Rat Race (Devil’s Playground #2)

11. Cam

Cam

They're called vibes, rat. Get it right.

I was going to hell.

Naw, I wasn’t just goin’ to hell. I was chasin’ hell like the bats that came from it. Failing a test like that? In front of God and everybody?

Ma was going to cuff me so hard around the ears I’d be lucky if I didn’t need one of them fancy hearing aids after.

I could still taste her on my lips, the smell of Aubrey washing over my nose and settling onto my taste buds. It was just a tease, allowing myself a delectable morsel of her sweet nectar. But it was enough to get me addicted. I reckoned when this was over and I finally sat that naughty little bitch on my tongue, she wouldn't be getting off for hours.

Well, now that I'd thought about it, maybe not for days, if I had anything to say about it.

The easy glide of the bat through Aubrey's slick center made it difficult to look at the weapon head-on. Well, at least not without considering how easy it'd be to get her onto her back, cursing my name through her clenched teeth. Never met nobody who could look so beautiful while angry as a rattlesnake.

And the way she said my name?

It was hard to care about tests and trials and the paths set out over lifetimes of training when a beautiful woman was purring your name.

If I was off to hell in a handbasket, might as well enjoy the ride.

Ain’t nothin' in this world guaranteed, no amount of prayer or offering sure to get me through those gates. But down here? Couldn't I make a bit of my own heaven? Steal a sliver of happiness for myself?

Not like Pa was here to bark at me to do nothin' else. If what he said was even true. I reckoned he believed at least seventy-five percent of it—hard to spend your whole life lying to yourself. But was this really the only way we'd be saved?

Or, like in the maze, was there another path?

There was a chance to be better than the Westons that'd entered the maze before me.

Mercy by an angel whose little pink skirt fluttered with every step she took, offering a glimpse at the tight shorts hugging the curve of her ass. Briefly, I wondered if she was cold without her stockings—long since discarded after I’d ripped them from her body.

The other? Vengeance. That was the name of the game.

Remember your values, what ya were made for. Pa’s voice was strong in my head, driving home the family ways I'd already made fools of. Didn't he tell me not to get distracted, not to waste my time with being nice ? My failures were quickly stacking up, a living reminder walking ahead of me on the path.

And then there was Elijah. He shouldn't've even been here, and yet there he’d been, standing tall as the day was long with an offering already under his belt.

Why would Pa even send him anyway? It was just another blow below the belt.

The way he'd desecrated a safe zone to appease our holy master? It was perfection. Pretty as a damn peach to see the dull lifeless stare of his victim as we rounded the fountain.

A warning to the rest of the Runners that there was a predator amidst the flock of sheep.

And he had that damned Architect, Hiram, too. Elijah was too smart for his own fucking good.

It made a person think, my choice to take the path less traveled by the Westons—peace—weighing on me, heavy as a bunch of bricks.

But this was my show, my chance to prove myself to Pa and get out for good.

My fingernails bit into my palm where my fists clenched at my sides, jaw tense.

Didn't they trust me to get the job done? To bring home the win?

With the way you behave? Pa’s voice sneered. You still have time to fix this. Kill the girls, make a show of it. Prove that there is nothing more important to you than the glory and power of your God. Show the world your devotion. You still have time, Camil ? —

“Fuck off, I can do this my way,” I hissed at the demon lurking in my mind, the sound of my own furious voice bringing me back to the real world.

"What?" Ella asked, looking over her shoulder at me, her fingers still lightly tracking the wall as she walked.

Aubrey paused, shooting me a look that warned she was angry as a wasp's nest that I hadn't sent Ella off. Clearly she was still too furious to bother talkin’ to me. But what did she expect me to do?

Drop Ella just because I'd made her come?

Okay, yeah, that’s exactly what she'd expected me to do.

It was… sorta cute. The way she stomped around mad as a wet cat.

Even though she was pissed, her hand slid over mine to pry it open, threadin’ our fingers together to lead me down the corridor just behind Ella. Sparks licked at the places where our skin met.

At first glance, she didn’t seem like the sinful temptation she truly was. She really looked like an angel, even if she just so happened to be a blood-streaked one.

Or maybe a doll. Her golden hair swaying with every step. That perfect body that looked like it was modeled just for me.

It was hard to forget just how well my hands fit on her hips. How readily she opened up for me.

The thrill from what we'd done lingered as we continued our path. The image of her face twisted in pleasure and the sounds of her delicious whines playin’ over and over again in my mind like a record.

I can’t wait to watch the video when I get out of here.

I'd been spitting mad—still was, if I was being honest—about how she'd murdered those Runners. I told her from the beginnin’ I wasn't no player killer. That I didn't wanna be like my family. Wanted to win the game my way.

