Ready Or Not (The Hunter’s Club #2)

Chapter 30

30

TRIALS - STARSET

Pain lances through my nose and fills me with vigor. I jump off Rachel just enough so she rolls to her stomach to get up, then I drop back down on her. I snake my arm around her neck, sinking her deep into my elbow. Elation fills me as I grip my bicep and feel her arteries compressed by my arms.

Rachel struggles, but there’s no escape once I’ve sunk in. I have her completely under my control. And that makes my pussy pound. Her pretty little body is totally and completely mine. And for a second, it feels like what I imagined I’d do to Noel.

It feels good.

Rachel doesn’t stop fighting. Something shifted in her eyes right before she headbutted me. Something…dark. And it turned me on.

I squeeze harder. Rachel’s movements are slow. It only takes seconds to make someone pass out. Just a little longer to kill them.

Kill her , the impulsive thoughts in my head scream. Kill her and be done with it . But something odd scratches at my chest. Manson’s annoying fucking lectures about impulsiveness are there as usual, but there’s also something else. Some odd…sense of loyalty.

Rachel slumps, and I hesitate a half second longer, then release my pressure.

The odd feeling swells, and I jerk back, pressing my hand to my chest.

Rachel twitches, then moans. She brings her hands up to her head, groaning.

I stare at her, not quite sure what to do with myself. Rachel ran away. She ran from me. So why do I feel this weird desire to keep her alive? Which, I may add, I’ve never felt for anyone before. Well, anyone except Pup.

And possibly Manson.

No, cut that. Not him.

Rachel coughs, then looks up at me. She squints in the twilight, then backs away. She doesn’t make it far before wincing and holding her head.

“That’s what happens when you headbut someone,” I say monotonously.

“You didn’t…I thought you were going to…”

“Kill you?” I cock my head. “Don’t tempt me. I’m still not sure why you’re still alive.” I stare at her. She looks the appropriate level of afraid, and it makes me horny. I lift an eyebrow. “You don’t think things through, do you?”

“What?” She coughs again. Her cheeks are pink, and it makes me want to bite them. They won’t be scratchy like Manson’s. They’ll be soft and pillowy and—I blink back into focus. This is the girl that just fucking betrayed me. I ask, “Where did you think you were going to go that Manson wasn’t going to find you?”

Rachel turns her dark gaze on me, and even in the darkness, I see the flash of fire. She’s fucking angry. At me .

“Don’t be mad, I just saved your life.” Or do. It’s kinda doing something for me.

Rachel sputters.

I laugh.

“Well, even if Manson found me, it would still be better than you!” Rachel scrambles to her feet. “He’d just kill me and get it over with instead of playing with me like a cat with a mouse!” She scrambles to her feet.

“I prefer hunter with a doe, but okay.”

That really pisses her off. Rachel launches herself at me, and I duck her swing.

“You’re no better than him,” she cries. “You try to sound all high and mighty, but the only reason Manson wants me is because I’m with you. So let me go, and you can keep playing your fucked up little game of murder hide and seek without me.”

Anger fills me. She has no idea what she’s talking about. Who she’s siding with. My voice gets low. “No.” Rachel is mine . I’ll be damned if I let Manson get her.

She curls her lip at me. “If I’m such a burden, let me go. Let me go or kill me, but stop with this halfway fucking bullshit.”

Her attitude fills me with lust. I want to slam her against a tree and fuck the fire out of her. I want her to squirm on my fingers as I jam them inside of her.

I cock an eyebrow at her. “I can’t let you go. My business has always been Manson’s business. You were fucked the moment I saw you at the corn maze.”

Rachel has partially turned away, but she whips around. She looks deep into my eyes and snarls, “Why? Because he’s in love with you?”

I freeze. My entire body goes completely still. Love? Manson doesn’t love me. My mom loved me. Noel said he loved me. I’ve seen what love does to people.

For some reason, I don’t want Manson to be on the same level as them.

My chest feels like all the air has been vacuumed out of it. It’s quiet out, just the sounds of a dog barking far off.

I try to suck in a breath. “No, he isn’t.”

“Really?” Rachel’s voice is just a whisper now. “Because I’ve never seen anyone who doesn’t care just a little act like this.”

I tremble slightly, and it makes more anger rush through me. Hot, saving anger that jerks me from my frozen state. The words come out of the depths of my chest. “If he loves me, I’ll kill him.”

We stand in the dark woods, and I feel murderous. Why does Rachel always bring out the weakness in me? It’s like she has a knack for it. She’s hit me in all the spots Manson has been aiming at for years, and she hardly even knows me.

I narrow my gaze at her. Is she working with him? Did he send her with me just to spy and report back to him?

My vision darkens around the edges. “Were you trying to run to Manson?”

Rachel sputters. “What?”

I take a step toward her. “That’s the only reason you’d run. Surely, you knew you couldn’t escape him. So maybe you were running to him.”

Rachel sputters. “Fuck no.”

I shake my head. “Do you need a better idea of what he’s like? You said I’m worse than he is.” I grab the phone out of my back pocket. “So call him.”

“What?” Rachel takes a step back. “No. I just want to go home.”

I’m shaking with anger. This is a bad idea, but she needs to learn. I dial him, then hover over the call button.

“Riley…” her voice has lost the bravado.

I raise an eyebrow. “Your move.” Then, I press call.