Yea

the drive turning from smooth to bumpy. The ground underneath the ti

was in tow. We stopped, and before I knew what was happening, doors opened, the e

n't need to open the back door to get anything. Within a few minutes, though

p, keeping my head low a

eryone had parked. Cars, trucks, and SUVs cluttered the sp

ll were we

immediately spotted a mive

bandoned church peeking out through the bare autumn tree

res I'd seen in the newspaper over the years. It was an old land

uctural damage due to a hurricane

must've g

re no one was around, and quickly climbed over the ba

aves brush against my bare ankles. I was in my school skirt and fla

hut, and rounded the corner, heading to the side. The gr was overgrown with weeds, and

the windowsill and stepping up on one of the three-foot high arches carved into the bottom

a

ai, shirtless and without his mask-battled bare-fisted in the center of the wide-o

n on Kai's face as he jabbed at his oppo

like

, talking, laughing, and drinking from their beer bottles, I saw a

ts? Or-no-I thought to myself, St. Killi

altar would've once sat. Most of the hardwood pews had been torn out and sat in piles around the room, while the old cast-iron chandelier, remini

d on a pew, and I immediately dipped my head down. I d

supposed t

ch instantly knotting as I

, his chin tipped up, star

art pick up pace. "I..." I star

ew I shouldn't have c

no idea what he was thinking

n m

, gripping the windowsill at my sides and planting hi

as he

raved a glance up, watching him gaze through

throat, I finally spoke up

I say

x had big hands, like most basketball players, but they were nothing compared to his height. He w

ack. Instead, I dug my nails into the stone, forcing my eyes forward and watching Kai take

his mask, because I heard him take a drink. But then my eyeb

smile to myself as I tipped it up and drank. I held it between my

ed me off. I relaxed, taking a few more sips

gesturing to the students inside that were heading

o my chest, turning

nod

o guys and girls disappear. "W

ther kind

d with his brief, cryptic res

and felt his mask brush against my ear, his low voice

g what he meant. He took the bottle out

girl for teachers..." He trailed off before continuing, "You're a good girl o

eeth, staring a

t you want to watch, Rika," he gritted out. "I know you

breath, pushing out from between

parking lot, but a hand suddenly caught mine,

y throat thick with

er. "How do you

My eyes fell on his hand holding mine. My skin burne

tness in my throat.

heart pound even harder, and whisper

e, yanking my body in as he pulled the tie roug

u doing?" I

didn't

e pulled the tie apart and walked aro

own, turning to l

need a b

more with your eyes

ened my tie around my eyes,

, and I swayed an inch, feeling my equilibrium shift. I alm

I said

remaine

of the hemlocks and red maples mixed with the cool sea air and dying

y hair on the back of my neck

quietly. I was sta

l didn't sa

clutched the hem of my skirt, fi

and holding up my hands, finding hi

scare me,"

ine and pull it off hi

ps, coming up to his side and holding onto his arm, trying not to

oarse skin of his palms feeling so good. What

ing off my thoughts. I slowed, st

veral steps, the sunlight coming through the

turned my head, trying to locate the echoes of voices all around. I foll

tened, hearing them laughing and cheering. Grunts and groa

ing the blindfold. I didn't like not being able to see, not knowing whethe

see?" I asked, coming

be more exci

gh I couldn't see him. "Is having m

t I'd sounded. I'd always been nervous around Alex, and I was s

ut of him, and I thought that he had lau

t him brush against my shoulder as he came to stand behind me. "I wa

s together, feeling chills sweep up m

ck, and his breath fell across my te

n he pu

the dirt and dust-ridden stone floor as my arms shot ou

Alex?" I called, turni

reached up and grabbed

playing back at me in my hea

ing with me. I inhaled a d

. You're okay. You can do th

nd laughing. I wasn't sure if it was because of me or the fight, but my face burned anyway, emb

rising and falling a mile a minute as I tried to see if

touching nothing but

mall cry stretching my thro

and I listened, gauging that

nding, and then cheers rang out,

ice shouted whil

not far off, and I sucked in a

ed for you, honey," a female v

I scowled under the blindf

ouched the blindfold again,

ld win. Alex would've kept it on, because he didn't care. Who's looking at m

ld do

red my shoulders, my pulse

arred, insecure, and uncomfo

shoulder, and I stilled,

voice said. "Rika Sandra,

t, I immedia

cing tone that always seemed to carry

mo

your man?" he taunted. "And who g

d to rip the blindfold off. I didn't li

wasn't

throat, holding my ground.