It was her fault that the darkness was threatenin’ to overtake me, to pull me back into the depths of the nearsighted thinking my parents had tried to instill in me from birth. I'd fought every instinct to be better, to treat others with kindness. But with her, all of that went out the window.

Aubrey'd gone crazy, barrelin’ into the people with the metal bat like it was a fuckin’ game. Her face splattered with blood, twisted in her anger. An angel of vengeance amidst her public. There was a part of me that called for her. That enjoyed every moment of it.

She would make a show of it.

Did it make me sick that I longed for it? I knew I didn't want to be like them, the monsters who'd raised me to treat human life like it was another piece in a chess game. But the feeling I'd had watching cute, innocent-looking Aubrey in her sparkly pink clothes brutally murderin’ Runners… It was nothing less than feral lust.

A need for her that threatened to overtake my good sense.

It had to be a test. The way the darkness loomed over me, threatening to smother my good intentions and drag me back into the light. My glory was whispered. Promised . My salvation .

I thought I had it under control. Thought I could push the urges to the back of my mind, even just for the sake of winning.

Aubrey, though… She made me feel things I shouldn’t.

She made me do things I shouldn’t.

I shouldn’t have wanted to watch as her cunt swallowed a bat splattered with her victims’ blood. My mouth shouldn’t have watered when her pink tongue flicked out to lick her own cum off it. Shouldn’t have gotten off to watching her almost come while choking her out.

My cunt ached from the memory, my own needs going unanswered a hollow offering in the name of my quickly deteriorating sanity.

More than everything, I sure as fuck shouldn’t want to ditch Ella just to see what deplorable things Aubrey would do to show her gratitude.

But I did.

I didn’t have time to think through what that meant for the state of my mental health. Though I reckoned the dull, gray, never-ending concrete walls of the maze would make me go insane far faster than my own twisted libido.

We paused as we came up to a section with several doors. More doors than people in our group.

Another fucking choice.

I glanced at my watch, nothing useful coming from the quickly moving messages in the chat. It was hard to tell if that was because we were the first to come up to this particular obstacle or if they really were just that feral to see me fuck Aubrey into the next dimension.

AMZYFIELDER

I found her afterdark channel! GET THE COWBOY ON THERE

AUTHORBEXDEVEAU

FUCK !! THE!! BLONDE!!

LIL_MASO_SROKK

I’d pay hella cash to see that performance again in 4k

Exhaustion was beginning to weigh on me. Without the sun, it was hard to gauge how much time had passed, but given we'd already made it through the halfway point… I had to guess it'd been at least three hours, if not four.

Either way, my body was beginning to feel the effects of constant spikes of adrenaline. I'd long since used up the quick carbs I'd eaten at breakfast with all the heavy lifting I'd done getting my ass out of stupid situations—and supporting my teammates. Even the protein bar I had wasn’t helping. The physical drain of the maze was obvious on all three of us the moment jogging had turned into walking.

And there was still a lot to go.

The voice inside my head that sounded like Pa kept hissin' at me to leave them, reminding me that they were just holding me back.

You could kill 'em. Two less Runners to compete with. Remember your goa l.

But there was no way I could bring myself to do it. I couldn’t imagine hurtin’ Aubrey, much less killin’ her.

A part of me wanted her to look up at me in fear as I chased her down, but that feat should be twinged with excitement for all the different ways I wanted to ravage her.

Not because I was going to kill her.

"Which way?" Aubrey asked, looking up at me. Her voice making the fog in my mind clear, if even for just a moment.

A bit of her lipstick was smudged on the side of her mouth, the only evidence of what we had done besides her missing panties.

My hand twitched, the urge to smear it even more too strong.

Fuck. Get a grip, Cam .

To distract myself, I looked down at my tracker. Comments were up in the millions, and my viewership still in the hundreds of thousands. As it fuckin' should be after a show like that.

AMZYFIELDER

Can we get back to the sex?

HIDEN’SLUT

Ditch the add-on and show us more of that pretty little thing’s cunt.

AUTHORBEXDEVEAU

+1

AUTHORJASMINEGARCIA

I wanna see her on her knees for you! I’ll send you a vibrator if you do!

AUTHORBEXDEVEAU

+1000

"We could each take one?" Ella suggested. “Go in a bit and come back to report our findings.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but Aubrey was faster. "Great idea. You take any of them, and Cam and I will take a different one."

"I meant that we'd each take our own door," Ella said, her brows pulling together in confusion.

"I know what you meant," Aubrey answered flatly. "What I meant was that it’s time for you to get lost."

I squeezed her hand, frowning. "Peaches, we talked about this."

