Page 155 of Split You Open

There’s a round of dark, eager laughter.

“Our prey has never won,” Rhett snickers.

There’s no stopping the stupidly excited smile that splays across my face. “There’s a first for everything.”

I don’t wait for them to respond.

Turning, I dart away, off into the woods running as hard and as fast as possible.

The sound of several different footsteps thunder after me. There’s no being quiet as I race through the trees. Ledger probably knows his property the best, but Wes has been here for nearly a decade, surely he knows these woods by now just as well as Ledger. Those two might be the hardest to beat. Then again, Santi and Rhett created this game. The thrill of the hunt will give them the much needed boost of adrenaline.

The thought of any of them winning warms my blood.

The hurt of the evening fades as I focus on something other than the wretched truth I’d just uncovered.

I duck under branches, use them to swing over fallen trees or large rocks that protrude too far out of the ground to simply scramble over or waste time running around. I slip beneath brush and throw large sticks behind me to slow down my pursuers.

Somewhere behind me, someone swears.

Another person cackles further off to my left.

My nipples tighten with excitement; becoming sensitive as they brush against my bra. My heart feels like it's already miles ahead with how hard it’s beating.

Taking a sharp right, I use the sudden steep slope to my advantage—running full speed down it rather than slowing or avoiding it all together. The momentum helps me run up the side of a curved rock and when I get to the top, I jump a few feet down on its other side. The move allows me to be temporarily out of sight from whoever is closest.

Using the shelter of the rock, I press against it and slide around to the side of it.

There’s the thundering of footsteps as someone draws close but they follow my progression, climbing over the rock rather than trying to sneak around it. I wait until I hear them jump down, right where I had been before darting back the way I came.

I get a few feet before I nearly crash right into Ledger. All I can see is a faint twinkling in his eyes coming from the pale light of the stars above. The rest of his face is shrouded in shadows.

“See?” he says quietly as he takes a step forward. “Beginner’s luck.”

My right foot slides backward. “You haven’t caught me yet.”

“I don’t have to catch you when I know you’ll come straight to me,” he says, his voice growing quieter. Lifting his arm, he offers me his outstretched hand. “Come here, Blair. Let me show you how good sin can feel.”

My pussy clenches around nothing at the offer.

Of my Ledger summoning me.

I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long that it feels only right to see it through.

My face heats and my breath catches.

I almost cave and reach for him.

Thankfully, I’m saved as Santiago bursts from the darkness and slams into him.

“She’s my prize tonight, asshole. Fuck off,” he says then laughs as they both go crashing to the forest floor.

I escape before either one of them can get their bearings.

There’s no suppressing my giggle as I take off to the right, circling the property. I’m not safe yet. The sound of someone’s feet pounding on the ground beneath me warns that someone’s close.

Just as I round a tree, I make the mistake of not checking where I’m stepping. My foot lands on a wet patch of leaves. It slips out from beneath me instantly. I yelp in surprise as my other foot comes up next and I land hard on my back.

“Oophm!” I gasp as the air in my lungs is expelled violently.