face between my thighs, at the way he devoured me.
“What?” Graves asks.
“What?”
“You made a noise.”
“Oh.” I shrug as he eases me out the back door around the guest pool that’s full of flowers and naked partiers. “I don’t know.”
“Look.” He points at the trees along the back of the pool. Through the dark branches, I see a light.
“What’s that?”
“A surprise.” He takes my hand and leads me around the pool.
I place my empty glass on a lounge chair and follow him into the woods and along a stone pathway between the trees. “What’s back here?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He helps me along.
Though the path is covered in level stones, it becomes hard for me to manage them, as if they tilt when I take a step.
“You all right?” He wraps an arm around my waist and practically carries me along beside him.
“I’m fine.” Am I? I blink hard, but when I open my eyes everything is hazy. Even Graves’s perfect smile doesn’t look quite right.
“Just keep going. You’ll love it.”
Some partiers pass us, others disappearing down other branching paths. But we keep moving forward through the darkness until the path becomes less worn, and no one passes us at all anymore.
“Can we go back?” My mouth feels so dry as I form the words. “I don’t feel good.”
“No, we’re almost there.”
“Where?”
“The fairy gazebo.” He’s almost dragging me along now.
Well, that sounds nice.
“I think I lost a shoe.” I say the words, but only cotton falls off my tongue.
“Here we are.” He pulls me up some stairs and into a stone gazebo. The roses overhead are in bloom, and at the very top of the round structure is the light we saw from the guest house.
He sits me on the ground. “See? I told you it’d be easy.”
Masked figures ease into the faint light.
“Graves?” I reach for him, but he steps back.
“I know you.” The jester from earlier steps in front of me.
“What?” I try to scoot back but run into a pair of unmoving legs.
“You used to clean my house.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t clean houses. I’m rich.”
“You’re a maid.” He reaches down and plucks off my mask. “Lily. I remember you. I used to watch you, you know? When you’d change into your maid uniform.” He licks his lips.
The sick feeling in my stomach grows exponentially. Because he’s right. I recognize him now.
“I need to go.” I try to stand but can’t. It’s as if my body is half asleep, my brain, too.
“Don’t think so.” Graves shakes his head. “Where’d you get that dress?” He drops to his haunches. “Did you steal it? Everything about you is fake. You’ve lied to me from the beginning. Pretended to be golden when you’re nothing but trash.”
“No, Graves, I—”
He grips my throat and pushes me down to the stones. “You’re nothing but a money-hungry slut.”
“Tri Omega train time!” The jester whoops and reaches for his pants.
The other men start chanting “Tri Omega Train” as my vision starts to go black in places.
I scratch Graves’s hand, but he doesn’t let go. “Stop!”
“I want first, boys.” The jester frees his cock. “You can have leftovers.”
“Spread for Fincher, you lying whore.” Graves squeezes my throat.
“Get off her.” A low voice, one dripping with malice.
“Help me.” My mouth makes the words, but I don’t think a sound comes out.
“Get out of here, asshole. This is a Tri Omega party,” the jester says.
“Get the fuck off her right now.” It’s him. I know it’s him.
“And if we don’t?” One of the other men turns, and then I see him. My tormentor, my benefactor, my devil, my savior.
“Even your parents won’t recognize you. Closed caskets.”
“You’re full of shit.” Another one turns to approach him. There have to be at least six of them and only one of him.
“Who the fuck are you, man? Get out of here.” The jester steps toe to toe with him.
“Who am I?” He smirks.
“What’s your fucking name, asshole? I want to know who I’m about to stomp into the fucking dirt.”
“You really want to know?” His voice drops even lower.
That’s when Graves lets go of my throat and stands. “Maybe we should—”
“No.” The jester yanks off his mask and tosses it. “I want to know. Take it off, prick.”
And then the worst happens.
Then my tormentor smiles.
That’s when I know things are about to explode.
8
Clark
I pull my mask off.
The jester stares. “I’m supposed to know who you are?”
“Oh, shit.” Graves steps back. He knows me, has seen