playing with shit

bottom lip, and I twisted my

e in. "You sleep over at the Crist's sometimes, huh?" he growled l

to push away, but he gripped my hip wi

ome from behind him. "shi

't Alex

one, "I take what I want when I want it,

m, but he wrapped both arms around my waist like

His hands dropped to my , and I squirmed,

he whispered against my lips. "Wi

r my skirt. I let out a scream, but he cut me off, covering my mouth with his. I

re the sh

ed his bottom lip between my teeth, biting do

hs, holding out my hands, because I didn't kn

eze, sensing someo

yelled, sounding as i

me!" Da

hot back. "Go downstairs and blow off some s

nd wanting to see, but instead, I drop

, Rika?"

r breath, my body sw

ugh. My hands tingled, and I strai

ark and no bite, but..." Kai tra

h knew that

h only a hint of sweat hitting me.

o my right, fed up with st

are you

tacombs,"

can

my head to face him. "I'm

e held a hint of humor. "But yo

eling him take my shoulders an

arrment heating my f

voice thick with a laugh I could

lex win by taking off the mask as I took a hesitant ste

bering that he'd called me Rika. In

oached my back.

ouldn

e sense that Alex knew of me, since I spent so much time at h

're heir to a fortune in diamonds, and

sarcasm a hell of a lot easier

an amazing black bikini at the Fourth of July cookout at th

tly warmed. What

s Alex and as equally soug

ld he even have give

ut hope he would. He w

in here," Kai warned. "And I don

. "I know. That's the same thi

dding under my bre

out my fingers and stepping slowly forward, moving toward

t go down

hough I wasn't sure he would try anything

to wait-he'd ta

t want to wait, and I didn't want to wonder. All of those things made me feel uncomfortabl

They were always in control and always visibl

the smell of earth, water, and old wood drifting u

I sucked in a quick breath, planting both of my palms on

s shoulders were nearly level with the top of

remaine

. The full length of his legs and torso was flush

pped

u've been here the whole time, why wou

t take off the blin

Was that what he had wanted? For me to ta

ere-see what was going on-and not step in? K

d see my face heating. I guess I

keep emotion out of my voice. "You

orted. "Who a

my fist a

h fell across my cheeks. "You're not a victim, and

m? What did he want from me? I would

life like I was a baby learning how to walk. I never cared so much for their concern, a

my head up as his voice softened. "You d

usement in his tone, an

save the day would've given me some kind of hint as to what he felt about me-if anything-

s, it fe

ay, but his finger

downstairs?" he a

ked despite

direction Kai set. Howls echoed up from deep

and everything turned black as the air around me became cooler,

stairs,"

y step. "Can I take of

N

e rough and bumpy rocks of the stone wall to my right. Alex slowed down, l

and chills spread up my thighs, reminding

too unaware of

g, and depending on how deep we travelled into the m

have my hand right now, he didn't have my back.

feeling like the walls were getting closer to me. I inhaled a hard breat

I followed, coming up to h

und me, and I gathered that all the tunnels were wired

d my head to the right, hearing the

d breaths floated around me, and I twisted my head to my ot

, feeling dirt instead of stone now, an

vibrating off the walls, and I licked my

kinds

my skin tingle. "So how far you want to

nding high and euphoric, and

ng to distract from the heat building betwe

out of Alex's. Ho

d the noises, and shook my head, w

underneath the church, and I wasn't waiting for an invitation from him or his permission. He brou

ooked the inside of my elbow and jerked me

me down here, y

ed the lump in my throat. He'd suddenly become

My legs broke out in chills, but my neck and face heated u

be sure-and slowed our walk as the air suddenly changed, smelling of sweat, hunger, a

ting filled the air, and I instantly touched

want to give him an excuse

it was a room. He stopped, both of us facing the sounds, and my whole face warmed

"shit, she feels good. You

d hard, and my stomach flipped, hearing the so

the men

ietly to Alex. "Are they hurting her?"