"No, you talked, and I pretended to agree to get to the good stuff. Can't you see that she's slowing us down? And this stupid bitch nearly got you killed back in that stupid fucking fountain. I'm so fucking sick of?—"

"Only PKer here is you, Aubrey," Ella interrupted hotly, glaring at the blonde. "Don't think I didn't catch all those red lights."

"And what about it? They would've happily killed you too! Just as a reminder, you stupid bitch, if anything, I saved your life. You should be thanking me instead of giving this high-and-fucking-mighty lecture." Ella rolled her eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "You chose to be here like the rest of us, leech."

Her viciousness had my stomach flipping.

She’s talking back again , the voice in my head warned. Making trouble.

The last lesson hadn’t been enough.

Next time, I'd have to be more thorough.

There was a pause, Ella’s dark eyes shifting to me before she huffed, then asked, "Do you want me gone?"

"W-what—?" I spluttered, shakin’ my head to clear the filthy image of Aubrey bent over my knee, screamin’ for me to stop as I struck her reddened bottom. "No, I think we need to stick together at this point… Things are gonna get more difficult now. The midpoint ain’t the time to turn on each other." I said the last bit mostly for Aubrey's benefit, my voice holdin’ a sharp edge.

I was startin’ to think Aubrey’d never watched this event before. We could shove Ella behind us and step onto the podium together… but PKing a teammate? Splitting up and letting Ella potentially get ahead on a few lucky turns? Fuck that. This was our game.

There was no way I was going to let a player I'd carried this far beat me because the girl I liked was jealous. Peaches was just going to have to fuckin’ deal, and I’d show her the consequences after.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, Ella meetin’ her with a furious scowl. The two of them were angier than a couple cats in a pillowcase, but we really didn’t have time for no more bickerin’.

“You know—” Ella started, lip curled in disgust as she looked down her nose at Aubrey, the blonde reactin’ immediately by movin’ towards her.

"Enough,” I said, puttin’ a hand out to catch Aubrey. “We need to pick a door." My tone didn’t hold room to arguin’, forcing Ella into silence.

And thank fuck for that, I was gettin’ tired of her voice.

With a glance at my watch, I could see from the compass we were pointing northwest, neither of the doors giving any real hint as to what direction they would ultimately lead or what fresh fucking horrors we'd find inside.

Totally unassuming.

I was one step away from either winning this thing or sending myself to an early grave.

A more bloodthirsty player would make their companions go first, only to follow after they were sure it was safe. It was true I didn't want to kill Ella outright, but I also didn't have much of an urge to protect her either.

But Aubrey?

"Go on, Peaches," I murmured, nudging Aubrey's shoulder. "Take a pick."

I was just as likely to save her life as I was my own.

“Only 'cause you asked so nicely,” she said, offering a flirty little wink before turning her attention back to the doors.

“We’re fucking doomed,” Ella muttered under her breath. “She’ll probably pick it on feeling alone.”

“They're called vibes, rat. Get it right," Aubrey snarked, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you always go left, right?" She turned to look at me for confirmation.

"Perceptive. Good girl," I praised, not even trying to smother my smile.

Ella let out an offended scoff, her bare arms crossing over her chest.

Aubrey reached a manicured hand forward, grasping onto the doorknob on the leftmost side and turning. She pushed the door open to total and complete darkness. I'd expected the same plain gray walls and low light of the rest of the maze, but the blackness beyond the doorframe was a bit jarring in contrast.

The three of us waited, a second passing by with nothing but squeaking meeting our ears.

No trap?

Vibes. Right. Okay. Not at all what I had trained my entire fucking life for, but sure, whatever worked. I could get with it.

I took a step closer, tryin’ to get my eyes to adapt to the darkness beyond.

At first, I reckoned the ground beyond was uneven, the unlit corridor seeming to sway with movement. That was until hundreds of pairs of little red eyes turned toward the light at once, a swarm of rats moving in unison to lunge for the door like some sort of combined force.

Aubrey screamed, falling backwards with the clatter of her baseball bat hitting the stone before she could try to slam the door shut, forcing Ella and me into action, my hand catching the door just as the first of the creatures began to cross the threshold.

Ella grabbed Aubrey by her arms, hauling her backwards as I struggled with the door, but it was no use. The rats quickly overtook me, climbin’ up my boots and aimin’ to sink their sharp fangs into my skin like a hearty gouda. I knew that sometimes they brought things into the Games that defied the laws of nature and science, but this was the first time I'd seen it myself. Incredibly fast, strong, and totally mindless, save for the resolve to devour whatever was closest to them, the rats were quick to go after the other girls.

