Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
L ater that day, I entered Camelot Courtyard to meet with the others before the final escape room.
“What the fuck is this?”
Vivian held up the drab gray jumpsuit Max and Landon had been handing out to the rest of the Ladies. Holding it away from her body like it was foul, she glared at Max.
“I’m not wearing this.”
She had clearly missed the memo that Max was not in the mood today. He’d been surly and more closed off than usual, even with me, and he let an opportunity to give Landon a hard time pass by without blinking.
He hadn’t appreciated when I slapped the back of my hand against his forehead to check his temperature, either.
And that shit had been funny.
But then, I was also still on cloud nine after my night with Kingston, so I reined in my sunshine and rainbows and went to check on him for real.
He’d huffed and said he didn’t want to talk about it, and that had been that. I read the room, held in my misogynistic joke about it being his time of the month, even though Camelot Court was the target audience for that kind of joke, and I followed him out of the room.
After stomping down to Camelot Courtyard, he’d grabbed one of the two large bins waiting atop one of the bistro tables and started tossing hunks of fabric at us.
When I let mine hit my chest and fall to the floor, he snapped his head up. I propped my hands on my hips and narrowed my gaze on him, but he was too pissed off to come to his senses over some attitude.
When I whipped off my shirt to change, he cursed and stormed away. That really worried me.
Because my sports bra was cute.
I changed quickly into the jumpsuit and watched for his return while Landon continued handing out the outfits to the girls as they showed up.
Max came back in eventually, slightly calmer but still acting strange. But Vivian didn’t pick up on his mood and continued to give him shit.
I thought he might lose it, so I intervened. “Vivian, the jumpsuits suck, but we all have to wear them.”
“Just because you’re used to wearing rags, Quinn, doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”
My exaggerated yawn turned a few heads. “Oh look, another joke about me being poor. How original.”
She rolled her eyes and stomped to her room to change.
I shrugged off the interaction and refocused on Max.
I was getting a little tired of comments suggesting I was beneath everyone here.
That was for damn sure. But during all that, Max had released some of the tension driving his shoulders up to his ears.
He mouthed sorry and shook his head like he was trying to clear it, so that was good enough for me.
For now.
It reminded me of the things he’d said to me, about wanting me for me, and seeing the truth in my lies. So, I’d give him grace to have a bad day without dragging him over the coals for it.
Later, I might even see what I could do to help him de-stress.
See if that loosened his lips for talking.
Or whatever else he wanted to do with them.
“Alright, Ladies, listen up!” Max barked from behind us. “For the third escape room, you’re all stuck in the same space. But you’re split into two groups.”
While Landon led the way to the largest cabin on the lake, I waited for Max to give us more details. Like I was new here. As if it was my first day at Camelot Court, back when I’d believed I’d get answers as soon as I arrived.
I chuckled to myself the longer Max stayed silent.
Because, of course, he explained nothing else.
Landon looked back at him, and my head swiveled to Max right as he shot Landon the bird. Then back to Landon, who rolled his eyes and filled in the details.
“Ladies, for this challenge, Max, myself, and a few of the other Knights will be your guards and fellow inmates. Your goal is to escape D’Arthur Prison, a high-security penitentiary for vicious criminals.
You were all thrown into prison for crimes you didn’t commit, and once we divide you into your groups, your four allies will be your prison gang.
Which means betraying each other will only get you shanked, and crossing paths with the rival gang, or consorting with the enemy, will get you in a fight. Fights get you thrown in lockup.”
“Seriously?” Vivian snapped. “Who came up with this?”
Landon ignored her. “Anyone placed in lockup has to wait twenty minutes before being released.”
“What if our group figures out how to escape while we’re in there?” Morgan asked, tossing her auburn hair into a high ponytail. “Can they leave us?”
“They can.”
Morgan glanced at me, and her skeptical expression mirrored mine. “They can, but they shouldn’t, right?”
Landon shrugged, and I mouthed bingo to Morgan when she looked back at me.
“I can hear you, Lady Everly. And I’d like to remind all of you that you don’t know who is in your group yet. If the rival gang escapes first, they win.”
I pursed my lips, since there was no way he’d heard me say anything, and he just knew me too well. But I took his advice and shrugged at Morgan.
