Midnight Toxicity

26.

"Hey, Charlize!" Emily jogged over as I stood at the edge of the forest.

"Aren't you falling behind?" I joked, feeling nervous due to the woman's close proximity.

"My first time sucked, too. Take a few rights until you find the stream leading back to the lake. Good luck!" Her fists pumped the air an inch away from my nose.

Before I could ask why I would run in a circle, she took off into the forest. I took one last look at the house, where I spotted Golding holding a cup of coffee, staring back at me from the deck. The smug look on his handsome face made my hands clench into fist. He most likely told himself I was a stupid girl with no sense of adventure.

Before I looked away from him, he mouthed something that appeared to say, "Go look for clowns." Clues? Not that I could make out the words from his sultry lips where I lingered. Whatever—I was no cheater—and besides, there were too many dangerous eyes on me right now to play the pitiful girl who hates dirt and needs her big bad boss to save her.

I could see myself cozied up to Golding, acting as if I needed him to protect me from all the baddies outside. I did not believe that was something he would be into, though. The different personalities he surrounded himself with made it difficult to judge which type of woman drew his undivided attention.

There is no rush. Keep watching. Waiting. He will give himself to you eventually, Char. They hold no power over you. No more pussyfooting, bitch.

I centered myself with my usual bad-bitch mantra, taking one step at a time until stopping several feet inside the canopy of trees. Silence surrounded me. Not a single bird or person was overheard as I fidgeted with the hem of my plain shirt over my tight running shorts. The material was so cheap and thin that I had sweated through them already.

Where could this box of money be? If they previously located it in a tree, maybe Golding placed it on the ground this time? Perhaps Golding meant ground, not clown. I did not know these people well enough to predict their movements, so I did the only thing that I could think of — exploring the forest floor with my eyes and feet. I kicked aside leaves and moved branches, not caring how much noise I made.

Time passed, and the humidity rose as the hour grew late, making me thirsty and worn out. I thought I was fit, but I obviously had some work to do to keep up with Golding's games. Five Over Five? Were we expected to stay out here for five damn hours until one of us found Golding's buried treasure?

I found two small stone buildings hidden behind layers of foliage and trees. In the 1800s they could have been considered pioneer cabins or maybe even a place of torture for misbehaving ladies since there were no windows. Although the rubble was filthy and crumbling, people threw parties there. One had blankets, and another had foam coolers.

I walked out of the second cabin, glancing to my left with no intention of hurrying back to the house. These woods and their secret foxholes could be a refuge for the times I needed a break from Chace and the others. A glint of metal in the sunshine stopped me cold, and when I tilted my neck for a better view, someone tackled me from behind.

"Oomph!" I squeaked, completely taken by surprise, landing flat on my back.

My throat refused to allow me air as I gaped up at Malik. His shiny head dripped sweat all over my upper body as his broad frame filled my vision.

I did not wait for my body to adjust to the sudden discomfort, rolling left to spring to my feet. He tried to push me back down, bending in my face with a malicious grin. I jabbed the underside of his Adam's apple, and he grunted in surprise, backing off. When I found my footing, I made certain to keep my distance.

This was it.

Malik warned me he was watching and waiting to ruin my morning. I had to prove to him and everyone else I had what it took to be there. Agony and I were old friends, but hurting others was the last resort. Times like these were inevitable, and I did not mind showing jerks that I was not the one to fuck with.

"The others are at breakfast. No winner. But finding you alone is a prize." He grinned, showing all his teeth. "Time for us to get acquainted, little one."

"But I'm hungry too," I croaked, shuffling backward when he took two bold steps forward. "What's on the menu?"

"Porridge." He pointed at my head. "You're bleeding."

I cackled at the coincidence as I poked my hair to find a cut near my ear. Two head wounds in one month? I must have landed on a sharp rock. Better than broken bones. "If you don't back off, you'll bleed too, Malik."

He chuckled, closing in on me with a predatory leer. "I enjoy breaking pretty things. The girls here bore me. Why do you laugh at your injuries? Does pain turn you on?"

I waved spirit fingers in the air, drawing his attention away from my feet. "You'll die before I tell!"

I kicked a large rock as hard as I could, nailing him in the shin. He looked down at his leg, then back at me in irritation. It wasn't my best attack move, but I felt better knowing I could get one over on this dumbass.

I shrugged. "I wanted to see if pain turned you on as well."

"What are you—? You'll break just like the others! Understand, suka?"

Anger rose in my chest at the thought of him beating women. Inside, he was an incompetent loser —just like Derry. "You need better pickup lines. A boy once told me I had the sweetest ass he ever ate, but you will never find out. I'm out of here unless you have a bandage?"

Malik's thick accent growled foreign words at my snide attitude. He expected me to cower, but I was gleeful to disappoint this asshat. "Boys have nothing on me, little one. I will heal your wounds after I make you kneel. Do not worry, I will reward you," he said, grabbing his crotch for emphasis.

"Like hell!" I hissed. "You aren't the first bad boy to try to break me."

"Want to make this easy and lie down on a soft patch of grass?" He licked his lips. "After you give me head, I'll tend to yours. Blood turns me on."

"I prefer my last nurse. He banged out a dozen orgasms instead of this lame bullshit."

He blinked at my calmness, growing uneasy. "What are you saying?"

"Malik, do you think just because I'm pretty that I can't kick your bull-faced-looking ass?"

My manic smile made him falter in his response, but it was already too late for him to run.