N

unting and kissing, the gasping and g

hey...?" I trailed off, not sure

?" Alex's low

ating the amusement I caught in

re they...." I inched o

that word, but it

the girl's moans matching the rhythm, and I gritted my teeth to stifl

ed when he did

e-hot heat fell on my left cheek,

ring at me?"

es

justed my hand in his, not sure if i

" I a

. "You surprised me," he said quietly.

arted to drop.

tted, lookin

," he cut me off, putting me

n't sure I would heed his request, but I s

and I wasn't sure what was happenin

asked again, but I really d

pleasure in her hot, sweet whimpers that picked up rhythm, going faster and louder as the

le watching t

u want to," he shot bac

about that one. D

o

, from the voices I heard-watching her do something that should be private. And no, I didn't want to know who she was or t

t.

ounding so desperate and

ing written all over her face. Maybe I did want to see the men watching her, because I wanted to kn

if there was need and hunger there, and how hot it w

in front of a room full

ome of what I had yet to experience. To live

at it was Alex

ob, and I bit my bottom lip, trying

ka," Alex spoke low next to me.

, too weary to

he explained. "It's a high, and one of the few things in

he'd moved behind me, the warmt

not touching me, "that beautiful body moving

osing my fists around

t shows that she's loving everything that's happening to her right

me, but I still couldn't feel his hands. I sque

xt to money, sex is the one thing that drives the world, Rika. That's why they're watching. That's why

o him. "And what about love?" I chal

u ever h

been in love?

didn't want to tell me yes. I ignored the latter, choosing to believe the forme

de, and chills spread over my

will find out?" I asked q

hink she

moment looked a lot different in the morning, out in the open, and with a clear head. Yeah, there were things we wanted, impulses we felt, but acting on those des

ing of her own rules, but she'd su

h su

th him, I got a taste of a different reality. One where the only things taboo were the rul

secured around my eyes, ready to slip it off, b

eaking to him at my

N

nting getting faster and louder. "You think I'm too young," I st

s tone suddenly gone hard. "You

you let me c

red in a flat tone, "Who

muscle in my body. "I'm sick of your vague response

ld do what I wanted and handle myself, and the

know what

didn't need

he room and the display being put on like I'd originally wanted, I immedi

is crimson mask that made my heart pump with

es for any sign of emotion. "Did you think it would be funny? Get y

eak, move, and it didn't even look li

e'd given me something-just one part of a single day-and now he'd taken it away as if I were a void standing in front of him

, turning away and heading for the doo

lbow and yanked me backward, and I ga

." His vo

waist, keeping me glued to his chest as he walked us to t

barely see anything, the only light co

Everything was happening too f

late. I was pressed into the wall, my chest meeting the stone, and I immediately felt somethin

d breathing, letting my eyes fall closed as my skin burned and my head swam with pleasure. His face and lips nestled into my skin as he held m

r. "You're here, because you're like me, Rika. You're here, because there a

and that freedom is dirty. They see chaos, madness, and shiting as ugly, and the o

rcing myself to breathe. His hand dropped from the wall

y back, his lips hovering over mine. "I want everything th

in the near-darkness. All I could see, though, was the st

"and not enough people who want us to be who we really are. S

so happy I wanted to cry. He knew. He un

ee

"And don't apologize. Do you unde

life, someone told me it was okay to want what I wa

le shiting fun

slowly turned around, feeling his arm

wanted to give me

own, his heat and sc

ready for more," he

ing my skirt up with them. His fingers grazed over the intimate curv

verything

ik

th and straightene

nd Alex, but he was too ta

staying in front of me and le

f my h

d and stood up, turning around and giv

the two rooms, having probably witnessed the publ

khaki pants with a light blue ox

grabbed my hand, making me stumble as he hauled me over to

o Alex. "And you stay the shit away from her," he ordered.

y hand and pulled me toward the door. I looked back, catch