She winked, communicating that she understood.
Izzy, who’d been walking beside me, whispered so only I could hear. “I hope we’re grouped together again. I’d hate for one of us to lose and the other to win.”
“Me too.”
Especially since we still had no idea what happened if we won or lost. A fact that used to annoy me, but now…well, it still annoyed me, but I let it go. Some answers weren’t worth risking my chance to get to the end.
“Do we still get to try and escape if our team ditches us or the other team wins?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a time limit?” Angela asked.
Surprisingly, Max answered. “No. You’re stuck in there until you figure your way out. So, don’t dillydally or whatever. I don’t want to be up all night because you all can’t sort your asses from your elbows.”
I smothered a laugh by pressing my lips together, because honestly, who said things like that? But one of the other Ladies wasn’t able to keep her giggle in check.
“Something funny, Elaine ?”
“Nope. Just wondering how you got picked for this? Are we supposed to be intimidated by someone who says dillydally ? Seriously, at least, act the part.”
My eyes flashed to Izzy’s, whose mouth had dropped open to form a perfect little O for oh shit, no, she did not , while I lifted my eyes skyward because only a higher power could save Elaine now.
And she had no idea she was fucked.
“Well, Elaine, just remember you said that when the trial begins. Because, as it happens, I’m the guard overseeing your gang. And I’ve noticed you’ve been stepping out of line, which means we might just start this off with a trip to lockdown. Understood, inmate?”
Elaine huffed and said nothing else.
I risked a glance back at Max, and this time, he winked at me. He still acted like a storm cloud had permanently fixed over his head, but it was something. A small sign he wasn’t closing off for good.
I’d take it.
With that renewed incentive to get this done and get on to other activities, I had a little extra pep in my step as we reached the cabin.
The largest cabin on the lake was a giant replica of our cabins from the Honor Challenge. As if four or five, at least, had been put together to create the sprawling lakeside mansion, it was way bigger than all of the houses I’d lived in with my parents. Probably combined.
Surprise, surprise.
With a gorgeous wood exterior, wrought-iron framing on all the windows and light fixtures, and darkly stained doors, it looked like it belonged in the mountains.
Various flowers planted in the beds around the cabin provided a vibrant array of color, and the back porch was set with patio furniture, and everything one might need to spend endless days by the lake and every evening watching the sun set together.
I had to admit, it was beautiful.
Until we stepped inside.
They had fully converted the interior into a prison with different cells and a central space with cafeteria tables.
Most of the lights were out, but one of the fluorescent bulbs they’d hung from the roof flickered sporadically, giving the prison an eerie vibe that only increased when the other Knights came into view.
A few wore prison guard outfits. But I spotted at least two prison cells with Knights inside dressed as inmates. They had used costume makeup to draw on tattoos, old scars, and streak the walls with dried blood. With the poor lighting, it looked real and creepy as fuck.
I shivered when one of the inmates, who’d been leaning his head against the front bars of his cell, lifted it and opened his eyes. A large tattoo I couldn’t make out wrapped around his neck, but the shudder-inducing part was the white contacts he wore, turning his eyes into slits.
“That’s Silk. He’s been in here a long time, and let’s just say, he’s not wrongfully imprisoned.
” Max smirked as he shared that delightful bit of news.
“He runs this place, and no one escapes without getting past him. But if you can’t give him what he wants, he won’t point you toward the way out.
He’ll send you to his gang, and if that happens, well…
maybe you would’ve been better off staying in your cell. ”
All the Ladies shared worried glances, with some mouths dropping open to protest, but Landon quickly filled in what Max had pointedly left out.
“Ladies, as always, no one can do anything that crosses a line. They’re here to add to the atmosphere, but if you’re uncomfortable with something, you have your safe words. Say I yield , and Max or I will be there to step in.”
That put most of the girls at ease, but when Landon stared down each of the Knights and added, “But that shouldn’t be necessary at any point, and crossing lines will have consequences. For the Knight in question only.”
Everyone relaxed.
Although Vivian might not have heard him at all. She’d been staring at Silk’s creepy face since he’d opened his eyes.
It was like a train wreck. I’d give her that.
“Any other questions, Ladies?”