. I need to find a way out of this maze and fulfill my mission, but all I can think about is Reaper.
His words. The way he looked at me when I came. All the things he’ll do to me when he catches me. Things I can’t even imagine right now.
I tighten my grip on the handle of my whip while searching frantically for a clue. I could really use an exit sign right about now, but there's nothing helpful in sight.
Damn it. I need to make a decision right now.
Left or right?
I turn left and start running again. Then I take another turn, this time not even glancing at the couple fucking out in the open, just moving on. At the next intersection, I force myself to slow down.
My heart’s beating erratically, my lungs burning in my chest, but there are no footsteps behind me. Not anymore. Not . . .
Fuck. There they are again.
I don’t dare to turn around.
Just as I’m about to take the next left turn, I pause. There’s something different in this hedge. Something darker.
I take a step toward it. My fingers roam over the branches, finding something solid underneath. Simple stone, or a hidden door?
The footsteps behind me grow louder.
I don’t have time to overthink it. I push at the stone until it gives in—and stumble into a secret chamber in the middle of the maze.
There’s a huge hot tub in the center of an open-air, secluded alcove, with gurgling water and steam evaporating into the night sky.
Four torches, one in each corner, light the place in addition to the moonlight.
There are also two patio heaters, and a cream-colored chaise longue big enough to do all kinds of stuff on it.
The door snaps shut behind me, hiding me from the men.
I’m still breathing hard. The other people sound farther away now. Even the music’s muted. I take a quick look around to make sure no one’s in here, but it’s empty. Seems like I’m the first one to discover this hidden place. And the entrance is also the only exit.
I turn around, listening closely, but there’s no sound other than the burbling water in the hot tub. No footsteps. No voices. No one pushing at the hidden door to find a way inside.
I’m safe. For now, at least.
This is exactly what I wanted, and why I came to Everthorne Hall in the first place . . . right? To do a job and not let myself get distracted before I’m done. And yet I can’t bring myself to feel relief. Instead I force the simmering disappointment away.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Riven,” I murmur.
Time to be a professional. If a secret alcove like this exists, it must contain some clue as to the exit, right? What’s the point otherwise? And the guard in the parking lot informed me about hidden clues . . .
Pushing all thoughts about Reaper and what just happened to the back of my mind, I search the place systematically. I check every wall, nook, and corner, finding nothing of use, then I finally turn to the hot tub.
The water’s clear, the heat a welcome change.
As I look closely, I notice a faint shimmer at the bottom of the tub.
“I knew it!”
Putting my whip aside, I roll up my sleeve and stick my hand in the water, holding onto the edge so I won’t fall in. But as much as I stretch, I can’t reach the damn thing.
Bloody hell. I have to get in.
I take one last look to confirm I’m still alone, then I get undressed, set my costume, boots, and whip within reach, and slip into the hot tub wearing nothing but my mask.
My moan is almost as loud as the other people fucking within the maze. The water’s like a warm embrace, pulling me deeper until all my muscles relax under the bubbling, massaging streams.
This feels heavenly . . .
When I reach for the shimmering clue at the bottom this time, my fingers snatch it without difficulty.
Turns out it’s a transparent cube, as big as my hand and made of glass. Water droplets run down each side. I hold it above me until the flickering torchlight reflects in the glass, unveiling notches that kind of look like . . .
“Holy crap,” I murmur, suddenly sitting upright. “It’s a map. A map of the maze.”
And if I’m reading it correctly, I’m exactly at the center right now. With this cube, it’ll be a breeze finding the exit and getting the job done. I may even win the golden ticket for the yearlong membership if I want it.
But do I want it?
All the thoughts, memories, and feelings about Reaper I pushed away come back with brute force.
I carefully place the cube next to me on the edge of the hot tub, then I lean back, allowing my mind to wander. Just this once. And only for a couple of minutes.
It’s kind of weird lying here in a tub, watching the moon and the stars above me, surrounded by music, moans, and a rhythmic pounding in the distance .
. . but I get the appeal of Everthorne Hall.
My skin hums and my core tightens at the mere thought of what just happened. What I did. No—what I let happen.
I bite my lip. New heat coils deep in my core when I think about Reaper watching us. Getting off on it. Jealous. Obsessive. Desperate to punish me for it, just like he did last time.
My head falls back, and I close my eyes, letting myself relax a little. Letting my fingers roam over my body, teasing and caressing my skin, pretending it’s someone else touching me.
Suddenly, a hand clamps over my mouth, and I’m pulled out of the water.
My eyes snap open, but my scream is dampened by the fingers covering my mouth.
“Gotcha!”