Aubrey scrambled to her feet, her bat lost to the swarm, leaving her with only her platformed boots to stomp hard on heads in an attempt to try and stop them from reaching her skin.

I shook the creatures off the best I could, wading through the veritable sea of rodents for the next door.

"Run to me!" I barked at Aubrey and Ella, bracing my hand on the doorknob. "When I count to three!"

Ella shrieked, throwing one of the rats down the hall. "Three!" she shouted, sprinting for the door. Aubrey looked at her with a glare, her hands reaching out and tangling in the girl’s hair in an attempt to pull her back.

“Let go!”

“This is your sign to get the fuck out of here, cunt,” Aubrey growled and shoved herself in front of the girl. But Ella was right behind, determined not to be left alone with the murderous swarm of rodents.

I swung the door open just as the girls reached me, the three of us tumbling into the darkness beyond as I slammed it shut behind us.

Aubrey panted hard from somewhere nearby, and I reached for her blindly while my eyes began to adjust to the sudden black.

“Should’ve fucking left her,” Aubrey said between huffs.

“Bitch, do you ever let up?” Ella asked, venom laced in her tone. “I saved your pathetic ass, and this is how you?—”

“I’ll fucking shut you up, you?—”

“Enough,” I hissed. “Both of you.” Silence followed my command.

Good girl. The phrase was on the tip of my tongue. I forced myself to swallow it. She didn’t need any more encouragement from me.

Ella lit the face of her watch, shining the tiny screen around the room in an effort for us to get our bearings and understand where we were and how we were meant to get out.

Aubrey did the same, but instead of lookin’ at the floors or walls for some way out, she was looking at me, her filthy, blood-streaked face pinched with concern.

"You're okay?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch one of the many scratches and bites crisscrossing my arms.

For a moment, I had seen real fear on her face back in the corridor.

And I fuckin’ hated it .

I never wanted to see it again. It had a grip on my heart. The only fear or panic I ever wanted the blonde bombshell to feel was because of me, not some fucked-up Architect who thought sendin’ mutant rats after us was funny.

"Yeah, darlin’, I'm all good," I murmured, catching her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips for a brush against her knuckles. "You? That was pretty scary, huh?"

She sniffed, nodding. "I fucking hate rats."

Aubrey didn’t seem so much like sin right now. The tremble in her voice was convincin’, but I reckoned tests were supposed to be like this.

Difficult to pass. Concealing themselves as something innocent when in reality they were the world’s greatest sin.

It made it so much harder.

I moved to pull her to me, lookin’ to give a bit of comfort, when Ella scoffed behind us.

"If you're quite done, I think I've found the way out."

Aubrey made an irritated little noise like a rattlesnake.

"We should've left you out there," she sniped, hand firmly lockin’ with mine as she towed me toward the spot in the wall Ella was shinin’ her watch on. "But at least you have some use."

I wanted to sigh. I didn’t know what was more exhausting—the maze or their annoying-ass feud.

"You are such an ungrateful bitch, you know?" Ella said flatly. "Any ideas on how to solve this?"

Using my own watch, I added to the light, looking at the pipes embedded into the wall. They were mismatched, the water trying to get in from the ceiling splatterin’ down onto the floor.

Jesus fuck, was I sick of being wet.

I worked backwards, looking for the answer to the puzzle. "I reckon the water needs to get to the pipe at the bottom…" I muttered. "So we'll need to… move it around?"

Aubrey was looking at the pipes, her mind trying to work through the puzzle. "At least it isn't fucking blood this time," she grumbled.

"Blood?" Ella asked.

"You don't wanna know," I said. "Reeked worse than the pig pen in 109-degree heat."

The brunette shivered. "Fair enough. You think we're getting close to the end?"

"Must be.” It was more hopeful than anything, but I moved my wrist to look at my watch all the same.

The viewer count was still good. In the hundreds of thousands. The comments on the other hand…

MJS.QUEERBOOKCLUB

God this is so BORING!! Fuck the girls already! No one gives a shit about making it out.

ELLEMAEBOOKS

Typing this with one hand ;) ready for anything

LIbrELIbrO23

Weston4ever! I’d like the next turn to ride the cowboy 315-XXX-XXX

This is what I fucking get for letting my desires get the best of me. The audience didn’t care about me winning. All they wanted was to see me fucking Aubrey again.

The temptation was there again, teasing the edges of my mind and setting my body alight.

But as I scrolled I saw more positive ones.

3_TOAST_BOY_5

Try turning the top left two!

BOOKBOUDOIRYEG

The middles can make an “L” shape if you turn the right one!

I cleared my throat, ready to share the ideas with the team. “Seems like some people–”

"Hey!" shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. "I need that!"